What makes Devonport different
Gas heaters in a third of homes
At the 2023 Census, a fixed gas heater was a main heating type in 31.9% of Devonport homes, against 9.5% nationally. Heat pumps were less common than nationally: 51.5% against 66.8%.
A 1960 watermain due for replacement
Devonport's water zone serves about 12,300 people through more than 5,600 metered connections, fed by two watermains. One is an asbestos cement main laid in 1960 and at the end of its life. Watercare plans a 4.5 km replacement, with construction not before early 2027.
Reclaimed land and Narrow Neck
Auckland Emergency Management says the wharf, the naval base and the land between Takarunga and Maungauika (North Head) are reclaimed fill, and that Narrow Neck is low-lying alluvium prone to flooding.
Character areas
Devonport and Stanley Point are a residential special character area, and the shops a business one. Repairs and a rainwater tank are permitted; external alterations or additions need resource consent.
Gas work, done properly
Any work on fixed gas pipes and appliances, from a heater to a califont, needs an authorised gasfitter. Restricted gasfitters can't connect an appliance to the supply, so ask what class of licence the person holds. When the job's connected you should get a Gas Safety Certificate, and general or high-risk work also comes with a certificate of compliance. Our gasfitting page explains both.
An established suburb
Only 3 new dwellings were consented in Devonport in the year to March 2026, and a quarter of households hold their home in a family trust. Most plumbing here is in houses that have been lived in for a long time. Watercare's new main won't change the private pipes: from the outlet of your meter to the taps, they're yours.
More pages
Close by: Takapuna, Birkenhead and the North Shore. Across Auckland: hot water cylinders, drainlayers and leak detection.
What we would do in Devonport
If you're replacing an old gas heater or califont, have the gasfitter check the pipework feeding it as well as the new appliance, and keep the certificates with the house papers. In the character areas, anything new on the outside, like an outdoor cylinder, needs a word with Auckland Council first. And if your section is on reclaimed land or in Narrow Neck, say so when you book a drainlayer.