Hayes John: Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Hayes John: Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:649;Page:18479] 
JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa) 
: 
 I wish to continue the theme in the speech made by my colleague John Carter but first of all I turn to clause 40 “Amendments to Building Act 2004” and pick up on the theme in the speech made by my colleague Phil Heatley our housing spokesman. I support his comments that it is really unfortunate that this legislation does not provide for greater amendments to the Building Act. 
Clause 40(2) amends section 49(2)(b) of the Building Act by adding the word “and”. Subclause (3) amends section 49(2) by adding paragraph (c): “if section 28 of the Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Act 2007 applies”—if it applies—“notification under section 28(6) of that Act.” 
I think that a number of other amendments could have been made to the Building Act to help us secure more affordable housing. We could for example have amended the Act to reduce the cost of building permit charges applied by territorial authorities. You see what seems to be happening amongst my five district councils in the Wairarapa electorate is that they are being asked to cover their backsides with such a lot of— 
Hon Member 
: Bumf. 
JOHN HAYES 
: —bumf that they are having to make huge charges and are requiring vast amounts of information that are not necessary for the task of building things. So I feel that this legislation could amend the Building Act in order to reduce the cost of permits by requiring less information. 
Secondly I feel that the legislation could amend the Building Act to reduce the cost of resource consents. In the last year for example the South Wairarapa District Council in my electorate found fit to charge a constituent in Greytown where I live $900 for a resource consent to build a hen house that would take five hens—$900 for a hen house to accommodate five hens. I think members would agree with me that these sorts of charges unnecessarily add to housing construction costs. 
The next area where we could ask for an amendment relates to clause 40. The amendment would require that there be less responsibility on the part of councils to collect 20-page and 30-page sets of plans for very simple dwellings. If we are to build affordable housing we need such an amendment. The planning framework at present requires far too much on the part of builders. I am told that the cost of applying for a building permit in my electorate from any of the five councils begins at $7000 per house. 
I move on to clause 40A “Amendments to Goods and Services Tax Act 1985” and I pass on the thoughts of many of my constituents that this Act could be amended in such a way as to remove the cost of GST from the purchase of first homes. I am doing that on behalf of my constituents not on behalf of the National Party or myself. The idea has been suggested to me by constituents and it could be addressed by an amendment to clause 40A if the Government were serious about reducing the cost of housing. 
If we look at clause 41 “Amendments to Housing Corporation Act 1974” we see that again we are not being asked to make any significant amendments at this point in the legislation except for subclause (3) which amends section 3B of the Act by adding new paragraph (c) which states: “to arrange for territorial authorities applying the Affordable Housing: Enabling Territorial Authorities Act 2007 to receive appropriate advice and information of a policy or other nature about housing and services related to housing.” 
This legislation is totally unnecessary. That clause delivers absolutely nothing to the people of my electorate. It will make no difference whatsoever to the cost of their housing except that it will add to construction costs.