Search

Legislation enabling a housing development at Point England and progress on Ngāti Paoa’s historical Treaty settlement has passed its second reading by 62-43, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“It is poor use of Crown land just 10km from Auckland’s CBD to have 18 hectares fenced off for cattle grazing for more than 30 years.

“We are going to use 12ha for new houses and 2ha for a marae, as part of a Treaty settlement with Ngāti Paoa. The remaining 4ha will be added to the 32 of public reserve space.

The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill (No. 2) introduced to Parliament today will provide better protections and clarity for tenants and landlords, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

A new Tasman Housing Accord aimed at boosting the district’s housing supply has been signed today by Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith and Mayor Richard Kempthorne.

“Tasman is a successful and growing region. Unemployment is the lowest in the country and our community is benefiting from this growth, but we need to ensure we keep pace with this growth by providing additional space for new housing,” Dr Smith says.

Temporary homes will be moved on to the Whakatāne Holiday Park and next to flood-damaged homes while properties in the Edgecumbe area are repaired, Lead Minister for Edgecumbe Anne Tolley and Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith said today.

The Ministers visited the holiday park to see the region’s recovery first-hand, and visit the site where a number of temporary homes will be built to increase accommodation options in the area.

The Government and the Hurunui District Council are establishing a temporary accommodation village in Waiau to help the town’s recovery from the Kaikōura Earthquake, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“Waiau was hit hardest of any community by the 14 November quake. The village suffered a higher proportion of damaged homes than any community affected by recent disasters. Recovery is best supported by people being able to stay in their community and that is why the Government is investing with the Council in this temporary accommodation village.

The return of Kaiapoi Domain to the Waimakariri District Council marks the start of a new chapter for the area, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Dr Smith attended a ceremony today with Waimakariri Mayor David Ayers to formally hand back the remediated Kaiapoi Domain site.

Queenstown is well on its way to hitting the target laid out in the Queenstown-Lakes Housing Accord, with six months of the original accord still to run, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith and Queenstown-Lakes Mayor Jim Boult announced today.

“We are confident we will meet the ambitious target of 1750 new residential sections and homes in the three years to October 2017. The monitoring reports released today show 1634 consents have been issued to date and, with six months to go, the target is likely to be exceeded.

Building can start on a $300 million, 600-home development at Riccarton Racecourse after the Government approved the final step for the Christchurch Racecourse Reserve Trustees and Ngāi Tahu Property initiative, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Yesterday Cabinet approved the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Order 2017, which lifts the land’s reserve status and allows the development to start. The housing development has been facilitated by legislation passed by Parliament last June.

Proposed improvements to simplify building fire safety regulations and support their implementation are open for consultation, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“We currently have record high levels of commercial and residential construction and this needs to be supported by high quality regulation. We need systems that deliver safe buildings but also enable the design and construction of buildings to be done at pace. These changes will deliver both safety and efficiency gains.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) new Housing Affordability Measure will allow the market to be monitored at a more detailed level, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government’s KiwiSaver HomeStart scheme, launched two years ago, is continuing to grow, with an increasing proportion of buyers opting for new property, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says in welcoming the latest Housing New Zealand Financial Products Quarterly Report.

The Government is selling the Linwood temporary accommodation village to the Christchurch City Council, which will continue using them for people affected by the earthquakes, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“The Council will use the 42-unit Linwood village for social housing tenants displaced during earthquake-related repairs and redevelopment and other residents displaced as a result of the earthquakes,” Dr Smith says.

New Zealand’s strong building growth continues both nationally and in Auckland, with March 2017 figures showing strong increases for the month, quarter and year on the same periods in 2016, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government is activating a Temporary Accommodation Service to assist Edgecumbe residents hit by the recent floods, Lead Minister for Edgecumbe, Anne Tolley and Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“This service is to help people displaced when the Rangitāiki River broke its banks and flooded the town of Edgecumbe," says Mrs Tolley.

Design standards and building laws will be reviewed in response to an investigation into structural damage to Wellington’s Statistics House in the Kaikōura earthquake, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Dr Smith today released an independent panel’s findings into the performance of the building during the 14 November 2016 quake, focussing on its design and construction, and the land influences on it.

The housing development at Point England is the sort of pragmatic response needed to overcome Auckland’s housing problems, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“The Point England housing development will provide 300 more families with a warm, dry home, enhance the recreational facilities and space for the surrounding community, as well as help settle Ngāti Paoa’s treaty claim and provide a site for a marae.

Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith has welcomed the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team’s first successful prosecution of a landlord for renting a substandard property, under the Government’s tenancy law reform passed last year.