Labour announce a housing policy that promises to continue building houses, make processes easier for first-home buyers and also repeal and replace the Resource Management Act. Video / Will Trafford
Labour has promised to replace the Resource Management Act - announcing affordable housing policies at the construction site for a multi-million dollar home owned by a venture capitalist.
The luxury home is under construction for Matt Ocko, a technology entrepreneur who is on Rocket Lab's board. He is a NZ resident and currently in his native United States.
Jacinda Ardern was asked about the choice of venue in Birkenhead, given housing prices are locking many New Zealanders out of home ownership.
"This is their primary home and also their place of work," said Ardern, who also defended her Government's record on housing.
"In the wake of inheriting a housing crisis we were willing to try new things, to invest and make sure that our residential housing market was building affordable homes for first home buyers. And we are continuing that work.
"We won't turn this problem around in one term, when it took decades to create."
Labour's commitment to repeal and replace the RMA means the legislation will be scrapped and started again next term no matter who wins the election, given National has already committed to separate legislation that deals with building and planning from that which aims to protect the environment.
David Parker, Labour's environment spokesperson, said the RMA's "overly restrictive planning rules are one of the causes of high house prices".
"We undertook the most comprehensive review of the resource management system in its 30-year history, and we will implement its core recommendations in the next parliamentary term.
"They included repealing the current RMA and replacing it with two new laws, a Natural and Built Environments Act and a Strategic Planning Act. We also agree that climate adaptation legislation is needed.
Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern is campaigning in Auckland today. Photo / George Novak
"Labour agrees the number of local government resource management plans should be drastically reduced to a plan per region, and that there should be more national direction to better protect environmental bottom lines for biodiversity and ecosystems."
Labour's housing policy is a far cry from the ambitious, and ultimately unsuccessful, KiwiBuild plan it pitched before the 2017 election.
Instead of building 100,000 homes over 10 years, Labour has promised to deliver another 8000 new public and transitional houses by 2024 (homes already announced in this year's Budget).
Other new policies include introducing a code of conduct to ensure property management services meet professional standards, and "energy performance certificate" ratings for residential buildings, so homebuyers know how much it will cost to heat and cool homes. Those reports would cost around $120.
National leader Judith Collins said Labour's housing policy "is an admission of three years of failure" and there was a lack of clarity about what changes would be in the new legislation.
Green Party co-leader and housing spokesperson Marama Davidson welcomed the announcement, but said more focus was needed on community housing.
"We are pleased to see Labour agreeing that it's time to regulate property managers, to bring the wild west of renting into line, and their commitments to energy efficient homes."
Act leader David Seymour said his party had consistently advocated for overhauling the RMA and Labour couldn't be trusted to take meaningful action.
