Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Councillor Welcomes Call to Free up Land Supply

Manukau City Councillor, Dick Quax welcomes the call by Housing Minister Hon Phil Heatley for councils to free up more land for residential development.

“The policy of restricting the supply of land available for urban development has been a disaster for people in Manukau especially the working poor trying to get into home ownership”, said Cr Quax.

Home ownership in Manukau has declined 13 per cent in the period 1991 to 2001. Manukau City residents suffer most from over crowded housing conditions in the country.

“More and more of the purchaser’s income is being spent on the land that a house sits on. While land in Manukau has increased by 108 per cent in the decade to 2005 during the same time construction costs kept pace with inflation”, say Cr Quax.

“Rather than a blanket restriction on the release of more land, as happens now there needs to be discussion of where development can take place and what part of the environment we value and restrict development from those areas.”

ENDS

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