Simon Bridges - Leader of the Opposition

8 May 2019

The Government’s pledge to build 100,000 homes in 10 years has fallen by the wayside just 18 months into its term, Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges says.

“This is yet another broken promise from the Government. The Prime Minister told the nation that KiwiBuild would deliver 100,000 homes in a decade, but this was a pipe dream from the start and it hasn’t taken her government long to back away from it.”

When pressed by media today on whether the 100,000 homes in 10 years target would remain as part of KiwiBuild’s long-delayed “recalibration”, Housing and Urban Development Minster Phil Twyford compared it to American nuclear ships in the 1980s, saying he could neither “confirm nor deny” whether it would remain.

“The Prime Minister then failed to confirm in the House that the Government would retain the 100,000 houses target

“Halfway through the Government’s first term they’ve only built 80 houses, compared with an initial policy of 1000 in its first year – a policy they starting referring to as ‘just a target’ in January to reduce expectations.

“The 1000 houses target was then officially dropped as part of KiwiBuild’s policy, and now it seems the 100,000 houses target is gone too.

“The Government’s year of non-delivery is getting worse by the day. If Phil Twyford is looking for a ship to compare his KiwiBuild programme to, the Titanic would seem more appropriate at this point.

“National knows the answer to providing New Zealanders with houses is to reform our planning laws to make it easier to build.

“We know a bold solution is needed to the Resource Management Act, which has been a planning nightmare. That is why we will put forward a reformed RMA Bill to show there is hope and a way forward.”

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