Queenstown Housing Accord targets increased
Strong progress on building and section consents in the Wakatipu Basin has led to Queenstown-Lakes Housing Accord targets being increased nearly 50 per cent during the next two years, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.
Dr Smith and Queenstown-Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden released the revised figures after discussions today, saying they would go from 950 to 1400 for the remaining two years of the accord.
"When we set up the Housing Accord in the region the forecast was 950 new section and building consents in 2016 and 2017 but the response locally has outstripped this. Queenstown is seeing a boom in terms of applications for consents, with the Bridesdale Special Housing Area (SHA) alone forecast to deliver at least 134 houses," Dr Smith says.
"The seven SHAs in Queenstown are contributing to the rapid increase in consents and have been reflected in the revised Accord targets."
Ms van Uden said the council was taking a multi-faceted approach to addressing the housing shortage in the district.
"SHAs are one tool available to us and we have been pleased to work with the Government on this initiative. We are continuing to look at other factors influencing the supply of homes and the availability of affordable housing, including the use of residential properties for short-term visitor accommodation instead of rental to workers and families.
"The council is also part way through the review of its District Plan, which contains proposed zoning changes to make it easier for different types of accommodation to be built. In this context, we see the SHAs as one of several options which will add to an increased supply of housing in our district in the short and medium term."
Each of the three-year building and section consent targets agreed between the Government and the Queenstown-Lakes District Council runs from September to October. The original target was 350 consents in 2015, 450 for 2016 and 500 for 2017. The council received 557 consents in 2015, and 399 consents were received in the first six months of 2016.
The Government and the Queenstown-Lakes District Council agreed the Housing Accord in October 2014 to address the district's housing supply and affordability issues. It allows for the creation of SHAs, in which qualifying developments can be streamlined and fast-tracked.
