Hon Chris Bishop
Minister for RMA Reform

Hon Chris Penk
Minister for Building and Construction

10 July 2024

More than 1,300 people have submitted on the recent proposal to make it easier to build granny flats, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk say.

“The strong response shows how popular the proposal is and how hungry the public is for common sense changes to make it simpler and more affordable to build,” Mr Bishop says.

“We know there is an urgent need to bring down the cost of housing. Given renters spend 40 per cent of their income on housing it shouldn’t be controversial to state the obvious: housing is too expensive in New Zealand.

“This is holding us back and harming our economy. The Government is resolutely focused on increasing housing supply to bring down costs and recently announced a package of reforms, including changes to the Building Act and the resource consent system to allow granny flats to be built without a consent,” Mr Bishop says.

“We have bigger ambitions for improving the planning and consenting system more broadly, but allowing Kiwis to more easily build small dwellings of up to 60 square metres is a quick win to unlock opportunities for growth and flexible living,” Mr Penk says.

“Our population is ageing, and the number of small families is also on the rise. There is more demand for smaller homes to cater for our changing population and families need more housing options to support their lifestyles.

“The fact that nearly 25,000 people have viewed the website to find out more information about the granny flat proposal, speaks to the high demand and the reality that this kind of housing is not just for seniors or retirees.

“We have had resoundingly positive feedback from the public, and from builders who see the proposal as a sensible step in the right direction for increasing the supply of affordable housing,” Mr Penk says.

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