Urban Development News from the media | 4 August 2025 | Saying yes to housing growth

Saying yes to housing growth

New Zealanders have an opportunity to help shape the new planning system replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) through public consultation on removing unnecessary barriers to housing growth, says Housing and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop.

“New Zealand’s house prices are among the most expensive in the developed world – a direct result of our current planning system making it too hard for our cities to grow up and out.

“Fixing our housing crisis involves fixing the fundamentals of our housing market - freeing up land for development and removing unnecessary planning barriers, improving infrastructure funding and financing to support urban growth, and providing incentives for communities and councils to support growth.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/saying-yes-housing-growth#:~:text=Public%20consultation%20on%20the%20Going,the%20new%20resource%20management%20system

Tauranga (Western Bay) set for a “city/regional deal” and major new housing

Tauranga’s mayor announced that Western Bay of Plenty is one of three areas now negotiating a formal City/Regional Deal with central government.  Such a deal would lock in funding commitments for priority infrastructure.  Key projects already under way include Tauriko West enabling works (the first phase of the SH29 Tauriko bypass), which will free up land for ~4,000 new homes and ~3,000 jobs in coming years.  The council is also accelerating the Pāpāmoa East Interchange on the Tauranga Eastern Link, due to open in late 2025, improving access to Eastern Papamoa and enabling more residential and commercial development. Overall, Tauranga’s infrastructure build‑out is intended to kick‑start city‑center regeneration and ease its acute housing shortage

https://www.sunlive.co.nz/blog/19357-one-year-milestone-for-council.html#:~:text=well%20as%20improving%20road%20access,to%20and%20from%20the%20port

Building Code pause brings certainty to construction

The Government is providing more certainty for the building sector by pausing any new major changes to the Building Code system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced.

“The building sector has faced significant disruption over the past few years in dealing with the pandemic, supply chain challenges and a boom-and-bust cycle that has made the infrastructure pipeline unpredictable,” Mr Penk says.

"Up until now, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has typically conducted ongoing, rolling reviews of different parts of the Building Code.

“It’s time to bring stability and clarity to the system so the sector can confidently plan and move forward with the construction and infrastructure projects we need to build New Zealand into a world-class nation.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/building-code-pause-brings-certainty-construction

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