Under the existing cross-party accord rules, anyone can build three-storey houses like this in Auckland without a building consent. Photo / Alex Burton, File
Under the existing cross-party accord rules, anyone can build three-storey houses like this in Auckland without a building consent. Photo / Alex Burton, File
Opinion
EDITORIAL
With the election essentially locked in a stalemate as the October date with destiny inches closer, political calculations are spinning.
The two main parties, especially, need to find ways to clearly differentiate from each other, to break that deadlock.
A 1News Kantar Public poll on Thursday nightshowed National nudging slightly ahead after the Budget, able to govern with Act with the centre-right drawing 62 seats.
That’s encouraging for National but there’s still a need to wait and see whether this is the start of a trend. It’s still tight overall.
There’s uncertainty over what individual polls are catching, given the parties’ political ups and downs.
Illustration / Rod Emmerson
The Greens perhaps suffered in the latest poll from the party’s inward focus as MP Elizabeth Kerekere left. National has in the past few days got into a tangle over its policy costings and use of AI in ads. Labour likely annoyed some voters with its practical advice short showers campaign.
There does seem to be a gradual erosion of Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ popularity although he’s still ahead of rival Christopher Luxon.
Looking ahead, both main leaders have yet to front a nationwide election campaign and the debates that come with it. If the party standings are still tight then the incumbent Hipkins, with his extra governing experience and the advantage of his office, might have an advantage.
National’s Luxon needs to clearly jump ahead now, and that may be a motivation behind his decision to signal a change on housing policy.
The bipartisan approach on housing density agreed between Labour and National in 2021 appeared to be a rare example of responsible co-operation for the greater good. It seemed to acknowledge the need to build more unit blocks to increase supply and try to reduce housing costs, while making the best use of land, and taking climate goals into account.
National’s current deputy leader Nicola Willis was a driver of the agreement.
Because the two main parties backed it, developers wanting to build medium-density housing in major cities had a stable process and it was harder for councils to object to three-storey projects.
This week, Luxon indicated he would change the rules if he becomes prime minister to favour turning farmland into new suburbs, enhancing urban sprawl. He said he wanted more houses built but would like a greater focus on greenfields developments and to give councils the chance to “opt out”.
He softened it somewhat by talking about densifying “transport corridors” but the clarity over housing density has now gone.
This appears to be the latest tune in National’s theme of reassurance to supporters, that Kiwis can carry on doing what we’ve always done in the past.
In this case: keep building out not up; don’t let apartments block your view. There’s no doubt that has some appeal and perhaps it is quietly working on swing voters.
To the many people who are up for changes to ensure more affordable housing for more people in central areas where they can use public transport or bikes - without creating more private vehicle commuting and new roading - it’s not reassuring.
It goes against what is happening overseas on transport and climate, where this week France banned domestic flights on routes covered by trains in under two and a half hours, in order to reduce emissions. That applies to flights between Paris and the cities of Lyon, Bordeaux and Nantes.
A Luxon government appears to be one which wants this country to have a breather from troubles that have an impact on all.
