Hon Dr Nick Smith
Minister for Building and Construction
16 May 2017 Media Statement
Queenstown on track for Housing Accord target
Queenstown is well on its way to hitting the target laid out in the Queenstown-Lakes Housing Accord, with six months of
the original accord still to run, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith and Queenstown-Lakes Mayor Jim Boult
announced today.
“We are confident we will meet the ambitious target of 1750 new residential sections and homes in the three years to
October 2017. The monitoring reports released today show 1634 consents have been issued to date and, with six months to
go, the target is likely to be exceeded.
“Residential building activity has more than doubled since the Accord was signed in 2014, with the latest figures
showing $512 million in investment in the year to March 2017 compared with $256 million in 2014. This growth is not
confined to the residential sector, with total construction growing from $285m to $683m over the same period.”
The Queenstown-Lakes Housing Accord increases the supply of housing in the district by speeding up the consenting
process for developments and freeing up new areas of land for housing. The Council is required to monitor the number of
sections and buildings consented against targets agreed between the Minister and the Mayor.
“We know from the experience in Christchurch that freeing up additional land is the single most important step
Government and councils can take towards increasing housing supply and affordability. We have made progress, with seven
Special Housing Areas with capacity for 950 additional homes being approved in Queenstown. We need to do more given the
strong tourism sector and ongoing population growth in the district,” Dr Smith said after meeting Mr Boult today.
“We are planning to extend the scope of the Accord to support improved housing supply across the wider Queenstown-Lakes
District, including Wanaka, and are working on new targets for the next three years to support growth. Our discussions
today also included how the Government can support the Council’s infrastructure and opportunities for using surplus
Crown land to support growth in housing.”
Mr Boult says the demand for housing across the district is stronger than ever, and he is supportive of any measures
that can help local families get into their own homes.
“The cost of housing is a serious issue in our district and something this Council is working hard to address, both
through the Special Housing Accord and the Mayoral Housing Taskforce. An extension of this legislation will lead more
affordable housing stock being available for those who need it and, as such, I will recommend that our Council supports
the Government initiative.”