Auckland's Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse says there are "significant issues" with draft legislation aimed at tackling Auckland's housing shortage, but she's confident the issues can be resolved.
Hulse is appearing today before a Parliamentary select committee considering the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill.
The new bill, introduced after last month's Budget, would enact the Auckland Housing Accord, recently agreed between the Government and the council. All of our articles on the housing accord can be viewed here.
However, the council has raised several issues with the legislation in its current form, particularly clauses that allow the Government potentially to over-ride local councils in the designation of special housing areas and the fast-tracking of planning for developments.
In a draft submission on the legislation, the council said it rejected the clauses giving the Government the extra powers "and requires that they be deleted".
But in a recent appearance on Radio New Zealand, Housing Minister Nick Smith was adamant the over-ride provisions would be retained.
“It is absolutely crucial. The Government cannot take on this massive issue and risk around house prices without those residual powers,” Smith said.
While the Government and the council therefore seem a long way apart on their views of the legislation, Hulse was taking a conciliatory approach ahead of her appearance before the select committee today.
She said she was confident the council's issues with the legislation could be resolved through the select committee process.
"The proposed Auckland Housing Accord is an example of how we can work in partnership with central government to address Auckland’s housing challenges, and a welcome interim step to a fully operative Unitary Plan," she said.
"As I will outline to the Select Committee today, the Accord Bill in its current form does not carry through with the intent of the Auckland Accord, nor is it consistent with the spirit of partnership with which it was drafted.
"However, as the Minister of Housing has identified in recent weeks, the legislation is a work in progress and we are confident we can continue to work with government to achieve a positive outcome," she said.
Separately, Hulse said that regarding the draft Unitary Plan, which has been circulated since March for comment, around 22,700 pieces of feedback had been received via forms, emails and letters, as well as an additional 6540 comments and posts gathered from social media and the Shape Auckland website.
The Unitary plan is the new rule book for Auckland. The original stated intention was for the council to "notify" the plan in September (ahead of the October council elections) with the plan then coming officially into force in three years time.
Hulse said the council chose to release the plan as a draft ‘draft’ so Aucklanders could help shape the proposed rules in the plan before it goes out for notification.
"The numbers clearly show our communities have embraced the opportunity to be involved at this early stage. Their views, comments and feedback will all be used to ensure the plan we notify for formal consultation is the best plan possible,” she said.
“Over the coming weeks we will be working through the feedback to identify what topics in the plan need further work and where changes need to be made to ensure that we get the balance right.”
She said the plan was was "due to be notified later this year. This is when formal consultation will begin starting with formal submissions".
Mayor Len Brown has recently made comments that suggest the council may now wait till after the local body elections before notifying the plan.
8 Comments
Nick Smith generally appears to be an honest straight shooting bloke. I suspect that sadly he will be overruled by very powerful forces within and outside the National party who have strong vested interest in maintaining the very rigged land supply market in Auckland.
I don't think so - not this time. They (National) do understand that if they don't get their act together with housing *now* this country's propserity, overall, will be in serious trouble down the track.
On so many levels we are digging a hole to oblivion with this land zoning madness. New Zealand simply cannot afford it. Again, I think National gets it. They have to take a deep breath and just do what must be done. People like Hulse, Lee and Brown can't be trusted. They have proven that already.
Hulse has got to be removed along with Brown in the next election . We cannot retain these incompetent fools any longer.
That Unitary plan is nothing but a leftwing wishlist , according to the plan everyone must live in highrise ala Hong Kong , and we must all sell the family car, truck van and ute and get on the bus .
Its a litany of nonsensical ideas cobbled together by leftwing academics , who have never had to try to earn a living by their own devices.
They should start with the premise that Kiwis want to live in a house , and drive a car .... and then plan accordingly
So, three years for Plan to come into effect.
Add another year for the ineptocrats to actually act on the new pieces of paper and squiggles on maps.
Curremt house price average $565K - from the esteemed Interest article.
Current AKL house price inflation rate 14.8% from another esteemed Interest article.
Estimated AKL house price after 4 years is therefore - um - socks off, dual processor - $981,332
A million pesos, give or take......Penny, what Are you gonna tell all them first home buyers???
I certainly hope that you a right Andrew.
What the government also need to realise is that that the building material market has been similarly rigged. I was in Melbourne last week and grabed a Bunnings advertising handout. Some examples that I have quickly found;
Gypsum 10 mm plaster board A$10.90 , NZ price NZ$23.90
4.5 mm fibre cement board A$21.36, NZ$35.40
6 mm Fibre cement board A$25.76, NZ$55.51
16 mm mdf board A$29.93, NZ$58.22
R3.5 ceiling bats A$5.73/m2, R3.2 NZ$13.57/m2
Looks as if on average NZ prices are about twice the Australian ignoring the exchange rate difference.
It will be interesting going through the rest of the items in this handout
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