By David Hargreaves
Nice try. Now try again.
The Government has been too cute by far in using Auckland's housing problem as an excuse to attempt to ram legislation through Parliament that would enable it to centrally control housing development in large parts of the country.
I have previously had this to say about the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill. Others have had their say too, including the Law Society. The Auckland Council now appears to be circling its wagons, while Housing Minister Nick Smith is demonstrating the kind of dogma this Government is becoming far too readily associated with.
In reality, the bill as it stands is far too much far too soon. When the Government announced it had developed an Auckland Housing Accord with the Auckland Council last month (see housing accord articles here) the indication was that the legislation introduced into Parliament following the Budget would be simply to enact the accord.
But the legislation isn't simple and it doesn't just enact the Auckland accord. In fact there is not much reference to Auckland at all. Nick Smith has gone gallivanting off, like Rambo looking for his jockstrap, and produced some hastily pulled together legislation that could potentially neuter a big part of the what this country's local governments currently do.
In reading feedback from interest.co.nz readers to previous articles on this subject, it is quite clear there is a view abroad that the Auckland Council has made a mess of housing development, so let's bring on the central Government to organise Auckland's housing development because they couldn't do any worse. Just build houses and never mind.
Well, be very careful what you wish for. It is always very dangerous to assume that because one thing doesn't work very well then anything, anything at all, you replace it with, will be better. Oh, no. It does not have to be so. If you think things can't get worse you can always be surprised.
Everybody wants to see Auckland's perceived shortage of 30,000 houses tackled as quickly as possible. But the current legislation before Parliament is very much the sledgehammer to crack the walnut. Do we want the Government having the power to over-ride most local authorities in the country when it comes to housing development? Why stop there? Why have local authorities at all?
In actual fact, I'm no fan of local government. I have long since opined to anybody who will listen that all I want from a local council is that it pumps fresh water into my house and then removes the less than fresh water from it later. That's it as far as I'm concerned. But various previous central government changes have put more onus on local authorities. And the creation of the Auckland Super City (which I didn't agree with) brought enormous power with it.
But if we are now going to have a debate about what powers local authorities should or should not have, let's have that debate properly. Let's not shove some legislation through Parliament under the guise of solving Auckland's housing problem that in fact, de facto, becomes a way of central government re-asserting power at a regional level.
The real issue, right now, that needs tackling is Auckland's housing shortage. There is something akin to panic settling in with home buyers - and prices are going up. This is not an Auckland-specific problem because if Auckland prices go up this drags national prices up and the likes of the Reserve Bank get very interested (they already are) in the potential consequences for national inflation.
The historically low levels of houses listed for sale on the market as we go into winter bode very badly for what might happen once warm spring weather is upon us in October and November. Potentially we could see a massive surge in buyer interest that the market can't keep up with and so soaring prices will result. Before we get to that point there has to be some clear signal sent that Auckland at least has a plan to tackle the housing shortage.
What is needed is a sensible, rational, agreement between the Auckland Council and the Government that will allow building activity to ramp up as quickly as possible in Auckland so that the current shortage can be tackled. The Government and council should get back around the table, re-negotiate the terms of the accord - if that is necessary - and then the Government should go away and draft up an Auckland Housing Accord Bill, which can be introduced into the house simply to tackle Auckland's housing shortage. Yes, that's right. Tackle Auckland's housing shortage. Nothing else. No hidden agendas. No power grab. Tackle the problem.
Later, if the Government really wants to get into the whole issue of what should be centrally-versus-locally-governed then it should, if it wishes, get the legal boffins looking at some substantive legislation further down the track that perhaps redefines the boundaries between central and local governments.
Auckland needs more houses. Now. The Government and the Auckland Council need to get together now on that issue and leave the gang-style 'turf warfare' for later. This issue is too important to be drowned in petty politics.
We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment
Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.