From left, Housing Minister Megan Woods, National leader Judith Collins, Environment Minister David Parker (on screen) and National housing spokesperson Nicola Willis. Photo / Mark Mitchell
From left, Housing Minister Megan Woods, National leader Judith Collins, Environment Minister David Parker (on screen) and National housing spokesperson Nicola Willis. Photo / Mark Mitchell
OPINION:
I have very little sympathy for Wellington's mayor feeling "blindsided" by last week's bipartisan announcement on housing.
Andy Foster described the situation as part of a sustained "attack on localism" and urged the Government to sit down and talk with councils.
But it's the decision-making of councils over theirdistrict plans and giving people too much say on where housing can go, or rather not go, that's partly to blame for the mess the country is in today.
Sorry councils, but the time for consultation is over - we need more housing now.
Last week Labour and National joined forces behind a radical new housing policy, the Housing Supply Bill, which they say will help address the housing crisis by allowing as many as 105,500 new homes to be built in less than a decade.
It would achieve this by allowing up to three homes of up to three storeys to be built on most sites without the need for a costly and frustrating resource consent.
It affects about half of Wellington's residential zones.
The announcement came less than 24 hours before Wellington City councillors were due to agree on their draft district plan. A plan which has been years in the making.
Foster said the council would have to "tear up" the residential part of the proposed district plan and change it.
Instead of complaining about being blindsided, there was actually a big opportunity to point out the advanced work the council has already undertaken to overhaul its planning rules.
It shrinks character areas by three quarters, it sets a minimum building height of six storeys in the central city, as well as lifting maximum building heights.
Wellington City. Photo / Mark Mitchell
It enables six storeys anywhere within a ten-minute walking distance from a train station and 15 minutes from the central city.
Allowing up to three homes of up to three storeys to be built on most sites is just another step in the same direction. If anything, the move reinforces the direction Wellington is already going in.
It shouldn't be seen in the bad light of spreading intensification away from the central city, but instead allowing for a level of increased densification across the whole of Wellington. Up to three storeys is not the same as a minimum of six.
And it's not the only change the council will need to make to its draft district plan subsequent to it going out for public consultation either.
It's still unknown where the exact routes will be for mass rapid transit as part of the $6.4 billion Let's Get Wellington Moving transport plan.
When this is finally decided, it will trigger more densification, which will also need to be incorporated into the district plan.
As for an attack on localism, there is undoubtedly a narrative of centralisation building between three waters reform, local government reform, and scrapping the country's DHBs.
It's understandable that councils are feeling on edge about it all.
This bill shouldn't be seen through the lens of something being taken away from councils, but rather enabling them to plan for more housing.
Wellington mayor Andy Foster. Photo / Mark Mitchell
It's a shame councils couldn't just come to the party after the rare act of unity between National and Labour to tackle the housing crisis.
Foster also has a particular reason to be on Housing Minister Megan Woods' side at the moment.
He's asking her for another bailout for the council's social housing portfolio, which is forecast to be insolvent by 2023.
After nothing came through for the council in Budget 2021, Foster did a sort of reset of negotiations with the Government at the direction of councillors.
It seems to be working too, with Government officials expected to put some options on the table by December and the issue gaining traction in the public arena.
For that reason, Foster's announcement of a mayoral task force into City Housing via a press release in the middle of the draft district plan meeting felt a bit out of the blue.
In a statement, Woods said she welcomed moves by the council to take its responsibilities seriously.
But she showed particular interest in a notice of motion that was in play before Foster's task-force announcement, but filed minutes afterwards, by Social, Cultural and Economic committee chairwoman councillor Jill Day and Labour councillor Fleur Fitzsimons.
Woods suggested the task force give "serious consideration" to the notice of motion proposals including looking into what role rates might have in relation to the rental levels the council sets for its tenants.
Her words serve as a reminder for the mayor to pick his battles.
Senior Wellington journalist Georgina Campbell's fortnightly column looks closely at issues in the capital.
