Prime Minister John Key says the Auckland Council now needs breathing space to decide what it'll do with the Unitary Plan.
The massive document allows for a combination of more urban sprawl and great intensification in the inner suburbs.
The Government's taking a back seat at the moment, with John Key waiting to see how the council reacts before taking a position.
LISTEN: Finance Minister Bill English on the Unitary Plan
"I'm sure everybody will have a view, including the Government, but as I said I urge everyone to let the Council sit back and digest it."
Mr Key said the Government stands firm on simply wanting more houses built.
"When you get the supply side right, and there's enough land and enough houses being built, prices stabilise, and actually what we're seeing in Christchurch is rent starting to come down. There's no magic about that, the same can be true in Auckland.
Matt Lowrie, the chairman of advocacy group Greater Auckland, said the plan will make it easier to expand the rural-urban boundary, paving the way for more urban sprawl.
He said that needs to be accompanied by improvements to transport infrastructure.
"If we're just going to build all these areas out on the fringe of town and expect them all to drive, there'll be congestion. It will be terrible for everyone so we need to make sure we're building options now, and we need to get on to that."
SEE ALSO: Unitary Plan: More houses on existing locations
The plan earmarks transport hubs like Albany, Takapuna, Massey, New Lynn, Panmure, Mt Wellington and Panmure for greater intensification.
Panmure Community Action Group secretary Keith Sharp said that goes against the wishes of locals.
"Panmure deserves a little bit more than just to be turned into a high-rise high-density dormitory suburb for the central city. Which is largely what the planners seem to be looking at here"
Mr Sharp said rapid growth would be a recipe for disaster.
"Half the population is basically living on and around a dormant volcanic field, in an earthquake prone country, with two harbours, and heavily dependent on half a dozen bridges and causeways in the case of a natural disaster."
The recommended unitary plan would also keep current rules requiring restaurants and retailers to provide a minimum number of carparks in place.
Matt Lowrie said it is disappointing and an unnecessary requirement for many small businesses.
"The panel has erred on the side of some of the big retailers who want to protect their parking and shut out competition. It's one of those technicalities but it can have a big impact on how town centres operate."
Meanwhile, Warkworth is on track to becoming New Zealand's newest city, under the final draft of the Unitary Plan.
Local board representative Steven Garner said the town of five-thousand could become a city of 30-thousand with its own satellite towns.
He said the settlements like Snells Beach, Omaha, Matakana and Leigh are seeing massive growth as well.
SEE ALSO: Unitary plan will mean more apartments and less consultation with iwi
Charities working with poor families say the final draft of the Unitary Plan provides ways to reduce overcrowding and homelessness in Auckland.
Salvation Army social policy director Ian Hutson said people may have reservations about the prospect of intensification, but they need to support it for the sake of society at large.
He said given the level of the housing crisis, we have to look beyond self-interest.
Hutson said for Auckland's poorest families, the intensification of suburbs near employment centres and transport hubs can't happen soon enough.
"As it stands, what we see at the moment is people sleeping in cars, Ministry of Social Development struggling to find places for people to live in in a crisis situation."
SEE ALSO:Â Rachel Smalley: Will the Unitary plan shape Auckland's children?
Buildings built before 1944 and sites of value to local Maori receive no specific protection under the final draft of the Unitary Plan.
Sir Bob Jones led the campaign against protections and said he's happy the rights of individual property owners are being promoted.
"It was a ridiculously abused situation, that paid no attention to history whatsoever, and it should never have been there in the first place."
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