Within living memory, Australia was a place where people of all ages and incomes had a reasonable chance to own a home. But the great Australian dream of home ownership is rapidly turning into a nightmare for many young Australians.Between 1981 and 2016, the share of 25 to 34 year-olds who owned their own home fell from more than 60 per cent to 45 per cent. Half of the poorest 40 per cent of Australians aged 25-34 owned their homes in 1981. Now it’s just 30 per cent.
The new legislation forces local councils of major cities such as Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch to allow townhouses up to three storeys tall “as of right” in city suburbs, without requiring approval from the local council.Builders will still need to satisfy basic rules. They will also need to meet minimum green space requirements and setbacks.
The federal government should encourage the states to reform land-use planning laws in ways that will boost housing supply. Modelling by consulting firm PwC suggests the new rules in NZ could result in 48,000 to 105,000 new homes being built in the next five to eight years. Allowing more dense housing will also lower carbon emissions and enable better transport links.– townhouses and apartments – in the quantities that Australians say they would prefer.
Never follow any NZ model……