Roger Partridge: When the pipes are rationed

This week’s Herald reported the plight of an Ōrewa family hit with a 72% rates hike – more than $10,000 a year. The jump arises from rezoning, with new subdivisions now creeping up to their boundary. Yet Watercare has decreed the wastewater connection will not arrive until 2031 – leaving the land stranded and unsaleable.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 31/10/24

Sorry, Dr Brash – not this time, but there are sure to be other opportunities for you to land a government appointment

The Government played it safe in deciding who should sit on the Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust Board. There was nothing quite like the naming of former ACT leader and Labour government minister Richard Prebble to sit on the Waitangi Tribunal – such as a job for Don Brash, perhaps.

Prebble’s appointment was announced by Minister of Māori Development Tama Potaka, who said it would uphold the work done between the Crown and Māori.

Heather du Plessis-Allan: We're finally giving in to the shoebox apartments

It looks like we are finally giving in and allowing shoebox apartments in New Zealand.

This morning, Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced a whole raft of changes designed to make houses more affordable, and one of those changes is that he will remove any requirements for how big an apartment must be and how big the balcony must be.

He reckons that back in 2015 when Auckland Council changed balcony size restrictions, it pushed the price of apartments up by $40,000- $70,000 each.

Dr Don Brash: Perhaps the most important speech from the new Government so far

Last week, Housing Minister Chris Bishop gave perhaps the most important speech by the new Government since the election.

In a speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, he said he wanted the ratio of house prices to median household income to more than halve to between 3 and 5 over the next 10 to 20 years.

Of course, he’s not the first minister to express grave concern about the ridiculously unaffordable housing which is typical of most New Zealand cities.

Eric Crampton: Govt has allowed councils to block new development

Auckland Council’s draft Future Development Strategy all but guarantees that Auckland housing will never be affordable.

Those keen on affordable housing ought to pay attention to it.

For too long, housing has been a terrible game of musical chairs. Government and councils make it incredibly difficult to add new chairs to the game, so families miss out on places to sit.