Friday, 10 April 2026, 11:28 am
Press Release: ACT New Zealand
Auckland-based ACT MP Simon Court says the Government’s
Auckland deal is a positive step, but the Mayor is wrong
to suggest greenfields development can be ruled
out.
“This deal sets the direction for unlocking
Auckland’s potential. ACT has been campaigning for
regional deals like this since 2019, and it’s good to see
progress on better coordination between central and local
government,” says Court.
“But let’s set things
straight. No mayor should get to decide where New Zealanders
are allowed to live.
“Wayne Brown might not like the
idea of Aucklanders living in new homes with big, beautiful
backyards. But people should be able to build on greenfields
whether he likes it or not, and that’s why ACT is driving
reform of Resource Management and infrastructure
funding.
“Auckland’s housing crisis has been
driven by decades of planning rules that make it too hard to
build. It’s often taken longer to get permission than to
actually build. That has locked a generation out of home
ownership and driven up costs across the city.
“A
resource management system that says ‘yes’ to
development will provide far more flexibility about where
development can occur, not just where central planners think
people should live.
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“Changes to the Infrastructure
Funding and Financing framework will also help. For years, a
lack of pipes, roads, and basic infrastructure has been a
handbrake on builders. Developers have been stuck waiting on
councils that can’t or won’t deliver.
“The
improvements currently before select committee will mean
developers are no longer reliant on councils to fund growth.
That unlocks both greenfields and brownfields
development.”
“Aucklanders want choice, including
the ability to own a home with space. The next generation
will have homes, and some will be apartments, yes, but many
will be houses with backyards. It’s something people
should be free to
choose.”
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