According to National Housing Spokesperson Chris Bishop, there could be changes to the plans for residential housing intensification under a new government.
Under National's new policy, councils still have the chance to use the Medium Density Residential Standards that allowed three-storey dwellings to be built on all residential land in the main cities, but will have the option to exclude certain areas from housing development, as long as they find alternative areas for growth.
Previously, the National Party had reached a bipartisan agreement with the Labour Party on housing density, but they are now proposing their own policy to address the housing crisis.
The available options would be to increase density within existing areas or develop adjacent farmland, commonly known as "greenfield" sites, which would result in urban sprawl extending further away from city centres. In the short term, councils would be required to zone enough land to meet 30 years of housing demand. If they fail to do so, the government would step in and take over the zoning process.
As an incentive, councils would receive funding for new housing. Additionally, the National Party supports the construction of at least six-story properties near public transport hubs to increase housing availability in city centres. Their objective is to address the current shortage of 100,000 homes in New Zealand and improve housing accessibility for young people.
Despite initially supporting the housing density rules, the National Party has now acknowledged that they made a mistake in their approach. The feedback from councils has been that they needed a bit more flexibility and this does seem like a sensible change.
What’s possible at your place?
If you’re still interested in finding out what’s possible at your place, please don’t hesitate to contact John Ross directly at [email protected].
John’s an expert on housing intensification and development and will assess the potential of your property and connect you with specialists that can assist you.
