O'Connor Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Connor Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 26 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11276. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tāmaki)to theMinister of Housing: What initiatives is the Government taking to address housing supply in pressured markets like Auckland and Christchurch?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister of Housing):We have got initiatives under way that have the Government directly building more houses than any Government in over 20 years. That includes projects like Hobsonville the McLennan Park development in Papakura “infill 500” in Auckland and the 700 New Builds and Rangers Park development in Christchurch. We also have initiatives involving council and community partnerships. This includes the major Tāmaki redevelopment involving intensification and thousands more homes in this part of Auckland and initiatives with the Social Housing Fund which will see the biggest ever growth in the community social housing sector next year. We also have important regulatory changes under way in both Auckland and Christchurch that will streamline the planning process and facilitate thousands more homes being built in the private sector.Simon O’Connor: What parallel measures will be required to support the Government’s aim of an additional 39000 homes in Auckland and initiatives like Tāmaki and Hobsonville?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Firstly the Government recognises that developing Auckland’s infrastructure in parallel along with housing developments is critical. We also recognise that redevelopments like Tāmaki are challenging for communities and work best with a strong level of community engagement. That is why the Tāmaki redevelopment is a partnership with the Auckland Council and why last week I along with Mayor Len Brown released for public consultation a draft blueprint for the regeneration of Tāmaki of Glen Innes of Point England and of Panmure.Simon O’Connor: Is the Government taking any initiative in other housing markets under pressure to support more affordable housing?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Yes we are. Today I have announced a $1 million grant to the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust to build 10 affordable housing units in Arrowtown. I was appalled to read that some residents were using council processes to oppose this housing saying they did not want low-income people living in that town. We need to stare down this sort of nimbyism if we are to tackle this issue. The Productivity Commission rightly identified a real problem with our regulatory system that incentivises building homes only for the top quartile as occurred under the previous Government.Te Ururoa Flavell: Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Kia ora tātou. Has the Minister seen the proposal by the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Māori Party candidate Nā Raihānia that the Government should sell surplus State houses in low-demand areas to low-income families to improve Māori homeownership in places like Gisborne Hastings and Wairoa; if so is he prepared to consider the idea?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I appreciate the idea that the Māori Party has put forward and the strong advocacy that the Māori Party has given to homeownership. The Associate Minister of Housing Tariana Turia has exciting initiatives under way to expand the role of iwi in social housing provision and better integrate it with the Whānau Ora services that she is providing. The idea of selling surplus State houses in low-demand areas to low-income earners is an idea—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With the greatest respect you must have heard what he said there. In the Māori world they would beshocked to hear what he said there. But I would like him to have the chance to correct what he said. I am sure he meant not “Whanei Ora” but “Whānau Ora”. Perhaps he could pronounce it properly.Mr SPEAKER: And the member is abusing the point of order system to interrupt a legitimate answer by the Minister. I will not put up with that sort of behaviour from the right honourable member for much longer.Brendan Horan: As—[Interruption ]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have called Brendan Horan for a supplementary question.Brendan Horan: Thank you. As approximately 3400 housing resource consents are processed per year in Auckland and given that town planners there are already working to 100 percent capacity what training and recruiting for new town planners in Auckland is the Minister aware of to cater for the additional 39000 consents promised over the next 3 years?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: My ministry is working closely with the Auckland Council on ensuring that those targets in the Auckland Housing Accord for 39000 houses are able to be advanced at pace. If the Auckland Council indicates that a shortage of planners is part of its issues I would be happy to consider what support the Government might be able to provide in a similar way to the way in which the Government is providing support to the Christchurch City Council to help it address both its resource and its building consent challenges.Brendan Horan: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Is the Minister saying that he is unaware of any town planners—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is now using the point of order system to effectively try to raise another supplementary question.