Concerns new rules will ruin character neighbourhoods

A heritage group says the Government’s new medium-density housing rules could destroy the character of historical inner-city neighbourhoods.

But National MP Nicola Willis, who spearheaded the housing policy, says communities will need to change.

In a rare bipartisan move, on Tuesday Labour and National joined forces to introduce a new bill designed to cut through housing red tape.

The medium-density residential standards will allow three homes of up to three storeys on most sections, and up to 50 per cent maximum coverage of the site without the need for resource consent.

Heritage campaigner Sally Hughes leads the Auckland-based Character Coalition.

She said the group was concerned the new rules would roll back the Special Character Area protections which cover many older suburbs in Auckland.

‘‘We feel the balance has tipped towards anything being possible, which means you could lose all of our character areas,’’ she said.

‘‘Even with just a small number of intensive developments. If you have even a couple of those in a street it completely changes the character of the area.’’

She said the group was in favour of relaxing red tape to address the housing crisis, but wanted to ensure that heritage areas would remain. ‘‘It would be a shame to wreck our old suburbs.’’

Environment Minister David Parker said on Tuesday the plans would have exemptions ‘‘in areas where intensification is inappropriate, such as where there is a high risk of natural hazards, or a site has heritage value’’.

The bill allows for councils to designate areas to exclude denser development, though councils will need to demonstrate good reason for the exclusions.

Willis said the idea that the rules would radically change suburbs was overblown.

‘‘Developments will still need to comply with the Building Code and there will be limits to that, for example, no more than 50 per cent of a section . . . none of this is going to happen overnight. Nothing in these proposals will require existing homeowners to demolish their houses or intensify.

‘‘. . . I don’t think our communities can retain character if they become a place where an entire generation of New Zealanders is locked out of home ownership.’’

The medium-density housing rules will apply to every council in a ‘‘tier 1’’ city – Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch. The Government is aiming to pass the bill by the end of the year, and see councils start to implement it from August 2022.