Housing Minister Chris Bishop has told real estate agents that the government wants to “flood the market” with opportunities for housing development.

It has agreed to a range of changes that would free up land for housing, and, the government hopes, make housing more affordable.

My rough summary of proposal:

  • Most cities will be required to have zoned enough land for 30 years of housing demand all the time
  • These cities won’t be allowed to determine urban/rural boundaries
  • Must intensify, especially around major public transport routes. If they decide not to for character reasons, then equivalent capacity must be opened up in another area
  • cafes, dairies, etc (mixed use) must be allowed in residential areas
  • appartments not allowed to have minimum floor area or requirement for balcony set by council
  • councils already intensifying under a previous agreement (MDRS) will keep this, but if they change it then they have to move to using new rules

Let me know if I’ve got something wrong!

  • @assassinatedbyCIA
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    33 months ago

    Doesn’t that intensification policy come with a huge out in the form of councils just saying that intensification will destroy the area’s ‘character’?

    • @[email protected]OPM
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      33 months ago

      One of the conditions is that they have to provide equivalent elsewhere if they to pull that card. I’d guess the devil is in the detail.

      • @assassinatedbyCIA
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        23 months ago

        I’m just wondering what that elsewhere entails. If they aren’t strict about it I could imagine councils just pointing to land far away from anything and saying ‘see we provided an alternative’.

        • @[email protected]OPM
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          13 months ago

          Yeah for sure. Not much point in intensifying transport corridors if you’re just gonna transfer that intensification zoning to the outskirts.