Government to work with Mayoral Housing Taskforce

The Government today committed to working with the Auckland Mayor’s Housing Taskforce aimed at ramping up the pace and scale of housing building in our largest city, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford and Building and Construction Minister Jenny Salesa says.

The Taskforce is a multi-sector group made up of private sector housing organisations and public sector agencies. It will be a key forum for reviewing and developing housing policy to better address shortages and unaffordability in Auckland.

Phil Twyford says there is a strong overlap between the Taskforce’s objectives and the Government’s own reform projects.

“It’s great that Auckland Council is taking the lead on this work. Government officials will be doing all they can to work with the Taskforce to implement the necessary reforms.

“Fixing Auckland’s housing issues is the key to addressing the national housing crisis. Central government can’t do this alone; we must partner with Council, the community, business and iwi.

“The social cost of the housing crisis on Auckland’s most vulnerable – and especially its children – means this work must be a priority,” Phil Twyford says.

Jenny Salesa says Council and the private sector have stressed the need for standardised solutions that can accelerate house building.

“A key priority for me is developing a skills strategy for the construction sector. We have ambitious house building targets and need the right people with the right skills to help deliver it.

“For this to be successful, the sector and government must work together to make sure immigration, training and education are matched by the construction sector’s efforts to be seen as an attractive career to a diverse range of Kiwis,” Jenny Salesa says.