The Government has today confirmed the establishment of a new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT), to support the Government’s ambitious reform agenda in housing, transport, urban development and the environment.
The new Ministry will bring together the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Ministry of Transport, and local government functions from the Department of Internal Affairs into one coherent new agency.
“The new agency will be at the heart of tackling some of New Zealand’s greatest economic and environmental challenges – from housing affordability, our infrastructure deficit, and adaptation to climate change,” Housing, Transport, RMA Reform and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says.
NZ generally has far too many agencies. A reduction in the number of agencies is desirable.
Any mergers have to make sense though. Merging Treasury and MFAT would be silly (but hilarious ). This merger looks very sensible as it brings together the key elements of cities into one place – housing, transport and planning. The link between transport and housing is especially critical. You need good transport links into areas where people live, but also want to have more intense housing developments near public transport stations etc.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for joining the discussion. Breaking Views welcomes respectful contributions that enrich the debate. Please ensure your comments are not defamatory, derogatory or disruptive. We appreciate your cooperation.