The Urban Development Act 2020 empowers Kāinga Ora to initiate, facilitate, and undertake urban development that contributes to sustainable, inclusive, and thriving communities.

This includes a comprehensive process for the planning, funding and delivery of complex urban development projects – called Specified Development Projects (SDP).

Projects considered for assessment as a potential SDP

Listed below are projects Kāinga Ora has considered for selection, the outcome of those considerations as well as the current assessment status.

Date of selection decision Proposed project S29 recommendation report SDP status
September 2022 Western Corridor, Tauranga Western Corridor report [PDF, 1.7 MB] Project not established [PDF, 26 KB]
August 2022 Northern Growth Area, Porirua Northern Growth Area report [PDF, 1.9 MB] Selected for assessment
November 2021 Sunfield development, Papakura, Auckland Sunfield development report [PDF, 2.1 MB] Not selected for assessment

What is a Specified Development Project (SDP)?

An SDP is an urban development project with a defined area(s), stated project objectives, and a defined governance body (the three "key features" of an SDP).

It is a way for local and central government to work together with landowners, mana whenua, private developers and the community to plan and deliver on shared urban development aspirations.

An SDP brings together multiple and otherwise separate processes required for urban development and enables them to be accessed through a single, integrated process. Planning, infrastructure, land use, and funding arrangements are sorted upfront through a cohesive and clear development plan. Māori interests, environmental, social, and cultural effects, and historical heritage values are taken into consideration in the process.

The SDP process is likely to be best suited to complex projects that are unable or unlikely to be delivered or developed optimally under existing processes. It works to overcome barriers that have often stopped projects from getting off the ground, such as large areas with multiple landowners, funding constraints, or complex planning challenges.

How do the SDP selection and assessment processes work?

The Urban Development Act sets out a rigorous process that needs to be completed before an SDP can be established and delivery of the project can begin.

An urban development project can be selected for assessment as a potential SDP by either Kāinga Ora or by the responsible Ministers (the Minister of Housing who is responsible for the Act and the Minister of Finance). Any group or body, e.g. iwi, developers or councils, that has a development project they think could be a potential SDP, can discuss their project with the Kāinga Ora SDP team to see if it could benefit from using the SDP process. 

If a project is selected for assessment as a potential SDP, the assessment process will generally include early engagement with Māori and key stakeholders, public notice of the key features Kainga Ora is considering for the proposed project, and preparation of a comprehensive project assessment report.

At the end of the assessment process, Kāinga Ora recommends to the responsible Ministers whether the project should established as an SDP. It is then up to the responsible Ministers to decide whether to accept the recommendation.

The Urban Development Act 2020 empowers Kāinga Ora to initiate, facilitate, and undertake urban development that contributes to sustainable, inclusive, and thriving communities. This includes a comprehensive process for the planning, funding and delivery of complex urban development projects – called Specified Development Projects (SDP).

More information

The Urban Development Act 2020(external link), alongside the Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities Act 2019(external link), sets up a framework for transformational urban development to contribute to sustainable, inclusive and thriving communities.

To read the legislation or to find out more, visit the Ministry Of Housing and Urban Development website(external link). If you wish to seek more information about the Urban Development Act, or discuss the possible selection of a project for assessment as a potential SDP, you can email the team at sdp.enquiries@kaingaora.govt.nz.

Page updated: 11 December 2024