Housing’s ‘negative impact’

Rural Waipa¯ towns will face the same housing density rules as the big cities, the mayor says – and a minister should see the potential impact.

New legislation means Waipa¯ District Council must allow multi-storey housing on single sections without resource consent, Waipa¯ mayor Susan O’Regan said, and it’s ‘‘like swallowing a rat’’.

She’s invited Minister for the Environment David Parker to her patch to see the potential negative impacts for Waipa¯ . She says rural towns including Cambridge and Kihikihi will have the same mediumdensity housing requirements as places like Auckland and it ‘‘just doesn’t make sense’’.

The fast-tracked housing legislation was supported by both major political parties and aimed at building more houses, faster. It will force Waipa¯ District Council to relax planning rules to introduce new residential zone standards in Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi. The changes could allow multi-storey housing on single sections, without needing a resource consent or permission from neighbours, the council said.

‘‘The changes force the same medium density housing requirements on small, rural towns like Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi as on large cities like Auckland and Wellington,’’ O’Regan said. ‘‘That just doesn’t make sense to me or councillors.’’

Council reluctantly notified the required changes to its District Plan in August – proposed Plan Change 26, O’Regan said. ‘‘It was like swallowing a rat given we had already raised concerns to the Government in May and September.’’