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Steven Mark Gaskell writes > Let’s Rebuild New Zealand with Flax and Wairua What Could Go Wrong?

Just when you thought navigating New Zealand’s building code couldn’t get any more complicated, here comes a call to “weave tikanga and wairua” into your next resource consent application. Because, obviously, what our housing sector really needs isn’t fewer regulations it’s spiritual guidelines and indigenous architecture footnotes from 1823.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 28/11/24

$82m for Maori housing projects – but it’s unlikely to mute Rawiri Waititi

It’s unlikely to silence the stroppy Maori Party as they rail against the Luxon government and throw accusations of racism.

But Housing Minister Tama Potaka yesterday delivered a speech to the Community Housing Aotearoa annual conference in which he mentioned government measures aimed at helping provide housing for Maori.

Point of Order: Govt highlights benefits for Tauranga in funding deal.....

.....but (in smaller type) beneficiaries learn they must repay the debt

Geography, ethnicity and your occupation will determine the extent to which you might benefit from the latest hamper of goodies to be distributed by the Beehive.

But be warned. Being a beneficiary may result in levies being imposed.

Point of Order: National and ACT remind us that they would pull the chain on the govt’s Three Waters legislation

Readers of Point of Order will be familiar with the raft of issues that bedevil legislation to implement the government’s Three Waters reforms.

They extend far beyond co-governance to financing and debt arrangements and have been revealed in a comprehensive series of articles by Thomas Cranmer.

The government is charging on with the reforms regardless, after Parliament’s Labour-dominated Finance and Expenditure Committee reported back comparatively minor changes to the Water Services Entities Bill that will establish four publicly owned water entities to deliver water services around the country.

Point of Order: O’Connor goes to Paris (will they make a movie of it?)

While his colleagues spend millions back home and crimp liquor sales

Damien O’Connor has been busy with international duties. At the weekend he met with Aussie ministerial counterparts in Queenstown to discuss the advancement of trans-Tasman cooperation under the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement before packing his bags to head for Paris where he will co-chair an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ministerial meeting.

Point of Order: Review team which favours privileges for mana whenua is doing what local govt wants, says Mahuta (who lauds democracy)

Hurrah. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta did get around to recognising the draft report on the future of local government from a review team whose membership and mission she announced in April last year.

The team’s proposals include the creation of a Kiwi version of Animal Farm in which all citizens are equal, but some (depending on genealogy) are more equal than others.

Point of Order had been keen to learn what Mahuta thought of the draft report, but Opposition reactions reached us first.

Point of Order: Ministers bray about the millions being dispensed for housing (subject to ethnicity) and cultural venues

While the Minister of Housing and her Māori Housing associate were dispensing favours as part of a race-focussed housing initiative for which they are responsible, Kiri Allan was inviting appropriately cultured oinkers to a trough replenished with $13 million of slops.

She described it as a contestable fund, which means there will be some jostling for a share of the goodies, but first in will not necessarily be served.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan was of a charitable disposition, too. She announced that following a comprehensive review of the Charities Act, the Government is moving ahead with changes to modernise the legislation that will increase transparency for the public, improve access to justice services and reduce the burden on smaller charities.

Bob Edlin: Yes, dear taxpayer – you will pay to help people make up their minds about home ownership

The Minister of Māori Development, Nanaia Mahuta, last week announced 24 community-led housing repair projects will receive funding  from the Māori Housing Network (which gets it from taxpayers) totalling $5.8 million.

In the same press release, she and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi announced a new programme called Sorted Kāinga Ora.  It involves a series of “workshops to help whānau decide whether they are ready for home ownership”.

Someone – it seems – has decided whanau are unable to work out if they are ready to own a house without the help of bureaucrats from Jacinda’s Nanny State.