Government plan to free up council planning rules to help fix our 'failing cities'

Wednesday, 21 August 2019

The government wants to direct city councils to loosen up planning rules and scrap unnecessary restrictions for developing higher-density housing. (First published August 2019)

A government plan to sideline nimbys could pave the way to cheaper housing and faster development.

It would also force local councils to ease restrictions on building heights and intensive housing in city centres, under proposed changes announced Wednesday.

Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford said the country's cities were 'failing' as council planning was restricting development and creating a pressure-cooker effect.

He spoke at the launch of a new proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development, alongside Environment Minister David Parker at a Porirua development, Kenepuru Landing.

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Work underway at the Kenepuru Landing development in Porirua, site of the government announcement on moves to ease controls over housing.

Twyford said the current restrictions stopped cities from growing up and out. The plan, a legal document telling councils what they should do on matters of national importance, would make councils ease up on development.

'For example, in your city centre and around train stations and rapid transit interchanges you've got to free up those height and density rules.'

He said the government wouldn't micro-manage councils down to aspects such as specific height restrictions. It gives councils 'the general direction', but it was still a powerful tool for pushing Government influence.

The changes would mean councils had central government backing in dealing with local opposition to developments.

'Sometimes it's quite hard for local councils to stand up to some ratepayers who say, 'We don't want to see medium-density housing or affordable housing in our neighbourhood'.'

Environment Minister David Parker, foreground, with Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford, announces the launch of the new National Policy Statement on Urban Development.

National spokeswoman for housing and urban development Judith Collins said any bolstering of councils' ability to stand up to nimbyism was good: but councils would have to employ someone to work out what the statement meant. The proposal was 'a bit woolly' and failed the plain English test, Collins said.

The Kenepuru Landing site, an example of development sought by the government in its proposals to ease council restrictions.

'I do think there's a lot of waffle in here, which will only come back and bite everyone that's trying to get anything done.' There would be some 'some useful bits' but not many, she said.

'The problem is this then needs to be interpreted by the local authority, and that really concerns me.'

Twyford said the proposed statement would direct councils – particularly in the six high-growth centres of Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown – to free up their planning rules while focusing on high-quality streets, neighbourhoods and communities.

'You've got to allow cities to grow out on the fringes. That doesn't mean unserviced sprawl … and you've got to make sure the developers can carry the cost of their infrastructure.

'Don't come with your hands out to the taxpayer or ratepayer expecting a subsidy.'

It was not possible to give a precise estimate of how many new houses might be built as a result of the changes, Twyford said.

The discussion document for the plan said new features would enable 'higher-density development in areas close to employment, amenity, infrastructure and demand'.

It would allow consideration of urban development where land has not yet been released or not identified for urban development, the document said.

It would set limits on the ability to regulate the number of car parks required for a development.

The proposal would make councils 'provide opportunities for iwi and hapū to identify aspirations and issues of concern, and ensures these are considered'.

The Government wanted councils to 'take a long-term strategic approach' to the growth of their cities, Twyford said.

'This means joining up transport, housing and infrastructure in a 30-year plan that involves mana whenua and the wider community in a much more hands-on approach to planning.'

In 2016, the previous National Government's Housing Minister Nick Smith launched a policy statement making councils over-supply land rather than just look to meet expected demand.

Twyford, then in opposition, called the policy a 'damp squib'. On Wednesday he said this government's plan, however, would definitely have an impact. 'This is a bolder move … it's going to take the shackles off.'

Local Government New Zealand vice president Stuart Crosby said the old policy statement was not fit for purpose. 'However, we need to ensure that its replacement is … not another academic white elephant that is imposed on local government.'

ACT's MP David Seymour said Labour was elected to solve the housing crisis. 'But all they've done to make it easier to build houses in the last two years is talk about it.'