Government puts Christchurch on notice over housing defiance

Government puts Christchurch on notice over housing defiance
Associate environment minister Phil Twyford has appointed an investigator to Christchurch city council over its housing intensification defiance. (Image: Getty)
Oliver Lewis
The government has responded to Christchurch city council's defiance on housing intensification, appointing an investigator to help find a way forward.Councillors voted on Sept 13 against notifying plan changes giving effect to the national policy statement on urban development and the medium-density residential standards, in direct opposition to central government efforts to improve the thorny issue of housing supply. Both government directives require councils to amend their district plans to enable housing intensification. The resid...

More Policy

How to Be Wrong: summer reading for the PM
Economy

How to Be Wrong: summer reading for the PM

Advice on leading for innovation, threats to democracy, gangs, and more.

Pattrick Smellie 28 Nov 2025
Air NZ’s Ravishankar grows up in public
Opinion

Pattrick Smellie: Air NZ’s Ravishankar grows up in public

The national airline’s new CEO faces plenty of challenges, some self-inflicted.

Pattrick Smellie 28 Nov 2025
Govt proposes major council overhaul
Policy

Govt proposes major council overhaul

Regional councillors to be deposed, mayors empowered, and amalgamation put on the table.

Thomas Manch 25 Nov 2025
FIF tax creator says ‘sorry’, but wants deeper reform
Policy

FIF tax creator says ‘sorry’, but wants deeper reform

Economist Peter Wilson says the Government's FIF changes need to go further.

Dileepa Fonseka 25 Nov 2025