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Our regular readers will not be surprised that we believe the high cost of housing is a major challenge facing New Zealanders. As a crucial election issue, we have eagerly awaited each major party’s housing announcements, hoping they will pave the way for restoring housing affordability. Read more
With housing back in the pre-election spotlight, the Green Party this week launched their policy package, targeted at an often overlooked segment of the voter spectrum – renters. The problem, as the party sees it, is that a significant proportion of rental stock is in poor condition, and security of tenure for renters is weak, giving landlords disproportionate power in the contractual arrangement. Read more
Wellington (25 August 2014): National’s Homestart policy will fuel higher house prices and make it harder for Kiwis to enter the housing market, according to economic think-tank The New Zealand Initiative. Executive Director Dr Oliver Hartwich says any housing policy aimed at making housing more affordable must start by increasing supply. Read more
Empty Nests, Crowded Houses: Building for an ageing population describes what could develop in the future housing market if the current rate of construction fails to increase. The report is based on demographic projections which predict that under a range of scenarios, the population is likely to be larger and older. Read more
Wellington (22 August 2014): New Zealand faces a chronic housing shortage the size of three major cities within 20 years, according to a new report from the New Zealand Initiative. The report claims claims the country could reach a shortage of 113,800 houses by 2031 and official figures underestimate the scale of the crisis. Read more
Recently, Transportblog.co.nz bemoaned the fact that Auckland CBD was running out of office space.The pro-transit and compact city advocacy group is concerned because central government is insisting that certain rail usage and CBD employment targets be met before it co-funds the $2.9 billion City Rail Project. These targets include the doubling of rail patronage to 20 million trips a year, and lifting the number of people employed in the CBD by 25 per cent (or 22,000 jobs) if the city wants the project to start in 2020. Read more
What is the raison d’etre of a city? Is it to provide parks and cafes, theatres and libraries? Read more
From their council offices, looking down on the choked roads of Auckland at rush hour, it is easy to see why planners see rail systems such as the City Rail Link as the most viable solution to congestion. Certainly, trains are an important public transport option. Read more
Clearly, New Zealand needs a viable plan in order to deal with its urban problems, especially housing affordability and congestion. But whether intensified, compact development should be pursued, on the basis of greater health benefits in particular, is far from clear. Read more