Auckland Prison Capacity Increase Proposal

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New Zealand has a rising prison population, and we have a responsibility to keep communities safe. To safely manage increasing prisoner numbers, we’re proposing to alter the total number of prisoners which Auckland Prison is permitted to accommodate.

What’s being proposed

The Department of Corrections – Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Corrections) is seeking to alter the existing designation at Auckland Prison under the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024 (FTAA).

A ‘designation’ is a legal tool that allows certain land to be set aside for a specific public purpose, like a prison. This alteration to the designation would allow the prison’s designated maximum capacity to increase from 681 to 1,220 people.

Consultation process

Since July 2025, we have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders including the local school and community, Iwi, Auckland Council, elected members, relevant government agencies, as well as health and emergency providers.

Corrections’ consultation process was designed to meet and exceed statutory obligations under the FTAA, reflecting Corrections’ values, commitment to meaningful consultation and good relationships, and to enable stakeholders to provide informed feedback on the proposal.

The Consultation Summary Booklet below provides the most-up-to-date information on the proposal and a final summary of the consultation outcomes. This includes what we heard, what we’ve changed in response to feedback and to meet best practice standards, and what happens next.

Next steps

Corrections is currently preparing an application, supported by technical reports, which will be submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in April 2026.

For more information

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