RMA Changes a Town & Country Planning Act in Drag - Peters

Planned changes to the Resource Management Act will not deliver affordable housing because this government is unwilling to attack the real reasons for housing unaffordability.

“A ruthless, razor-like approach is needed to burst the Auckland house price bubble and this is not it,” says the Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First.

“If there is a problem in Auckland then solve it there instead of clubbing all of New Zealand. Given inflation, the official cash rate should be cut but Auckland’s housing market means it won’t be.

“New Zealand First has warned for years about pressures like overseas speculators in our property market, a record influx of immigrants and a lack of homes being built.

“None of these are addressed by what the Minister announced but New Zealand First has a Bill awaiting introduction for a register of foreign land and housing ownership.

“If we go back to 1939, the government was completing 57 houses every week and adjusted for population, our councils were issuing thousands more consents over 2013.

“So National’s big idea for RMA reform is effectively a return to the Town & Country Planning Act in all but name. It is telling that this government is too gutless to come out and say this plainly or give us any meaningful legislative detail about what they plan.

“It is not the first time this government has over promised and under delivered on RMA reform since National passed the RMA in 1991. Remember simplifying and streamlining?

“The requirement for that stack of plans which Minister Smith stood beside has been there ever since National was elected in 2008.

“National’s developer mates will welcome an open season on farmland but it will neither speed up the supply of houses nor lower their cost. What about the Building Act too?

“By allowing immigration at levels vastly above what’s been the long term average for the past 20 years, this government has poured petrol onto the fire that is the Auckland housing crisis. Worse, its blunt policies have hurt regions where there is little ‘crisis’.

“The government is also in denial about the full extent of foreign speculative buying in our houses and farms. Failure to back New Zealand First’s register of foreign land ownership is a complete dereliction of its responsibility towards fact based policy.

“It may not be politically correct but wealthy Chinese and other foreign buyers are scooping up Auckland properties because they are looking for bolt holes. These buyers will pay a premium because they know other countries restrict foreign buyers and we don’t.

“We also have a crisis in Auckland because this government is unwilling to govern and when it comes to housing that means actively planning, developing and building.

“Look the RMA is not immutable and we support quicker and less expensive RMA processes and of course, less red-tape. If what National proposes is sensible and does not compromise effects based provisions of the Act then we’ll consider our support.

“I must admit we have our doubts given National’s past form and inaction since it was elected in 2008,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

© Scoop Media