National Party reveals housing election policy

The National Party will force councils in major towns and cities to zone for 30 years’ worth of growth immediately, housing spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

‘‘None of this pick n mix, here’s a bit here, here’s a bit in five years,’’ Bishop said on television’s Q+A programme yesterday.

‘‘They have to put 30 years of growth into the market right now to create abundant development opportunities to drive down the cost of land, both at our city fringe but also inside our cities to make housing more affordable.’’

National would give councils the ability to opt-out of the medium density residential zone law, ‘‘however central government will reserve powers to ensure councils set aside enough land to meet demand targets’’.

National and Labour teamed up in 2021 to allow buildings of up to three storeys on most sites in cities without any need for resource consent.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon said his party was ‘‘wrong’’ when his now deputy leader, Nicola Willis, joined the Government for a bipartisan commitment to greater housing intensification.

Bishop said if National was in government, it would still support the National Policy Statement on Urban Development allowing for density and transport corridors and also promised to introduce a $1 billion fund for councils to incentivise new housing. ‘‘This is a policy that will make councils go for growth. If they don’t, central government, as in a National Government, will rezone that land for them. Our $1b build-for-growth fund will mean local communities and councils will share in the benefits of housing growth.’’

Green Party urban development spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said National was ‘‘terribly confused’’.

‘‘On the one hand they acknowledge the benefits of more homes along rapid transit corridors and want to protect farmland,’’ Genter said. ‘‘On the other hand, they are also pushing ad hoc greenfields development – which results in loss of productive farmland and housing that is disconnected from community and infrastructure. This causes high transport costs for families and worse traffic.’’