Housing density advocates say Auckland could sprawl from Whangarei to Hamilton if it fails to embrace terraced housing and intensive development.

Councillors have voted 13-8 to withdraw a council submission on Auckland's Unitary Plan which proposes rezoning 28-thousand homes for more intensive development.

The council's submission will no longer be considered by the independent panel, but other submissions for and against housing density will be heard.

The vote was welcomed by many affected property owners, who said the council had not told them or consulted them about the proposal to rezone their homes.

However, Generation Zero director Sudhvir Singh said young housing density advocates who spoke at last night's meeting were abused for their position.

“It was extremely charged and unfortunately quite hostile. We were frankly abused from the audience and that’s really disappointing.”

He said the alternative to greater intensification was less housing stock, less affordable housing, more urban sprawl and longer commuting times.

“If we don’t allow some terraced housing in the inner suburbs of Auckland, we’re going to have to sprawl from Whangarei to Hamilton and that’s not an acceptable outcome.”

Mr Singh said the submission was voted down, despite being an inadequate response to the need to increase housing stock.

He said the council’s submission proposed having “around 80 percent of the zoning for single houses with backyards, with a sprinkling of terraced housing here and there”.

Councillor Chris Darby, one of the 13 councillors who voted to withdraw the council’s zoning submission, said the debate was about democracy rather than intensification.

"To me it is about the process. Carrying confidence of the public is really critical. When you have good process your outcome is more likely to endure.”

Whau councillor Ross Clow, who also voted to withdrawn the submission, said residents of Blockhouse Bay had not had the chance to have their say on the submission, which proposed rezoning many of their homes.

"How have the people of Blockhouse Bay been informed? The reality is hardly anybody has been informed.”

The Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel will continue hearing submissions and will deliver recommendations to the council in July before councillors hold a final vote.

When the two-year hearings process wraps up, the panel will have considered about 1.5 million submission points.