It's looking increasingly likely that Warkworth and Silverdale will become New Zealand's next cities.

Auckland councillors will this morning begin days of deliberations on thousands of pages of planning rules in Auckland's 30-year Unitary Plan.

Council staff will advise councillors to accept most parts of the recommended plan and make changes to other parts.

Council staff are supporting parts of the plan, that will allow Warkworth to expand to the west and north-east.

Staff also seem to be supporting of a major urban expansion north of Hatfields Beach, west of the Dairy Flat Highway and north of the proposed Penlink Highway.

Pressure is also mounting on Auckland councillors, to reject the urban development of a privately owned volcanic field.

Hundreds of people have signed a petition against development of Crater Hill, including geologists and community groups.

The Geoscience Society, Civic Trust Auckland, Save Our Unique Landsacapes, Friends of Maungawhau and Redoubt Ridge Environmental Action Group are the lead signatories.

Council staff are also advising councillors reject the proposal, describing Crater Hill as an outstanding natural feature.

They say the Pukaki Peninsula should be protected from development both because of its importance to local Maori, and because noise levels will rise if a second Auckland Airport runway is built.

Council staff have also opposed a canal-style development on Clevedon Waterways, because of concerns from Nga Tai.

However, they are not opposed to allowing more land to be opened up to development near the sacred Otuataua Stonefields, beside the controversial Ihumatao Special Housing Area.

Councillors are due to pass the plan next week, but environment minister Nick Smith hasn't ruled out giving them a 20 day extension.

The local changes council staff support

1. Extending the rural urban boundary to include Pararekau and Kuahingahinga Islands, because it wouldn't undermine the value of those islands.

2. Rezoning Pararekau Island from lifestyle blocks to single house zones, because it would match surrounding areas and prevent infill subdivisions from happening later.

3. Extending the rural urban boundary at three locations in Swanson, Henderson Valley, and Oratia because they are accessible or logical extensions of existing urban areas.

4. Extending the rural urban boundary at five locations north of Hatfields Beach, west of the Dairy Flat Highway and north of the proposed Penlink highway, because it would create contained development near the motorway.

5. Rezoning parts of the Wainui Future Urban zone to current urban zones, because it will speed up development in and around the Wainui East Argent Lane Special Housing Area.

6. Extending the rural urban boundary north-east of Warkworth, and extending future urban zoning west of Warkworth to the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway, because it will allow the town to develop.

7. Rezoning the Warkworth Future Urban zone to light industry in the north and general business in the west, because of their location relative to the proposed motorway interchange and Matakana bypass.

8. Deleting two Riverhead precincts and rezoning part of this land from future urban to countryside living, because there isn't enough evidence it is appropriate for urban development.

9. Adding a new precinct at Hatfields Beach, because converting the farming area to an urban area with native bush would have positive environmental outcomes.

10. Extending the rural urban boundary to the Okura Estuary, because most issues would still be addressed if the area is within the urban boundary.

11. Deleting the Milford 2 precinct, because height can be extended from 18 metres to 32.5 metres for parts of the town centre through the height variation control.

12. Replacing the Gulf Harbour precinct mixed housing suburban zone with a terraced housing an apartment buildings zone, because a pipe upgrade will allow for any extra capacity.

The local changes council staff don't support

1. Removing the rural urban boundary at Puhinui, because Crater Hill is an outstanding natural feature, Pukaki Peninsula is important to local Maori, and it will have aircraft noise of the second airport runway is built.

2. Changing the underlying zones of the Clevedon Waterways from a new precinct for canal housing, because it is opposed by Nga Tai, would affect water quality and couldn't be managed through the resource consent process.

3. Excluding transport infrastructure provisions for the Redhills precinct, because unresolved infrastructure issues need to be addressed if the precinct is going to be developed.

4. Excluding an indicative roading pattern for the Westgate precinct, because it is vital to achieving an efficient and effective transport network.

5. Excluding transport infrastructure provisions for the Wainui precinct, because developments may need to be staged as transport infrastructure funding becomes available.

6. Rezoning Kumeu Showgrounds from mixed rural to countryside living, because it could restrict many activities at the Showgrounds including markets.

7. Rezoning a location on Dawson Road in Snells Beach from single house to large lot, as it was recently zoned to that density.

8. Creating a new precinct north of Okura without provisions for transport infrastructure, because the precinct will require a significant and currently unfunded upgrade to the roading network.

9. Deleting the AUT Akoranga Precinct and including it in the AUT designation, because the precinct has different rules and building heights, and AUT may choose to sell it one day.

10. Replacing the Takapuna 1 Precinct with terraced house, apartment building and metropolitan business zones, because it will prevent intensive development.

11. Deleting the Sylvia Park precinct and using the metropolitan business zone, because it will restrict development and remove the three separate height areas that apply to the site.