Phil Twyford
Housing Spokesperson

22 September 2015

Labour’s offer to support RMA changes remains

Paula Bennett didn’t need a taskforce to tell her the Resource Management Act needs changing to make building houses easier – and Labour’s year-long offer to support reform remains on the table, Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford says.

“The Rules Reduction Taskforce was nothing but a political stunt by the Local Government Minister. It covers pressing issues such as dog registration, freedom camping and paper roads.

“The most loopy thing to come from this exercise was Paula Bennett’s suggestion that builders sign off their own work. National clearly learnt nothing from its deregulation in the 1990s which resulted in leaky homes.

“Labour has been waiting for a year for the Government to introduce its proposed changes to the Resource Management Act. We have said all along we will support any measure – except for gutting the fundamental principles of the law – which makes it easier to build more houses in New Zealand.

“It’s now time for the Government to take meaningful action to address New Zealand’s housing crisis. Reforming the RMA to encourage more and better urban development is well overdue,” Phil Twyford says.

ENDS

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