Ele Ludemann: Relaxing building regs

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a proposal for a relaxation of building consent regulations:

“If we want to grow the economy, lift incomes, create jobs and build more affordable, quality homes we need a construction sector that is firing on all cylinders,” Mr Penk says.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 18/4/24

Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development.

He relishes helping the fishing industry too.

Dr Eric Crampton: Broad-Stroke regulations for buildings must not stand

The way the government tries to protect us against earthquake risks, and to protect heritage buildings against change, share a common problem.

Government agencies have a very difficult time generating the information necessary for making good decisions in both cases. Rather than design institutions enabling discovery of whether a building really should be protected, government tries to compel that protection through broad-stroke regulation.