National to extinguish private property rights!

Written By: - Date published: 3:23 pm, June 17th, 2015 - 41 comments
Categories: Satire - Tags: ,

Shocking news!

An urban development authority with the power to acquire private land for large-scale housing developments is one of 38 recommendations being made by the Productivity Commission.

What?

I’m just reporting it the way the media would if it was a remit at a regional Labour Party conference or something. Sheeesh.

41 comments on “National to extinguish private property rights! ”

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  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1
    17 June 2015 at 3:34 pm

    You are just being cynical. Funny, and cynical. Funny, cynical, and 100% accurate.

  2. b waghorn 2
    17 June 2015 at 3:44 pm

    On a serious note what is to stop a government from taking large chunks of the ” land banked” areas under the public works act to build on.?

    • Lanthanide 2.1
      17 June 2015 at 3:49 pm

      Ultimately, nothing. Parliament is sovereign.

      Any such government that does things that the majority of the public can be bothered to vote against however, may have their policies over-turned or reversed, including retroactively.

      • b waghorn 2.1.1
        17 June 2015 at 3:57 pm

        It would be a good carrot and whip method . identify likely areas and tell the owners they have a year to act or else. As for the voters don’t tell them till after the election they’ll of forgotten in three years .

      • Brendon Harre 2.1.2
        17 June 2015 at 6:55 pm

        The first Liberal government (1891 to 1912) encouraged the break-up of large farming estates. One method was the threat of compulsory acquisition -it was only used a few times but over 1 million acres were bought ‘voluntarily’. Graduated land value taxes was another ‘encouragement’. The purchased estates were subdivided and sold to small family farmers -often with the assistance of cheap government loans, taking advantage of newly invented refrigeration to get into the lamb or butter export market.

        So there is history of governments using compulsory purchase and other techniques to gain land for subdivision and selling back to the private sector.

        Probably many core National voters trace their farms back to this event.

        • Tracey 2.1.2.1
          18 June 2015 at 7:50 am

          “Probably many core National voters trace their farms back to this event.”

          And if told would say it has only survived (the land) cos of their hard work 😉

        • greywarshark 2.1.2.2
          18 June 2015 at 8:19 pm

          Good on you Brendon for reminding us of this action by the government. I seem to remember there was some chap Wentworth who I think might have been in Australia who laid claim to a big area. At one time someone had most of the South Island as his domain.

          The government moved to split it up so that the land speculators and would-be Land-Lords were stymied.

  3. Marvellous Bearded Git 3
    17 June 2015 at 3:46 pm

    “Land regulations could be loosened to enable, smaller, more affordable housing developments.”

    If this means changing the District Plan so that infill and denser urban development in the form of tastefully developed town houses and 3-4 story apartments can occur rather than urban sprawl, that is a good idea.

    It is the National-voting Nimbys that are stopping this from happening.

    Bill English should hang his head in shame for blaming the Greens for Auckland’s housing problems in parliament yesterday.

    • Lanthanide 3.1
      17 June 2015 at 3:50 pm

      He blamed a party that has never been in government for a situation that has arisen out of repeated policy failings? Funny.

    • wyndham 3.2
      17 June 2015 at 4:22 pm

      “Bill English should hang his head in shame for blaming the Greens for Auckland’s housing problems in parliament yesterday.”
      After all everybody knows that it’s Labour’s fault and if not the Labour Party then definitely that evil Helen Clark.

    • tc 3.3
      17 June 2015 at 5:33 pm

      Blinglish could blame the signing of the treaty of versailles for the fat lot of good our MSM are as it all sails by unchallenged.

      The arrogance factor just keeps on rising whilst the media cheers them on.

    • Wensleydale 3.4
      17 June 2015 at 11:13 pm

      No surprises there. The sound of Bill English talking and the sound of Bill English breaking wind are essentially the same thing.

  4. Charles 4
    17 June 2015 at 3:55 pm

    But Sherwin said not unlocking land for development risked further increasing land prices.

    “If we don’t make progress, we end up with a major city that is underperforming and unable to capture the benefits of a high-performing city,” he said.

    “Without it [progress] we end up with a major city that is underperforming and unable to capture the benefits of a high-performing city.”

    Sherwin said the consequences of doing nothing is particularly harsh for those in the lower income groups.

    “It’s there where things really bite with substandard housing and overcrowding, which has an impact on health.”

    Seriously, is this satire? I mean at the Herald end, the reporter seems to be struggling with his keyboard. And definitely at But Sherwin’s end, who seems to be struggling with his or her grasp on reality. I blame higher education. The whole lot, all the ambitions and promises of improved intellect, ruined, with one Herald article. You could not make this shit up, but I bet it pays well.

    • In Vino 4.1
      17 June 2015 at 4:49 pm

      Grammar Police – who is this Sherwin? The word ‘consequences’ is clearly in the plural, but he/she has it governing the verb ‘is’. About the only way you can do that is the way that I just did. It seems to me that Sherwin shows a distinct lack of higher education, so maybe you should not blame that, even if (or especially if?) the error is the reporter’s rather than Sherwin’s.

  5. Ovid 5
    17 June 2015 at 4:03 pm

    Sounds like a recipe for a massive caseload in the Environment Court.

    • dukeofurl 5.1
      17 June 2015 at 4:14 pm

      Why would Environment Court be dealing with that. If its zoned urban, its not an issue.
      Land Use isnt connected with who owns the land either.

      • Ovid 5.1.1
        17 June 2015 at 4:29 pm

        Some of the issues that arise in Environment Court proceedings are … Issues such that Ministers of the Crown seek to intervene, eg mining in reserves; developments in the coastal environment; regional planning.

        – http://www.justice.govt.nz/courts/environment-court

        If the Public Works Act is being invoked, it’s a matter of ministerial authority by the Minister of Lands. Alternatively I could see such a decision going to the High Court for a judicial review.

  6. Neil 6
    17 June 2015 at 6:27 pm

    If it smells like a dictatorship & looks like a dictatorship, it will be a dictatorship.

  7. Sable 7
    17 June 2015 at 7:33 pm

    Communist capitalists. I think Key and co are confused or maybe just desperate.

  8. Tracey 8
    17 June 2015 at 7:46 pm

    English said he expected the Government to be in position to begin selling houses in the first quarter of 2015, although in many areas consultation with Iwi groups would have to be completed before any sales could be made given the land was subject to Treaty of Waitangi clauses granting Iwi Right of First Refusal (RFR) when Crown land is sold.’”

    Curiouser and curiouser Alice.

    http://www.hivenews.co.nz/articles/721-english-pushing-ahead-with-housing-nz-reforms

  9. upnorth 9
    17 June 2015 at 8:14 pm

    out of interest – what is the solution?

    • b waghorn 9.1
      17 June 2015 at 8:21 pm

      My two cents is the government buys and builds , full cgt , overseas investers can only own what they build ,invest in the regions .

      • Tracey 9.1.1
        18 June 2015 at 7:51 am

        address under supply AND over demand.. not just one side of that equation which will also be too slow and not enough (IMO).

  10. ian 10
    17 June 2015 at 9:18 pm

    My private property rights got extinguished years ago. The public works act for more roads. Pylons everywhere and no compensation. The telcos pay a bit of rent . Regional council now trying to put my farming business out of business. What a bunch of wombles. We don’t hear much from the treasury but today their chief has spoken after reading the tea leaves. He has realised that the billions of tax paid by dairy farmers will reduce to Zero next financial year.

    • millsy 10.1
      17 June 2015 at 10:50 pm

      The public works act for more roads.

      Because people need to go places…??

      Pylons everywhere and no compensation.

      People need a thing called ‘electricity’ and unfortunately the places where this ‘electricity’ is made are far away from cities. Therefore we need to string up wires to move this ‘electricity’ to the cities.

      Regional council now trying to put my farming business out of business.

      Well, if you are going to foul our waterways with cowshit to the point where people cannot drink out of it then you and your whole filthy redneck family should perhaps think about doing something else.

      • ian 10.1.1
        17 June 2015 at 11:35 pm

        You are not a nice person. Your comments are not worth responding to.

        • greywarshark 10.1.1.1
          18 June 2015 at 8:25 pm

          We are all intrigued Ian why the councils are trying to put you out of business. It is not in their nature to do that. How have you run foul of them? Please follow up with some info.

    • Tracey 10.2
      18 June 2015 at 7:53 am

      “Regional council now trying to put my farming business out of business”

      What are they doing to your farm?

  11. millsy 11
    17 June 2015 at 10:45 pm

    UDA’s arent too bad an idea, though it depends what form they take. Labour should promise to set some up.

    Some of the other things are worrying, such as road tolls, which pretty much price the poor off the road.

    • Tracey 11.1
      18 June 2015 at 7:54 am

      road tolling, imo, must be in conjunction with better public transport. BUT tolling tends to be by private companies and they don’t want people NOT using their roads cos their is no money in that

  12. ian 12
    17 June 2015 at 11:46 pm

    Tell me Millsy. Why do you think my family are filthy rednecks ? I am shocked at your level of personal abuse. You must have a lot of hatred within you to feel the way you do. Perhaps your medication needs adjusting to quell those angry thoughts .

    • millsy 12.1
      18 June 2015 at 1:56 am

      You resent the local reigonal council putting reasonable rules in place around the level of toxic crap you put in our rivers. You seem to want no rules, and to be able to put all sorts of things in our rivers.

  13. saveNZ 13
    18 June 2015 at 8:39 am

    Be very afraid.

    The privatisation of public property is already happening under the RMA.

    When the council gets 99% success rate of consents, we are talking a rubber stamp.

    It will be interesting to see what happens with ports of Auckland.

    Public land being ‘reclaimed’ without any recourse or even consultation, let alone being stopped.

    It is a race to make our country a toilet.

    One of the most important issues at present is land acquisition.

    The government is using ‘affordable housing’ as a ruse to actually privatise and make housing more expensive and less affordable, while removing basic rights for homeowners.

    • Tracey 13.1
      18 June 2015 at 8:59 am

      If you are talking resource consents what percentage of those 99% are for people wanting to change the use of public land?

      Are you referring to the POA expansion?

      “One of the most important issues at present is land acquisition.

      The government is using ‘affordable housing’ as a ruse to actually privatise and make housing more expensive and less affordable, while removing basic rights for homeowners.”

      I agree. I am not convinced this is for the “public good”.

      I did read yesterday that 6000 apartments have been approved for consents in Auckland and are expected to become “homes” within 3 years.

  14. saveNZ 14
    18 June 2015 at 8:54 am

    The Board of productivity commission, below. Actually nothing they seem to have worked on so far has actually been productive and the usual dogma of World Bank and public centre reform, etc. Considering the they have a team of 15 staff – all pretty much nobody white, oldies, (the the obligatory woman), with too much time on their hands to ‘transform the country’, while sucking the teat of the tax payer. No wonder their only ideas is to take from the productive and give back to the government cronies to sell off to their rich overseas friends. I really love how these advisers often have zero commercial experience themselves and then teach or advise others ‘how to do it, with labels as entrepreneurship, and expenditure”. Get a real job! Fucked.

    Murray Sherwin CNZM, Chair

    His previous roles include: Chief Executive and Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand; Chair, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Commission; member of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank in Washington DC; member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Group; and a member of the Advisory Board of the New Zealand Debt Management Office. Murray is a Charter Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management.

    Professor Sally Davenport

    Sally is Professor of Management at Victoria Business School where she teaches innovation and entrepreneurship. She has an extensive research and evaluation background, focusing on commercialisation, innovation and productivity. Until 2012 Sally was leading a research project; ‘Building Our Productivity: Understanding Sustainable Collective Productivity in New Zealand Firms’, which was centred on understanding firm-level processes in the food and beverage sector and biotechnology sector. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors, a Fellow of the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) and a Research Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management. Sally’s experience brings strong linkages between science, technology, innovation and the business sector.

    Dr Graham Scott

    Graham is the Executive Chair of Southern Cross Advisers Ltd, a company specialising in advising on public sector reform globally. He is also a Consulting Director in the Sapere Research Group. He has worked for a wide range of clients in New Zealand and internationally, including The World Bank, The IMF, and various Australian and New Zealand Government agencies. His engagements have included the position of Chair on a Government Taskforce established to advise on the Regulatory Standards Bill and he also Chaired the 2010 Review of Expenditure on Government Policy Advice

  15. greywarshark 15
    18 June 2015 at 8:45 pm

    Property rights. I thought I would park a bit on tiny houses here. I noticed a bit on an item on Tiny Houses on Radionz last Labour Day, Monday 27 October 2014 . Someone came up with an innovative tiny house, parked it on a friend’s seven acre property, and was told that it upset the density rules and that it should be moved.

    This sort of inflexible policy that doesn’t meet any of the reasonable needs relating to housing and productive land and investment in affordable homes is no doubt why Auckland and other places have no rational answer or plans for an answer to the debacle for even basic accommodation faced by so many. And I recall that a caravan park in South Auckland was closed down because the police didn’t like so many fringe dwellers in one place. It seemed to me that it made them more easy to keep a quiet eye on them, and perhaps even result in some work with agencies to rehabilitate some while in secure accommodation.
    Possibly useful links.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/labourday
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntiFiiCueiQ

    In Auckland, Brett Sutherland who appeared on Campbell Live a few weeks ago built his own tiny home, and parked it on his friend’s seven acre lot. But the council says he’s breaching the density code and have asked him to move on.

    Andrew Morrison from Tiny House Build decided to chase his American dream by downsizing to a tiny home. He designed and built his eight foot six wide, 13 foot five tall, 28 foot long, tiny home, that comes with two loft areas, a composting toilet and full sized kitchen. It’s completely transportable and cost less than a deposit on a New Zealand house.
    Pics – http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/labourday/galleries/tiny-home

    • Colonial Rawshark 15.1
      18 June 2015 at 9:10 pm

      He should’ve just got a house bus.

      • greywarshark 15.1.1
        20 June 2015 at 10:54 pm

        CR
        With two loft areas in it? You might suggest getting a TARDIS then. (Time and Relative Dimension in Space.)

    • saveNZ 15.2
      19 June 2015 at 9:09 am

      The focus on housing is to enrich rich people and destroy property rights, the environment and the RMA, not to actually house people.

      The council are only interested in fees these days and the government, well to enrich themselves and their mates who often have large land holdings…..

      If the government really wanted to house people, they would look at the monopoly on building materials and how it costs more per square meter to build here, allow multiple houses on existing sites such as tiny houses or granny flats, be putting in public transport, increasing state houses etc etc.

      The reality the opposite is happening, if someone does put on a caravan or tiny house, no stone is left unturned to make sure the poor person can’t have it, while next door some cretin is building a speculative McMansion with 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms and going against all the height to boundary rules while the council and environment court cheers them on to house some rich person and taking away a previous affordable 3 bedroom 1 bathroom dwelling.

      That is the National Government and in Auckland and Auckland Councils view of housing.

      Similar to Labour’s split personality that is destroying them, Auckland Council has the same problem with their out of control resource consents department and Mayor that keeps defending the resource consents departments bad decisions.