Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 16 September 2015. Volume:708;Page:6671. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) to the Minister for Building and Housing: Can he confirm that the 1116 building consents issued in July in Auckland and the 8567 for the latest year are the highest in 10 years and what further steps is he taking to ensure the new build rate of houses in Auckland continues to grow?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing): Yes building is at a faster rate than for a decade and the initiatives that the Government has taken with the housing accord and special housing areas are bearing fruit. The house build rate in Auckland has grown by rates of 29 percent 31 percent and 20 percent over the last 3 years making it the longest and strongest building boom in Auckland’s history. The next hurdle is that the fast-track zoning powers of the special housing area law expire in October next year. It is crucial that we support Auckland in completing the unitary plan by then. That is why today I have announced further legislation to streamline that process and give the Auckland Council the tools to complete the new plan this council term.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: What are the specific problems the Auckland Council and the independent hearings panel are incurring that require a law change to see this process completed in a timely way?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The hearing panel is doing a sterling job in preparing the biggest resource management plan covering one-third of New Zealand’s population in the fastest time ever. It has worked through thousands of submissions on the general planning policies but now has over 5000 separate requests to be heard on site-specific property issues. The bill that I have announced will enable a lesser quorum of two panel members and extra panel members are to be appointed it will enable multiple hearings to occur simultaneously and it will also enable the panel to progressively report the plan to the council for its adoption to ensure that it is completed next year.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: What reports does the Minister have that indicate that the house build rate will continue to grow in Auckland?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The National Construction Pipelinereport prepared by the Building Research Association of New Zealand and Pacifecon is projecting a massive investment in new housing over the next 6 years. It projects 80000 new homes being built in Auckland over that period as compared with 30000 over the past 6 years. I am particularly encouraged by the fact that this year’s report predicts a growth rate 26 percent faster than in its report of just 1 year ago. The challenge for the Government and the council is in streamlining the planning resource and building consent processes so that we also ensure the new communities and homes that are being built are of good quality.Phil Twyford: Can he confirm that at the current build rate of only 8567 consents per year in Auckland based on the Productivity Commission’s analysis the housing shortfall will grow from 32000 last year to nearly 59000 by 2020—and that is from the Productivity Commission.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: No. No I do not accept that and I do not accept the member’s analysis of the build rate. It is interesting to note that when Labour released its housing policy at the last election it said that it would take it 5 years to grow the build rate to as fast as what we have achieved—i.e. the results that this Government has achieved over the last year. A 20 percent increase in build rate is significantly faster than what Labour’s own policy said that it could achieve.