MANIFESTO
TAKING ACTION,
A TOOL KIT APPROACH TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

For New Zealand cities to grow and prosper there must be a vision, a plan, and a way forward that reflects the specific needs
and aspirations of a city’s inhabitants.
Healthy, sustainable, affordable residential housing is crucial.
The Residential Development Council’s Manifesto is that vision, guidance and thought leadership, and the tool kit we need to
follow when creating vibrant, enduring cities both now and in the future.

 KEY HIGHLIGHTS: TAKING ACTION,
A TOOLKIT APPROACH
SMARTER REGULATIONS

CONSTRUCTION CAPABILITY AND CAPACITY

•  Enable a range of housing development typologies
to meet demand requirements and provide greater
economic and social accessibility and choice.

•  Support flexible visas for skilled migrants in the
construction sector that enable them to work across
industries and regions.

•  Meet the changing needs of residents to facilitate
economic growth and businesses expansion, which
allows for communities and cities to remain attractive
and dynamic.

•  Central government and councils support of
international building products, which meet or exceed
New Zealand standards.

•  Better land use regulation and removal of unnecessary
barriers to provide greater transport network optimisation,
accessibility and connectivity.

•  Central government undertakes structural and regulatory
reform that enables housing development at scale to
support a more competitive industry.

INCENTIVE BASED APPROACH

INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION AND
FUNDING

•  Incentivise housing developments that are affordable, are
above minimum building code requirements, reflect the
typology needs of the community and are located near
key transport routes.
•  Give developers access to an efficient, fast, and
consistent development process.

THE PLANNING AND REGULATORY SYSTEM
•  Robust cost-benefit analysis by councils before imposing
regulatory limits and lifting limits if they cannot demonstrate
the perceived benefits outweighing the costs.
•  Streamlining of council consenting and development
processes to ensure minimal delays, reduced red tape
and compliance costs and inefficiencies.
•  Greater national direction and leadership from central
government. This direction must outline a strategic vision
as to how our cities can be more economically and
socially prosperous.
•  Central government and councils undertake a
collaborative review of the RMA, LGA and LTMA.

•  Central government provides a knowledgebase, leadership,
and capability for councils to utilise a range of funding
mechanisms that best suit their needs.
•  Councils share in the revenue with central government
linked to economic activity to help pay for infrastructure
and services.
•  The establishment of a Board of Infrastructure Development
with a mixed governance structure that includes central and
local government and private sector representation.

COORDINATION IS VITAL
•  Regional spatial plans initiated that set out social, economic,
environmental, and cultural objectives.
•  Central government, councils and the private sector working
together in building the housing, economic and social
amenities, and infrastructure our communities and cities
need through a best practice approach.