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Source: Auckland Council

Welcome to our fortnightly categorisation programme update.

Almost 2000 homes have received a final property categorisation, with 652 classed as Category 3 and eligible for a buy-out (as of 1 August).

442 Category 3 homeowners had received or accepted a buy-out offer, and 153 properties had completed their sale and purchase agreements (as of 26 July).

Overall, 3060 property owners have now registered for the categorisation scheme out of 7389 known impacted properties (26 July). There is still time for at risk homeowners to sign up to the limited scheme. While the deadline for registering is 30 September, we strongly recommend doing this as soon as possible. See our story Registering for a Risk Category for more information. 

If you registered in 2023, are awaiting a category, and have not received an update with a forecast month for your category, please get in touch at propertycategory@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. 

In some locations we have not been able to finalise risk reports and categories until decisions about local infrastructure solutions have been made. 

Business cases for the first three infrastructure solutions have been submitted to the Government for their co-funding approval for projects in Muriwai around Domain Crescent and in Māngere’s Te Ararata and Harania catchments. In the meantime, the Ministry for the Environment is welcoming feedback on Council’s Order in Council proposal to ensure the projects in Māngere can be delivered faster.

In other areas, the necessary community infrastructure projects are more complex and could take many years to design, fund, plan, consent and construct.

This week the Government approved council’s proposed amendment to the Auckland recovery co-funding agreement which allows it to offer buy-outs for high-risk properties where an infrastructure solution can’t be delivered in a reasonable timeframe. Council is now progressing risk reports for properties in these project areas, including neighbourhoods around Nile Road in Milford and Clover Drive in Rānui. 

An ongoing note on the complexity of categorisation

Many properties are proving more complex to categorise for several reasons:

  • There is an intolerable risk to life, but we need to assess the feasibility of a mitigation at the property. Examples include retaining walls, house raising or moving, altering fences and other structures blocking overland flow paths, or changes to driveways or landscaping
  • There is an intolerable risk to life, but we are waiting on confirmation of a community infrastructure project that could reduce this risk for whole neighbourhoods. Examples include redirecting overland flow paths, making more space for water to flow and pool, stopbanks, and upgrading culverts and roads. These projects are being scoped looking at feasibility of timelines, practicality, costs and impacts
  • There are both flooding and landslip issues at the property
  • Recent work at neighbouring properties, or the shifting of land, have changed the risk profile since we started.

See key categorisation and buyout figures below.

Categorisation progress (at 26 July 2024) 

Initial Impacted properties  Registered for categorisation  Completed desktop assessments  Completed site assessments
7389 3060 2997 1988

Note: Not every home will need a site assessment, but some may need more than one

Category 3 buy-out progress (at 26 July 2024)

Buy-out offers made with valuations

Buy-out offers accepted

Buy-outs completed

442

232

153

Categories confirmed (at 1 August 2024)

Category 1 Category 2C Category 2P Category 3 Ineligible* Total
1264 5 70 652 19 2010

*​A small number of properties that have registered for the programme are ineligible, including those with vacant land, commercial/non-residential properties, or properties owned by public service providers. The programme is focused on addressing risk to life in residential situations. 

Categories by suburb (at 1 August 2024)

Suburb Opted In 1 2C 2P 3 Ineligible Total Final Category
  3            
Ahuroa 1 1         1
Albany 3 1     2   3
Albany Heights 7 5     1   6
Araparera 1       1   1
Ararimu Valley 4       3   3
Arkles Bay 3 1         1
Army Bay 4 1     1   2
Auckland Central 10 8         8
Avondale 23 14     1   15
Baddeleys Beach 1 1         1
Balmoral 12 3     4   7
Bayswater 4 3         3
Bayview 12 7     1   8
Beach Haven 32 16   2 4   22
Bethells 5 3     1   4
Birkdale 11 6   1     7
Birkenhead 30 13   2 5   20
Blockhouse Bay 61 24     19   43
Bombay 1 1         1
Botany Downs 1 1         1
Browns Bay 34 10     7   17
Campbells Bay 3            
Castor Bay 13 7         7
Chatswood 10 3   2 1   6
Clarks Beach 4            
Clendon Park 1 1         1
Clevedon 4 3         3
Coatesville 5 1     1   2
Cornwallis 2 1     1   2
Dairy Flat 8 1     6   7
Devonport 6 5         5
Drury 2 1         1
East Tamaki 18 17         17
Eden Terrace 2 2         2
Ellerslie 5 1         1
Epsom 101 37   1 33   71
Fairview Heights 2 1         1
Favona 1            
Flat Bush 5 3         3
Forrest Hill 18 8     6   14
Freemans Bay 14 1         1
Glen Eden 15 10     2   12
Glenbrook 2 1         1
Glendene 3 1         1
Glendowie 2 1         1
Glenfield 30 14     2   16
Glenvar 3 1     1   2
Green Bay 16 12   1 1   14
Greenhithe 9 4   1     5
Greenlane 28 12   4 7   23
Grey Lynn 38 14   1 12   27
Hatfields Beach 4 4         4
Hauraki 5 3         3
Helensville 10 2     2   4
Henderson 96 24     49   73
Henderson Valley 17 11     4   15
Herne Bay 16 9     1   10
Hill Park 1 1         1
Hillcrest 14 6   1     7
Hillsborough 68 48   1 7   56
Hobbs Bay 1 1         1
Howick 3 2         2
Huapai 33 22     7   29
Huia 1            
Kaipara Hills 1 1         1
Kakanui 1 1         1
Karekare 61 39   4 14 1 58
Kaukapakapa 12 2     5   7
Kawakawa Bay 1            
Kelston 1 1         1
Kingsland 2            
Kiwitahi 1 1         1
Kohimarama 1            
Komokoriki 3 2         2
Kumeu 3       2   2
Laingholm 17 11         11
Long Bay 1            
Lucas Heights 3 1     1   2
Lynfield 12 8         8
Mairangi Bay 3            
Makarau 2       1   1
Mangakura 1 1         1
Mangere 83 10     3   13
Mangere Bridge 3 1         1
Mangere East 36 9         9
Manly 3 3         3
Manukau Central 1 1         1
Manurewa 5 2         2
Massey 60 14     14   28
Matakatia 1 1         1
Meadowbank 1            
Mellons Bay 1            
Milford 197 20     35   55
Mission Bay 1            
Mount Albert 20 4     1   5
Mount Eden 96 13   2 42   57
Mount Rex 1       1   1
Mount Roskill 146 55   4 31   90
Mount Wellington 3 1         1
Muriwai Beach 245 160 4 5 64 9 242
Murrays Bay 11 2   1 3   6
Narrow Neck 1            
New Lynn 10 4     3   7
New Windsor 5 2   1 2   5
North Cove 1            
Northcote 25 14     4   18
Northcote Point 40 10   1 5   16
Northcross 2 2         2
One Tree Hill 4 2     1   3
Onehunga 24 12     3   15
Orakei 2            
Oratia 7 4     2   6
Orere Point 1 1         1
Orewa 1 1         1
Otahuhu 3            
Otara 1            
Oteha 1 1         1
Owairaka 26 3     6   9
Pakuranga 1            
Pakuranga Heights 2 2         2
Papakura 9 6         6
Papatoetoe 5            
Parakai 1 1         1
Parau 1            
Paremoremo 11 8   1     9
Parnell 33 28   1   1 30
Patumahoe 5 5         5
Penrose 1            
Piha 120 73   19 16 8 116
Pine Valley 1 1         1
Pinehill 3 1     1   2
Pohuehue 1 1         1
Point Chevalier 19 15         15
Ponsonby 18 5   5 3   13
Puhoi 1       1   1
Pukekohe 38 11 1   14   26
Punganui 1            
Ranui 63 9     43   52
Red Beach 3 3         3
Redvale 7 5     1   6
Remuera 37 23     7   30
Riverhead 10 3     4   7
Rothesay Bay 3 1         1
Royal Oak 24 2     12   14
Sandringham 34 5     10   15
Schnapper Rock 1 1         1
Scotts Landing 1 1         1
Shelly Beach 1 1         1
Shelly Park 1            
Snells Beach 2 1         1
St Heliers 2 1         1
St Johns 1 1         1
St Lukes 2            
Stanley Point 13 7   1     8
Stanmore Bay 5 2     1   3
Stillwater 1 1         1
Sunnynook 11 1     5   6
Sunnyvale 13 2     2   4
Swanson 76 20   2 36   58
Tahekeroa 3 1     1   2
Takapuna 3 2         2
Tapora 1 1         1
Taupaki 5       4   4
Te Arai Point 1 1         1
Te Atatu Peninsula 8 6     1   7
Te Atatu South 24 15     4   19
Te Henga 1 1         1
Te Papapa 5 5         5
Three Kings 16 4     3   7
Titirangi 93 50   2 14   66
Torbay 17 11   1 3   15
Totara Vale 21 6   1 7   14
Unsworth Heights 1 1         1
Upper Waiwera 9 3     5   8
Wade Heads 8 7     1   8
Waiake 3            
Waiatarua 22 14     5   19
Waiheke Island 2 1         1
Waikowhai 11 7   1 2   10
Waimauku 8 1     4   5
Waioneke 1 1         1
Wairau Valley 12 1         1
Waitakere 15 11     3   14
Waiuku 22 14     2   16
Warkworth 3 3         3
Waterview 8 5   1     6
Wellsford 1            
West Harbour 3 2     1   3
Western Springs 1 1         1
Westmere 4 2         2
Weymouth 1            
Whangaripo 2 1         1
Whenuapai 4 2         2
Windsor Park 1            
Woodcocks 2 2         2
Total 3,020 1,264 5 70 652 19 2,010

MIL OSI