Special Housing Areas

Don Kelly Nelson, March 19 It is more than a little interesting to discover that the government is scrapping of the so-called ‘‘Special Housing Areas’’ legislation.

It suggests that it is copping flak for previous foolish decision making. This iniquitous and in many cases, severely damaging housing policy had to be stopped. Many people throughout the country are now suffering the consequences of a policy which has all but destroyed the normal environmental expectations.

The worst part of the legislation is its ability to allow the likes of Nelson City Council to determine where high- density high-rise development is to occur. That is not to say that there are many situations where high-rise is perfectly acceptable but for some strange and irresponsible reason the legislators at the time could not see the damage that was glaringly going to occur. Instead, had the focus been put on the vagueness of the Resource Management Act, which has arguably been responsible for at least a 30 per cent increase in housing costs, we would all have greatly benefited. Hopefully candidates for the forthcoming local elections will recognise how badly structured the RMA is and work to lobby government to make it the prescriptive document it must be.

Kerry Neal

Nelson, March 13