Government 'open to ideas' after Christchurch 'gives finger' to intensification

Monday, 19 September 2022

Residents in the Christchurch City Council chamber held up placards lamenting the potential loss of sunlight to their gardens.

Resolve on a sweeping intensification law that received cross-party supported 11 months ago seems to be waning.

In response to Christchurch City Council defying a Government directive to toughen its density rules, a spokesperson for Environment Minister David Parker said the Government was “always open to consider sensible ideas”.

National Party housing spokesperson Chris Bishop has said publicly since Christchurch City Council’s actions that the party would be “open to sensible changes”.

Parker’s spokesperson said the minister was yet to receive the advice he expected to get from the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry for Housing and Urban Development on the Christchurch issue.

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“He also expects to receive an official letter from the Christchurch Council that will go into the mix.” he said.

The rules, required by a 2021 law, would allow up to three homes of three storeys each on most sections across the city, with some areas exempt.

National Party housing spokesperson Chris Bishop says the party remains support of intensification as it will help solve the housing crisis, but the party is open to “sensible changes”.

When asked whether the Government’s stance to Christchurch might set a precedent and embolden other councils to defy the rules, the spokesperson said no further comment would be given.

In what was labelled the “proverbial finger” to Wellington, Christchurch councillors on Tuesday voted against implementing the Government’s intensification policy that was targetted at the country’s largest cities.

After voting “no” to the requirements, councillors agreed to write to Parker seeking a bespoke solution in light of Christchurch’s “unique” housing situation.

The council’s actions risked the Government stepping in and implement its changes without the proposed exemptions, and the Government could even replace city councillors with commissioners, or install a Crown manager to push through new rules.

The Government has already faced resistance to the intensification laws, with Auckland opting in July to retain large swathes of the city as special character areas – exempting them from some intensifications.

These areas, which included about 16,000 of the city’s most expensive homes, were retained even after a site-specific analysis.

Housing Minister Megan Woods said at the time of the decision she was disappointed with Auckland Council’s stance, and said once the changes were officially notified plans would be reviewed by her officials, after which the Government may choose to intervene.

Christchurch residents against the intensification rules told councillors they feared losing sunshine and privacy in their homes and gardens.

Twelve out of 14 councils required by the Government to enforce the new rules have already decided to do so.

Bishop has said Christchurch City Council should have used the exemption provisions to exercise its local voice, as other councils had done.