Housing density

PHOTO: Housing density

National and the government have worked together to design new housing density rules that would allow three homes three storeys tall without a consent.

In a rare show of bipartisanship, Labour government ministers Megan Woods and David Parker shared the podium with National’s leader Judith Collins and housing spokesperson Nicola Willis to announce the changes at midday.

The parties worked together on the new Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, which aims to make it easier to build houses.

It includes new intensification rules allowing up to three homes three storeys high to be built on most sites without resource consent, a change from district plans which typically only allow for one home of up to two storeys.

This would apply in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch, where councils would be required to adopt medium-density residential standards.

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Photo: New Zealand Government

Councils could choose to make the proposed standards more permissive to builders, and developers could apply for a resource consent to go further than what the standards would allow.

“Exemptions for certain circumstances such as natural hazards or where a site has heritage value will be maintained,” Parker said.

READ MORE VIA RNZ

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