Despite his massive KiwiBuild failure, Phil Twyford is pressing ahead with a new housing initiative and he will be forcibly taking private property along the way.
Newshub revealed this evening that the Government’s new Urban Development Authority will be given the power to compulsorily acquire private land for housing and infrastructure.
“New Zealanders will be forced to sell their property to Phil Twyford if he decrees it.
“Rather than changing the planning rules which would make it easier and more profitable for people to develop land themselves, Mr Twyford wants to simply barge in and take private property.”
“We’ve seen with KiwiBuild that Government doesn’t do well at overseeing large-scale housing developments.
“Phil the Builder has failed. Yet this new Urban Development Authority is his attempt to put KiwiBuild on steroids.
“It is deeply concerning that the Urban Development Authority will not be required to demonstrate that it needs land for a ‘public purpose’, as is normally the case under the Public Works Act.
“In the last financial year, there were 59 compulsory acquisitions. Twyford is being told that by giving the UDA such draconian powers this number will increase even further.
“Why would people bother to develop their land if there is a chance the Government could barge in and demand it?
“Secure property rights are fundamental to a healthy, functioning economy. New Zealanders need to have confidence that their ownership of property is secure if they are to use it productively.
“The Government’s Urban Development Authority will severely undermine that confidence.”