Property Council supports move to cut red tape

Media Statement
4 February 2009
Property Council supports move to cut red tape

The proposed review the Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Act 2008, announced by the Government this afternoon, is a welcomed move, according to Property Council New Zealand.

Connal Townsend, Chief Executive of Property Council said that the Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Act 2008 is “one of the more objectionable and ill conceived pieces of legislation that has passed through Parliament in recent years, and needs to be repealed. Even territorial authorities have opposed the Act, saying that it was unworkable”.

“Not only does the Act fail to address the key drivers of unaffordable housing, it actually makes building and owning a home more expensive. Young New Zealanders do not have access to a supply of affordable housing due to constrained land supply and compounding compliance costs passed on by local and central government. Adding another layer of legislation only serves to increase complexity, burden local government with additional statutory responsibilities, and provide a disincentive for development.

“Property Council supports the Government’s move to cut red tape and streamline processes, and has been a long-time advocate for changes to the Building Act 2004, the Local Government Act 2002, and local government sector policies to reduce barriers to property ownership in New Zealand,” Connal Townsend said.

ENDS

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