Media release: NZ Initiative welcomes big thinking on planning
Wellington (9 December 2015): The New Zealand Initiative has welcomed the Productivity Commission’s newest enquiry into what a fit-for-purpose urban planning system would look like.
Executive Director of the Initiative, Dr Oliver Hartwich, noted that the regulations governing planning are highly fragmented and complex in New Zealand, adding years or decades to major infrastructure projects, and delaying any economic upside that these investments may produce.
“Look at projects like Transmission Gully, which started going through the consents process in 1996 and only recently broke ground,” Hartwich said. “Over the same period, a post-industrial wasteland like Manchester put in sufficient infrastructure to transform itself into a vibrant, thriving, international city.”
He added that too often problems with the planning system are addressed with piecemeal regulatory solutions, which may alleviate a single pain point, but add to the overall red tape burden of the system.
“What is needed is a system that respects public and private property, produces predictable outcomes, and, most importantly, contributes to the economic efficiency of the country instead of dragging on it,” he said.
The New Zealand Initiative has previously researched the planning system as part of its work on house price affordability, urban development, natural resource use and local government.
ENDS
About The New Zealand Initiative
The New Zealand Initiative is an evidence-based think tank and research institute, which is supported by a membership organisation that counts some of the country’s leading visionaries, business leaders and political thinkers among its ranks.
Our members are committed to developing policies to make New Zealand a better country for all its citizens. We believe all New Zealanders deserve a world-class education system, affordable housing, a healthy environment, sound public finances and a stable currency.
The New Zealand Initiative pursues this goal by participating in public life, and making a contribution to public discussions.
For more information visit www.nzinitiative.org.nz