Generation Zero Response to NPS on Urban Development

Thursday, 2 June 2016, 3:04 pm
Press Release: Generation Zero

Thursday 2 June

Generation Zero Response to National Policy Statement on Urban Development

Today Building and Housing Minister Dr. Nick Smith released the Government's National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity. Youth led environmental lobby group Generation Zero are largely supportive of this policy and its attempts at tackling the Auckland housing crisis, but agree with the Minister more action is needed.

“This is a step in the right direction for the Government. We know the solutions to the housing crisis; it’s allowing people to build more houses where people want to live. Unfortunately the NPS won’t have a significant impact on house prices in Auckland in the short to medium term, and it leaves out key detail on how Council can fund the needed infrastructure.” Says Leroy Beckett, the groups Auckland Director.

The National Policy Statement lays out a set of objectives and policies that Councils in medium and high growth areas will need to act on immediately. On housing, this includes a set of objectives where by Council’s must have a responsive planning regime.

The policies that will enable this are a future land release and intensification strategy that must Identify the location, timing and sequencing of future development capacity over the long term. This will be informed by a Housing Assessment which includes data that estimates the demand for dwellings, including the demand of different groups in the population for different types of dwellings, locations and price points, and the supply of development capacity to meet that demand.

“Most importantly this plan will be further encouragement for the Auckland Council to pass the Unitary Plan in August. The NPS will likely already align to the Unitary Plan. Having government support for freeing up housing supply will send a powerful message to opponents of the plan in Auckland's leafy suburbs” Says Beckett.

“But it’s important to remember pressure from Wellington alone isn’t going to solve the housing crisis in Auckland. The Council and central government need to work together.

We need to make sure the housing that we do build is in areas people already want to live. We are glad the NPS acknowledges the need to build in market attractive areas, we would have liked to have seen this enabled through a stronger push to remove restrictions on building housing in existing suburbs unless there is strong case to protect existing housing for historical, infrastructure or environmental reasons.

As we saw at the Unitary Plan hearings in March our planning system has been commandeered to protect the interests of an entitled vocal minority. The Minister says this National Policy Statement will give a voice to young New Zealanders in these processes. We hope he is right.

Unlike other plans to free up housing supply in Auckland, the NPS acknowledges the need to build within city limits, which is a big improvement over plans which would commit Auckland to decades of expensive and environmentally destructive sprawl.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media