8. Question No. 8—HousingNICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Minister of HousingQuestion No. 8—Housing8. NICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Minister of Housing: Does the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 require tier 1 and tier 2 local authorities to make more space available for housing development this year; if not by what date are tier 1 and tier 2 local authorities required to make any such changes?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): In answer to the first part of the question no. Councils are required to publicly notify their plan changes that give effect to these policies by August 2022. This will kick off the public process in Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act involving public submissions and hearings. Decisions on these plan changes must be made within two years of the public notification—that is if the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPSUD) plan changes are publicly notified by August 2022 they must be decided on by August 2024. Shorter deadlines risk lengthy legal challenges to the plan changes and could undermine delivering the intensification outcomes sought although I would like to point out to the member that we are already seeing the impact of the NPSUD on planning decisions. Hearing panels the Environment Court and other decision makers already need to take it into account and there is evidence they are using it to enable more houses to be built. I would also point the member to the fact that while we enact this long-term substantial change that is needed in our country we do have short-term tools available such as the COVID fast-track tool.Nicola Willis: Why is the Government waiting until 2024 to increase the space available for new housing in urban areas facing major housing shortages?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I outlined in the answer to my primary question that this is long-term substantial change that we do need to go through the process to ensure that it is done correctly and that we do not want to risk lengthy legal challenges that would ultimately undermine the intent that I think both sides of the House would like to see which is more land available for development and for housing. But I would like to remind that member that while we go through this longer-term substantive change that is occurring we have put in place shorter-term mechanisms that can be used such as the COVID fast-track consenting process that is under way.Nicola Willis: Why won't the Minister simply legislate to increase the space available for new housing in urban areas facing major housing shortages?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: We are continually looking at what options are available but what we do want to do is to ensure that we are also progressing the long-term substantive change that that member's party failed to achieve when they were in Government. What we do need to ensure is that we have all the components right and we are looking at shorter-term tools that range over a number of areas. I'd like to point the member to some comments from Dave Kelly from the Master Builders Association yesterday when he said Our focus will be on ensuring we use the opportunity of the RMA reform to address these underlying issues rather than short-term fixes that fail to address the ongoing issue." We as a Government are determined to make substantial and lasting change.Nicola Willis: Well what are the emergency measures that the Prime Minister claimed were already under way to increase land supply for housing?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I have already in the series of answers that I've given to the member during this questioning session pointed to the fact that we have the fast-track COVID tool that is under way. We already have I think it is off the top of my head five housing developments that are going through that process. We also already have the ability for councils to use tools that sit within the regulatory tool box. As I have said to that member we are a Government that is committed to making sure we are doing all we can to address the housing crisis and we are currently looking at a range of measures. Hon Grant Robertson: Does the Minister think it is helpful for members of Parliament to bring petitions before the House to stop the development of housing on land simply because they don't like it in their community?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: What I would like us to see as a Parliament is to find some common consensus and not be part of the nimbyism that can grow around some of these issues. It is not helpful when local members try and stop the fast tracking of land opening up for the building of badly needed housing in areas such as Hamilton. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Point of order. I seek leave of the House to table the many letters I received from Labour MPs objecting to the fast tracking of housing developments when National was Government.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none.Documents not tabled.Nicola Willis: Is the Minister considering strengthening or accelerating the requirements of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 and if not why not?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I am currently considering a range of options. Some of those are to do with the national policy statement (NPS). Nicola Willis: Will the Minister bring forward the requirements of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 and if so when?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: As I have answered in both the primary and one of the supplementary questions to the member I do not want to put us at risk of shorter deadlines in what is needed around substantial and lasting change in the NPS process. We do not want to bring the risk of legal action further delaying plan changes and slowing down the intensification and opening up of land. But that is not to say that we are not looking at short-term interim options while we make this long-term substantial change that is required."