Council seeks common sense, more time for housing rules

Waipā District Council says being forced into a controversial housing density regime is not ‘achievable or appropriate’ for the district.

In a letter to Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds and Housing Minister Chris Bishop, Council has reinforced its opposition to proposed standards which could have seen three houses, up to three storeys high built in Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi, without needing a resource consent or permission from neighbours.

Council says the proposed one size fits all legislation does not suit small councils like Waipā. Council has formally asked the government to extend the time Waipā has to consider its planning response until February 2025. Other councils have also asked for extensions.

Mayor Susan O’Regan said the government has already indicated councils will be given more discretion that the “blunt, heavy-handed instrument” that was originally proposed and supported by both major political parties prior to the election last year.

“I’m pleased we’re seeing some common sense come back into the debate but Waipā should never have been lumped in with cities like Auckland and Wellington to start with. It caused huge angst for our community, and for our elected members who were all completely opposed to what was proposed,” she said.

“If Waipā was forced to go down that track, we would see the provision of housing far in excess of what we need. Plus Council would be required to build infrastructure to support those houses at a cost in excess of $600 million. It’s madness so I am certainly welcoming a government rethink and am hopeful they will give us more time to consider a response that better suits our district.”

O’Regan said Council was not against intensification if done well in the right location. There were already some great examples in the district and she reissued an invitation to Minister Bishop, who is also the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, to see them first-hand.

“Intensification done well is not the issue – but affordability is. Apart from contributions from developers, councils can only call on rates or debt to pay for the core infrastructure needed to support housing. I’m looking forward to seeing how the government intends to address that challenge which is one faced by all councils, not just by Waipā.”

Assuming an extension to density proposals is granted, Waipā’s key housing focus was on how to address issues of housing affordability, O’Regan said.

Council is currently developing a change to the District Plan – the rule book which guides development in the district – to help address affordability issues. A plan change to likely to be publicly notified later in the year.