The Western Bay of Plenty District Council is inviting residents to weigh in on a proposed policy shift regarding infrastructure contributions for granny flats, aiming to balance the rise of affordable housing with the costs of supporting community growth.
The consultation comes in response to changes to national planning and building legislation in January 2026, which streamlined the process for building qualifying granny flats of up to 70 square metres. While these changes have reduced “red tape,” they have also impacted the Council’s ability to collect infrastructure costs, which were previously recovered through the resource consent process for such builds.
Alison Curtis, the Council’s General Manager of Regulatory Services, emphasised that the proposed policy is intended to ensure fairness for existing ratepayers.
“Granny flats can be a great housing option, making it easier for people to provide a home for whānau or renters, and the government’s changes have reduced ’red tape’ and made them simpler to build,” Curtis said.
“But adding extra homes to properties places additional demand on things like our roads, water services, wastewater networks and reserves. Those infrastructure costs don’t disappear because the consenting requirements have changed.”
“This proposal isn’t about creating an additional cost for people building granny flats. It’s about having a mechanism that allows us to continue recovering an appropriate share of growth-related infrastructure costs, rather than those costs falling more heavily on existing ratepayers.”
How the proposed policy works
Under the new proposal, granny flats that no longer require resource consent would be assessed at 0.5 Household Equivalent (HHE), meaning owners would pay half the standard dwelling contribution fee. This approach aligns with the Council’s current strategy for similar minor residential dwellings that do require consent.
Granny flats that still require resource consent under existing District Plan provisions will continue to be assessed for financial contributions as they are currently. The specific amount payable by a property owner will vary based on location and available infrastructure services.
How to have your say
The Council is seeking community feedback before moving to a final decision. Residents can share their views until 11:59pm, Friday 20 November 2026, by using the following methods:
• Online: Complete the feedback form on the Council’s Your Place Tō Wāhi project page at yourplace.westernbay.govt.nz/grannyflats
• In-person: Visit one of the Council’s Library and Service Centres.
• Email: Send your feedback to yourplace@westernbay.govt.nz with the subject line ‘Draft Policy – Granny Flats’.
The Council has noted that petitions will not be accepted as formal feedback, as the process is designed to capture direct input from individuals and organisations. Once consultation closes, the feedback will be reviewed to inform potential changes to the policy before it is presented to elected members for a final decision.