Budget 2021: Northland housing and business advocates react

Tim Howard is disappointed a more extensive approach has not been taken in the Budget to address the housing crisis in Northland. Photo / Tania Whyte

Northland Housing Forum is pleased with investment in Māori housing but disappointed the Government didn't adopt a more "extensive" approach to tackling issues around home ownership and rental.

"The Māori housing initiative is quite focused on papakainga which focuses on rural housing. In one sense, it was the minimum they could do under political pressure," forum convenor Tim Howard said.

"I am disappointed there's no transformative and extensive approach to address the housing crisis. In saying that, I am not expecting a silver bullet but a look at a whole range of housing initiatives."

Even funding for Māori housing, he said, was a small start.

On an increase in benefit payments, Howard said any hike would be received and used effectively however, the Government was tweaking the system rather than lifting the standard of living with dignity.

"I think the emphasis for Grant Robertson was to convey fiscal responsibility and, in doing so, he has conveyed the bare minimum. There's a significant shortfall on what the Government's advisory group had asked for."

NorthChamber chief executive Stephen Smith welcomed investment in infrastructure but said one could only hope funding for major projects in Northland remained intact.

"My concern really is for the New Zealand of tomorrow and it's absolutely a must to get more strategic infrastructure sped up, especially the four-lane highway."

He said the $44m to continue the Digital Boost business training courses for SMEs, and provide new digital business advisory services to help Digital Boost graduates adopt digital ways of working in their businesses would help Northland businesses.

Across New Zealand, he said, about 37 per cent of small to medium enterprises did not have a digital platform and their business was hugely restricted as a result.

"On the social welfare front, an increase in benefits is all well as that money will flow into the local economy in some form," he said.

NorthChamber chief executive Stephen Smith wants work on infrastructure in Northland to be sped up after the Budget announcement. Photo / Tania Whyte

Property Council New Zealand chief executive Leonie Freeman said much of the detail around the $2b Housing Accelerator Fund was still left out, so it was hard to know how much of a difference this would make to housing supply.

She said while it was encouraging to see investment in Māori housing, it would have been good to see further tax dollars in alternative housing initiatives to help fuel our housing supply.

"There is no mention of initiatives like Build-to-Rent in the Budget. At a time where all options should be on the table, Build-to-Rent offers the Government a unique opportunity to support longer-term options for New Zealanders."