Asia Pacific Infrastructure: August - September 2021

Page 88

RESIDENTIAL

August - September 2021

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his is mainly off the back of affordability pressures, the 40% deposit requirement and extended bright-line test for investors, the tightening of interest deductibility rules, as well as the approval for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) to look at debt to income restrictions. Reforming the Resource Management Act has been seen as a once in a generation opportunity to improve New Zealand’s ability to deliver more housing. While some are praising the Government for taking action, others say the Government has just squandered that opportunity. “We are concerned that the Bill as it stands will, in some cases, make consenting and development more difficult,” says Property Council New Zealand’s Head of Advocacy, Denise Lee. “It is hard to see how meeting all of the listed environmental outcomes will make the process less bureaucratic and burdensome. We have always favoured bottom lines to both 88 propertyandbuild.com

Will the reformed RMA actually help deliver more housing? The Government has released the first draft of the Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA), one of the proposed laws meant to replace the cumbersome Resource Management Act (RMA) which has stunted New Zealand’s ability to build more houses protect and enhance our natural environment, while simplifying the system to get more developments consented.” Lee says one of Property Council’s key concerns is the lack of mention of development in the purpose section of the Natural and Built Environment Bill. This seems an obvious omission given the Bill’s requirement to support sustainable development.

“New Zealand is simply not building enough houses, quickly enough, and with the quality and innovation needed to service its growing and changing population.” National Party Leader Judith Collins agrees, saying the Government has missed the point. “The whole idea is to make the RMA simpler and easier to deal with. The real risk is that at the

end of this process we end up with something that is more costly, complicated and cumbersome than we already have. “The Government needs to act with much more urgency to cut through our complex planning rules and free up housing supply.” House prices in New Zealand continue to skyrocket, with lack of supply being the chief contributor to this. There is a sense of urgency


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Articles inside

Further mortgage restrictions coming as house price growth continues

7min
pages 102-106

Is this the turning point of New Zealand’s property market?

6min
pages 100-101

Property investor confidence hits record highs

12min
pages 96-99

Preventing collapsing structures

2min
page 94

Kiwi innovation leading the way in concrete slab insulation

2min
page 95

Will the reformed RMA actually help deliver more housing?

5min
pages 88-90

Australia to slash planning times by 25 percent

1min
page 91

Facilities management with personal service

1min
pages 82-83

Residential construction reforms save time and improve quality control

10min
pages 84-87

China builds 10-storey tower in a day

1min
page 81

Chemical safety relies on meaningful cooperation

3min
pages 76-80

Infrastructure Skills Centre offers “work experience for a lifetime”

3min
pages 74-75

Safety app a crucial element in building site safety

3min
pages 72-73

Cordless machines and safer technologies will save lives

11min
pages 66-70

Is standardised training the way forward?

2min
page 71

Unlearning misguided muscle training keeps you pain free at home and work

6min
pages 62-63

Tips and myths around dogs

2min
pages 60-61

Safety focus on crane service standards

4min
pages 64-65

Bastion NZ launch Industrial glove range

1min
pages 58-59

Industry leader in soft fall protection on construction sites

2min
pages 56-57

Wood waste to take aluminium's place in food packaging

1min
page 35

No better investment than chemical safety training

3min
page 45

Thermal recycling - part of the solution not part of the problem

9min
pages 31-34

Scholarships supporting tomorrow’s health and safety leaders

1min
pages 52-53

What is workplace harassment and how to prevent it

2min
pages 54-55

How to become a successful green business

5min
pages 29-30

Winning the last mile in the supply chain race

2min
page 36

Can a vaccine for cattle help the dairy sector cut methane emissions?

6min
pages 27-28

The three paths to net-zero

5min
pages 20-22

The consequences of banning oil and gas exploration

4min
pages 25-26

Is hydrogen the future of energy?

4min
pages 23-24

AC Filter - an engineered solution protecting worker health

1min
page 13

Are we forgetting national self-sufficiency?

6min
pages 4-9

Schneider: data centres and smart homes

6min
pages 10-12

In search of the perfect surface - contractor invents new earth compactor

2min
pages 14-15

Climate change kicks into gear

3min
page 3
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