Government continues to play obstinate Ever since Housing Minister back in late May announce his now rather ill-thought out housing policy for Crown Land (well debatable there in some cases … Continue reading Ngati Whatua and Waikato-Tainui to Take Action in Court Over Government Housing Plan
Manukau Site belongs to the Council not the Crown Well I already blogged on Monday that the Manukau site announced by the Minister for Housing Dr Nick Smith would run … Continue reading So that Crown Land Actually Belongs to the Council Minister – Ooooops #AKLPols
Minister wants to build houses in this location in Manukau City Centre Recently Housing Minister Nick Smith announced that the Government will release Crown Land to private developers for housing. … Continue reading Exclusive: Would You Want To Live Here? #AKLPols
We are getting there…. Yesterday Mayor Len Brown and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith released the first annual Housing Accord report for Auckland. The joint presser: First year Auckland … Continue reading First Annual Auckland Housing Accord Report Released
Seems we are already missing targets The Special Housing Accord was designed to get housing supply in Auckland moving with a target of 39,000 consents all done and … Continue reading Housing Going Awry – Again?
From the Minister for the Environment – Dr Nick Smith
The Resource Management Act needs to explicitly recognise the importance of New Zealanders’ access to more affordable housing if the downward trend in home ownership over the past 20 years is to be reversed, Building and Housing, and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith said today at the Property Council New Zealand’s Residential Development Summit in Auckland.
“The Resource Management Act must safeguard our natural environment but it is also a crucial piece of planning legislation. It forms the basis for the decisions that determine what we can do on our land. So it’s important we have a system that balances environmental protection with the wider needs of New Zealanders. We need a system which ensures that important environmental standards are maintained, but that which also enables growth and development – including a strong housing supply,” Dr Smith says.
“It is the price of land and sections that has gone up so rapidly in unaffordable housing markets like Auckland, and it is the Resource Management Act and how it is implemented that is largely responsible for this cost escalation. The new law allowing Special Housing Areas is a short-term fix but we must address the fundamental problem with the Resource Management Act if we are serious about long-term housing affordability.
“The vast bulk of consent processes under the Resource Management Act are about urban development, yet they barely rate a mention in the purposes and principles of the Act. This is why the Government is determined to make changes. We need to get everybody working in the resource management area from a policy, planning and consent perspective to understand how their decisions impact on young Kiwi families who aspire to own their own home.
“I welcome the challenge working as Building and Housing, and Environment Minister. No one Minister has previously been responsible for the full regulatory framework affecting housing, from subdivisions, building consenting to occupational regulation. This presents the opportunity to streamline how we develop new housing so as to increase housing supply and affordability.”
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It will be interesting to see what comes about when the draft reforms list is finally released – most likely by Christmas if the Government is going full speed on this.
Still I wonder if we would have been better served if we had a Planning Minister: Queensland Gets It Right, Auckland Continues to Dither and Get it Wrong
Also the old issue of property rights is bound to crop as well: Property Rights and the Unitary Plan
So lets see what the reforms do truly give us….
Yesterday Mayor Len Brown, and Housing Minister Nick Smith announced the fourth trance of the Special Housing Areas.
From Auckland Council
New Special Housing Areas announced
Friday 12 September 2014A fourth tranche of 17 Special Housing Areas (SHAs) that could yield more than 8000 new homes across Auckland has been announced by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.
“The Auckland Housing Accord was agreed 11 months ago and since then, it has facilitated thousands more sections to be developed and thousands more homes to be built,” says Dr Smith.
“The latest tranche brings the total number of Special Housing Areas in Auckland to 80, with a potential yield of 41,500 homes. This is the momentum and scale we need to improve housing affordability and supply in our largest city.”
“The Special Housing Areas are making a real difference to the number of homes developers are building and planning to build at a range of different price points,” says Mayor Len Brown.
“The council is seeing an exciting pipeline of construction activity that will result in quality residential neighbourhoods in 2015 and beyond.”
“The successful effect of the Housing Accord is obvious in the latest building consent figures, which show 7119 consents were issued in Auckland in the year to July. This represents an annual rate of growth of 30 per cent – the highest in a decade,” says Dr Smith.
“The government’s KiwiSaver HomeStart initiative complements the Special Housing Areas by providing an incentive for builders to construct more homes in an affordable range. The scheme provides $20,000 grants for first-home buyers who have been in KiwiSaver for five years to purchase homes under $550,000 and provides Welcome Home Loans that enable purchases with a 10 per cent deposit,” he says.
The Auckland Housing Accord, agreed last year by Dr Smith and Mr Brown, provides for the creation of SHAs by Auckland Council with the approval of the government. Qualifying developments in these areas can be streamlined and fast-tracked.
The 17 new SHAs have been adopted by Auckland Council but are subject to formal approval by Cabinet and a recommendation to the Governor-General.
The new SHAs are located in Northcote, Mount Wellington, Papakura, Orakei, Pine Hill, Mount Eden, Avondale, Hingaia, Birkenhead, Ellerslie, Avondale, Whenuapai, Mount Albert, Takapuna, Tamaki, and Orewa.
Visit our SHA page for more details.
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The overview map shows the fourth set of 17 SHAs. Click individual area names below for more site specific information.
September 2014 overview map (PDF 2MB)
Auckland Council has recommended the following areas. They are now subject to formal approval by Cabinet and a recommendation to the Governor-General.
This overview map showing the fourth set of 17 SHAs. The area names below for more area specific information.
Bellfield Road, Papakura (PDF 587KB) [I have opened the Papakura SHA as an example]
The former Papakura Golf Course, and adjoining property at 117 Opaheke Road which borders the new Opaheke Park, will eventually accommodate approximately 350 homes in an area of high demand.
The new owner of the properties, Motleon Limited, the Principal of whom is Sir Noel Robinson, has embarked upon a master-planned development of the properties that will integrate with Opaheke Park.
As part of the development, Motleon will pay to uplift a public encumbrance on the former golf course property. That money will be spent on improvements and facilities at Opaheke Park to benefit the local community.
Motleon is undertaking detailed storm water modelling, and other technical work, in order to be able to progress consents for the development the land.
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The Overview of the SHA Tranches thus far
Note: This does not include the four developers that have walked away from the Special Housing Areas recently (Special Housing Areas Already in Trouble?)
The Bellfield Road SHA
More on the SHA’s when I cover the Business Land situation later on.
And oh look, even my own house gets placed under an SHA… Mayor Len Brown and Minister Dr Nick Smith today publicly announced the third tranche of Special House … Continue reading Third Tranche of Special Housing Areas Released
What and Where they will be On the 11th of December (so last week) an Order in Council was passed by the Governor General to allow the second round … Continue reading The Second Round of Special Housing Areas
Unitary Plan Commissioners Appointed by Minister for the Environment and Minister of Conservation This story is going to get lost in the Len Brown saga today but hey least … Continue reading Unitary Plan Commissioners Appointed
Talking Southern Auckland 