RMA needs reform to ease urban development: Smith

Wed, 15 Oct 2014

By Pattrick Smellie Oct. 15 (BusinessDesk) - Newly appointed Environment Minister Nick Smith has announced Resource Management Act reform to foster urban development, where high land prices and expensive resource consents are blocking efforts to provide affordable housing. In his first major policy statement since being sworn in last week, also as Minister of Building and Housing, Smith said "the RMA needs to explicitly recognise the importance of New Zealanders’ access to more affordable housing if the downward trend in home ownership ov...

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