By Tom McRae
With house prices at record highs across the country, many buyers are struggling to find somewhere they can afford. But the Government is planning to make changes to the Resource Management Act to change that.
It is hoped it will speed up the consent process to make it easier for developers to build new houses.
The average house price in Auckland is more than half a million dollars, pushing it well above the rest of the country.
“The thrust of it is to make it easier both commercially and in the planning process to enable more houses not just greenfields but also within the cities,” says Finance Minister Bill English.
In Auckland, for example, the population will grow by 1.2 million people over the next 30 years, requiring 400,000 new houses.
Council says 100,000 of those will be built on previously undeveloped greenfield land, which means 300,000 homes have to be squeezed into the existing boundary, meaning more high-rise towers in the city centre and apartment buildings up to eight storeys in the smaller metropolitan centres.
The Opposition says the Government is only tinkering and needs to focus on building affordable housing.
“There's nothing in there that I can see how we're going to break the cycle of building expensive homes that young people in particular can't afford to buy,” says Labour Party Housing Minister Annette King.
Prices in Christchurch have also been hugely affected by the earthquake. More than 10,000 houses will be demolished.
“We've got a couple of special opportunities, [like] one in Christchurch where essentially we can change all the rules under the Earthquake Recovery Act, which has stirred some controversy,” says Mr English. “But we're making a lot more land available.”
The proposals go to Cabinet tomorrow. But that's not going to help buyers struggling to afford a place now. Changes won't happen for another couple years.
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