Heritage Partnership a Threat to Home Owners

“Do you value what limited ability you have to make your own decisions about your own property? Do you want housing to become more affordable so your children do not face a life time of tenancy? If so, you should be wary of the partnership between Auckland 2040 and the Character Coalition,” says Affordable Auckland candidate for Waitemata & Gulf, Stephen Berry.

“There are many key reasons why housing is so unaffordable in Auckland. Exorbitant rates are one cause. Artificial restrictions on land supply are another. One of the biggest contributors to unaffordability however is activist nosy parker neighbours. Professional complainers who lobby for constrictive zoning regulations which prohibit so many activities you are effectively a tenant on your own property, or make the cost of home alterations so prohibitive you don’t even bother.

“These are the sort of people who will drag you through expensive and lengthy court battles because you want to give your 1920’s home a different coloured lick of paint. They think that what they can see from their front porch is more important than what you want to do with your own front porch. If you want to cut a tree, subdivide your property or add a new room, you’d better hope nobody from the Character Coalition lives in your neighbourhood because it will be a miserably expensive exercise.”

One example given by Berry relates to a case taken by Devonport Heritage Inc., Masonic Friendly Society and the Historic Places Trust against a developer named Redback Develop in 2010. “Redback wanted to transform Devonport Masonic Tavern into a café and apartment complex, but had their resource consent, granted by the old North Shore City Council, appealed by these heritage advocacy groups. The case cost Redback Develop $228,000 to fight, simply because they wanted to alter their own property. It also cost the Auckland and North Shore City Councils $322,000 to defend the issuing of resource consent. When Redback won the case they managed to persuade the Environment Court in 2011 to order the plaintiffs to pay Redback Develop compensation totalling $59,600. Back then I applauded the decision to grant compensation but the figure didn’t even come close to righting the economic destruction inflicted.”

Mr. Berry agrees on one point with the Character Coalition and Auckland 2040. “The Unitary plan is flawed. However that is all we agree on. The Unitary plan assumes that Auckland can centrally plan its way to prosperity. It cannot. Len Brown, Mike Lee and their communitarian cronies think centrally planned building intensification is the answer to Auckland’s current issues. Their opponents consider centrally planned urban spread to be the answer. Both sides’ arguments are fundamentally flawed because any system that relies on permits, consents, objections, bureaucracy and ivory tower planners is doomed to overpriced failure.

“Affordable housing will never be achieved until private property owners are free to develop their land as they wish on the condition it does not violate the property rights of others. Common law is the best approach.”

Stephen Berry says that his candidacy for the Auckland City Council will give a voice to those who believe that private property rights are the true key to affordable housing in Auckland. “It doesn’t take a degree in economics to realise that when you have to spend thousands of dollars appeasing politicians, clerks and professional whingers in order to make changes to your property that the price of housing will increase.

“If you want the council to take a new direction that prevents your children being permanently priced out of Auckland’s property market, make sure you vote for an Affordable Auckland candidate this October.”

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