Smith blames RMA for price rises

The Resource Management Act needs to explicitly recognise the importance of New Zealanders’ access to more affordable housing if the downward trend in home ownership is to be reversed, Building and Housing, and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith told the Property Council’s Residential Development Summit in Auckland.

Wednesday, October 15th 2014, 12:00AM

by The Landlord

“The Resource Management Act must safeguard our natural environment but it is also a crucial piece of planning legislation. It forms the basis for the decisions that determine what we can do on our land,” he said. “So it’s important we have a system that balances environmental protection with the wider needs of New Zealanders. We need a system which ensures that important environmental standards are maintained, but that which also enables growth and development – including a strong housing supply.”

He said the RMA was largely responsible for the increase in price of land and sections in Auckland.

“The new law allowing Special Housing Areas is a short-term fix but we must address the fundamental problem with the Resource Management Act if we are serious about long-term housing affordability. The vast bulk of consent processes under the Resource Management Act are about urban development, yet they barely rate a mention in the purposes and principles of the Act. This is why the Government is determined to make changes. We need to get everybody working in the resource management area from a policy, planning and consent perspective to understand how their decisions impact on young Kiwi families who aspire to own their own home.”

Property Council chief executive Connal Townsend welcomed the comments. “We now have one Minister responsible for housing across a broad regulatory framework and a Government that has signalled its commitment and intent to improve the RMA and get it working better.”

He said the RMA should be changed to allow for the efficient provision of infrastructure and to address the risk and impact of natural hazards. “This will help ensure a more integrated approach is applied to decision-making and will create more certainty and consistency for development across New Zealand.”

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