Twyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 26 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3942. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Building and Housing: Does he stand by his statement that the 500 hectares of surplus Crown land he has identified “has already been zoned as residential but with no existing buildings or tenants to manage – meaning houses will be able to be brought to market faster”?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing): I stand by my full statement and it said: “It is estimated that the Crown through various agencies owns approximately 500 hectares of land with the potential for residential development.” The work is at an early stage but on Friday I will be able to confirm a number of sites that will assist us with housing.Phil Twyford: Will he confirm that before the announcement officials told him he would be lucky if only one-quarter of the 500 hectares could be built on?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: No I certainly cannot confirm that. There are 150000 hectares of Crown land in Auckland. Officials have been sifting through thousands and thousands of titles and on Friday I will be able to identify the first blocks of land that will have potential albeit it is not until you actually test sites with the private sector as to where it is economical to develop such areas that will bring houses on stream.Phil Twyford: Will he at least admit that his officials questioned the economic viability of building on much of the 500 hectares; if so why did he ignore their concerns?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Quite the opposite. Officials have been very enthusiastic about this programme. They brought it to me and the Minister of Finance. I invite the member to have a look at Christchurch at sites like Awatea like the partnership we have with the Christchurch City Council at Colombo Street and Welles Street like the new houses that have been built at Rangers Park the developments at Hobsonville and the developments at Weymouth to see the progress the Government has been able to make where the previous Government did nothing.Phil Twyford: Did his officials carry out proper site inspections on each property prior to his announcement; if not why did he refuse to allow them sufficient time to check whether each parcel of land is suitable for building before he rushed out his announcement?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: We made a Budget announcement of $53 million to support this programme as well as $2 million of operational funding. If the member actually reads the release it makes plain that the work is to go ahead around the identification of these sites. What I can confirm for the member is that the previous Government announced the Hobsonville housing development in 2002 and by 2008 not a single sod of soil had been turned. We now have hundreds of houses built on that site showing the progress that is possible under this National Government.Phil Twyford: Can he confirm that no parcel of land in his 500 hectares has any of the following on it: power substations pylons a cemetery a fire station or school playing fields; if he cannot confirm that is his refusal to release the full list of sites down to his embarrassment or his incompetence?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: There are thousands of sites and I know Mr Twyford yesterday claimed—Hon Annette King: Answer the question.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I will if the member gives me half a chance. The member identified a site yesterday in Hepburn Road. It is a site on which he said there could be no houses because there was a substation on it. The problem is the substation is only in one corner and there are 3 hectares of vacant land. Why would we not consider a housing development on the remainder of the vacant land? I seek the leave of the House to table the title to the site showing the substation in one corner of the 5 hectares.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. I will put the leave and the House can decide. Leave is sought to table that particular document. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Phil Twyford: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If the member is in his previous answers quoting an official document that is the list of sites he is talking about can I ask whether he would table it?Mr SPEAKER: That is easily resolved. Is the member quoting—Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Point of order.Mr SPEAKER: No I just need to know whether the member was quoting from a legal—Hon Dr NICK SMITH: No just a search of the titles—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Then there is no need to add any more.Phil Twyford: Is this not yet another overcooked poorly-thought-through stunt to look like he is doing something about the Auckland housing crisis which will simply end up as another list of broken promises?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: When we came into Government we were building 200 houses per month in Auckland. Last month we built 750 in Auckland. That shows the progress that we are making. We have more work to do and that is why we have committed additional funds in the Budget.