Legislation for housing intensification has passed in Parliament with cross-party support.

The changes to the Resource Management Act means people can build up to three homes of up to three storeys on most sites without the need for a resource consent, from August next year.

Last month, the Christchurch City Council made a submission on the bill saying “while the Council supports the Government’s aim of addressing New Zealand’s housing shortage, it is incredibly disappointing that local government and residents were not involved in developing the new rules.”

The Council was concerned at the speed the Bill being pushed through, with limited time allowed for the community to understand the full implications of the changes and provide feedback.

It was also concerned the changes could result in poorly designed homes, a loss of trees and versatile soils, and put a strain on infrastructure in some areas of the city.

Housing Minister Megan Woods said “having seen a large increase in townhouses and units consented in Auckland in recent years, we know the construction sector is ready and able to deliver this kind of housing,”

“Housing intensification is critical to accelerating housing supply. It also has a range of benefits, including smarter use of land and less urban sprawl, more accessible public transport, more even growth across cities, and multi-generational ways of living,” Environment Minister David Parker said.