By Sarah & Julie – Harcourts | Auckland Real Estate Agents | Selling Auckland-Wide. Licensed under the REAA 2008.

If you own a home in Mount Albert, Sandringham or Mt Eden, you may have heard about Auckland’s proposed Plan Change 120. We know planning language can feel overwhelming, so we’ve pulled together the essentials in plain words — no jargon, no alarm. Understanding PC120 Mount Albert homeowners’ options begins with knowing what it is, where the process is up to right now, and how it could affect your street.

What Is PC120?

Plan Change 120 is Auckland Council’s proposed update to the Auckland Unitary Plan, focused on housing intensification and resilience. It replaces the earlier Plan Change 78 and proposes changes to zoning rules across large parts of the city — particularly around train stations, rapid transit corridors and town centres.

In July 2026, Auckland Council voted 17–5 to proceed with the more ambitious of two options, following Government legislation that revised Auckland’s minimum housing capacity requirement down from around 2 million homes to at least 1.4 million. The revised PC120 is now narrower and more targeted than earlier proposals — but for central and western suburbs like ours, it still carries real implications.

Where the PC120 Submissions Process Is Up To Now

Here’s the most current picture. PC120 has been publicly notified, and the formal submission period is now open. Homeowners, residents and anyone with an interest can make a submission online through Auckland Council — the window closes at 5pm on Thursday 24 September 2026. If that date is close as you’re reading this, it’s worth acting sooner rather than later, because late submissions are not guaranteed to be accepted.

After submissions close, there’s a further step. Auckland Council collates and publishes all the submissions received, and then a period known as further submissions opens — this lets people support or oppose points that others have already raised, even if they didn’t make an original submission. From there, an Independent Hearings Panel will consider everything before Council makes its final decisions, still expected in mid-2027.

“The submission window doesn’t stay open forever, so if you think PC120 touches your street, now is the time to have your say rather than wish you had.” — Julie

How PC120 Affects Mount Albert, Sandringham & Mt Eden

These three suburbs sit at the heart of the proposed intensification zone. Here’s why it matters where you are:

Mount Albert – one of five Western Line train stations named in legislation as requiring greater housing intensity. Areas around Mt Albert Train Station are proposed to allow buildings up to 10 storeys within the walkable catchment.
Morningside – the station sits on the Sandringham/Mt Albert border and is proposed for buildings up to 15 storeys in nearby areas.
Mt Eden (Maungawhau) – also one of the five legislated Western Line stations, with some areas within the walkable catchment proposed for up to 10 storeys.
Sandringham – affected by both the Morningside catchment and proposed changes along the Sandringham Road and Dominion Road corridors.
Special Character Areas – under review, with the number of properties carrying that overlay proposed to reduce significantly across suburbs including Sandringham and Mt Albert.

The rules vary street by street — and property by property. A home on one side of a road may fall inside a walkable catchment zone while the house opposite does not. Natural hazard provisions, flood overlays and character designations can all change the picture further.

“The single most common question we hear is simply, ‘what does this mean for my place?’ — and the honest answer is that it truly depends on your address.” — Sarah

PC120, Flooding Risk & the January 2023 Floods

One issue that all three suburbs are weighing up together is what the proposed plan changes could mean for flooding — a concern still very much front of mind after the January 2023 Auckland floods. When more homes are built more closely together, questions naturally follow about stormwater, run-off and how much water the land can absorb, and how that might shape future flooding risk in already low-lying pockets.

It’s fair to say the mood among many residents we speak with is cautious. A number are hoping for downzoning in the more flood-prone areas, and want to see careful listening and consideration through the submissions process, so that any intensification is balanced against the need to minimise flood risk rather than add to it.

Flood overlays – if your property sits within a flood-sensitive area, that can interact with the intensification rules, so it’s worth understanding both together rather than in isolation.
Have your say – flooding and stormwater resilience are exactly the kind of specific, local points a submission can raise.

“After January 2023, flooding is something people feel deeply — so it makes complete sense that many owners want intensification and flood resilience considered side by side.” — Sarah

What Does This Mean for Your Property Value?

This is the question most homeowners are really asking, and the answer differs for sellers, buyers, developers and long-term owners.

For some properties, PC120 intensification zoning adds development potential and can lift buyer interest — particularly from investors and developers looking at sites suited to townhouses or small apartment buildings. For others, especially homes in special character areas that could lose overlay protection, the picture is more nuanced. Character protections exist for a reason, and their removal changes both the planning context and, sometimes, the emotional appeal to owner-occupier buyers.

The revised PC120 estimates suggest a long-run reduction in Auckland house prices of around 5–8% attributable to increased housing supply — though these are modelling projections, not certainties, and any actual change to the rules is still some years away. The Independent Hearings Panel will consider submissions before Auckland Council makes final decisions, expected in mid-2027. If you’d like a considered view of your own situation, our What Is My Home Worth page is a calm place to start.

Should You Make a Submission?

If PC120 could affect your property — and in these three suburbs there’s a strong chance it does — the open submission window is your opportunity to have a say before it closes at 5pm on Thursday 24 September 2026. You can submit in support, in opposition, or somewhere in between, and you can address specific provisions, specific streets, or the overall direction of the plan change.

A few practical notes for making it count:

Be specific about your address, your street or the exact provision you’re commenting on — specific submissions tend to carry more weight than general ones.
If flooding or stormwater is a concern on your street, say so plainly — first-hand, local detail helps decision-makers understand the real picture.
Note whether you’d like to speak at the hearing, as submitters can usually ask to be heard by the Independent Hearings Panel.
Keep your own copy of what you submit, so you can follow the further submissions stage that opens afterwards.

Auckland Council’s online submission portal is available at aucklandcouncil.govt.nz by searching “PC120 submissions”. If you’re weighing up your next move, our Thinking of Selling guide may also help you think it through.

Reading the Buyer Landscape With Local Knowledge

Planning changes like PC120 don’t change the fundamentals of what makes a strong sale outcome — but they do change the buyer landscape, and knowing how to read that is where local knowledge matters. Preparation, presentation and pricing strategy remain the things that most influence a result, whatever the zoning map says.

Understanding a change like PC120 is simply part of how we help vendors and buyers make informed decisions — not just for today’s sale, but for the long term. You can see how we approach that on our Our Services page, and there’s more helpful background in What to Consider When Selling.

The Takeaway

PC120 is a proposed plan change, not a settled outcome — submissions are open now and close at 5pm on Thursday 24 September 2026, with final decisions expected mid-2027 following an Independent Hearings Panel process. For Mount Albert, Sandringham and Mt Eden homeowners, the sensible next step is simply to understand how it might apply to your specific address — including any flood overlay — decide whether you’d like to submit, then move calmly from there.

Not Sure What PC120 Means for Your Address?

Would it help to talk it through? Send us your address and we’ll help point you in the right direction — whether that’s the planning map, submission guidance, or a broader conversation about what the proposed changes could mean for your property’s future. No pressure, no obligation, just a good honest chat. You can reach us any time via Contact Us.