Extra charges for new city housing
Transport, water infrastructure gains $600m boost by investment scheme
Home buyers will pay higher rates and water bills under a new $600 million scheme to address Auckland’s housing crisis. The Government yesterday announced a new investment vehicle to bring forward construction of 23,300 new homes in the north and south of the city.
Prime Minister Bill English launched Crown Infrastructure Partners with $600m to fund transport and water infrastructure for big new housing developments which cashstrapped councils like Auckland Council cannot afford.
“This is the result of a lot of hard work by councils and central government in how to manage growth on a scale we haven’t had to before [with] a new type of financing vehicle,” English said.
The Government and private investors will recoup their investment by charging new residents a special targeted rate and higher water bills over a 20 to 30-year period.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, who negotiated the scheme with English, said it was premature to know how much the targeted rate and higher water bills would be, but it would have to take into account the cost of infrastructure and be reasonable for residents.
Auckland Council now has a targeted rate costing residents $118 a year, which was introduced in 2015 to fund transport for three years while alternative funding was found.
Finance Minister Steven Joyce said the extra charges would be offset by cheaper section prices.
“The important thing is you have to make it attractive to people, which is why you are doing it over a 20 to 30-year period,” Joyce said.
He said the Government’s ultrafast broadband company, Crown Fibre Holdings, will be renamed Crown Infrastructure Partners, and bring its investment skills and experience to attract private investment to roading and water infrastructure.
The Government would take on the initial risk, but Joyce was confident private investors, Accident Compensation Corporation, the Super Fund and iwi were keen to come on board.
The initial development of $387m is for transport and water infrastructure in Drury South, Drury West, Paerata and Pukekohe for 17,800 houses.
This will be followed by $200m of infrastructure for 5500 houses around Wainui, north of Auckland City.
The new investment vehicle comes two weeks after plans for 10,500 new homes in Auckland will get a $300m boost from the Government’s $1 billion housing infrastructure fund.
The vehicle recognises the council is right up against its debt ceiling, which, if breached could lead to a credit rating downgrade, drive up borrowing costs and reduce investor confidence in Auckland Council.
The new scheme was widely welcomed by Goff, deputy mayor Bill Cashmore, whose Franklin ward will benefit significantly, the Property Council, Infrastructure New Zealand and Labour.
“What took you so long?” was the response from Labour’s Auckland Issues spokesman Phil Twyford, saying the party had been promoting the idea of debt-funding infrastructure since 2015.
“National has spent nine years cynically blaming Auckland Council for the city’s failure to manage its growth, but it has done very little to reform the planning system or turn on the tap for infrastructure finance,” Twyford said.
Said Goff: “The new investment vehicle will provide capital from Government and the private sector which will not be debt on council’s books. It will be funded through development contributions and targeted rates within the new housing developments.”
Property Council chief executive Connal Townsend said the $1b housing infrastructure fund was a great initiative but did not address how some councils, ruled by strict debt ratios, could carry that debt on their balance sheets.
Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Stephen Selwood said: “The Government’s announcement today that it will set up Crown Infrastructure Partnerships to seed fund private investment in road and water infrastructure provides a means to dramatically increase housing supply.”