Pressue on Agriculture Minister to deliver on KiwiSaver promise
The heat is on the agriculture minister to deliver this term on a pre-election promise to unlock KiwiSaver so it can be used to buy a first farm, and not just a house. At the moment if you have been contributing to KiwiSaver for three years you can withdraw almost all the money to buy a first home to live in, although there a few exceptions. Federated Farmers has launched a petition urging the government to losen the rules for accessing the retirement scheme saying it will turbo charge the next generation of farmers and deliver on a committment that Todd Mclay made during a meeting in Morrinsville. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay spoke to Lisa Owen.
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RNZ News
41 minutes ago
- RNZ News
'Trump of the North' will not seek re-election as mayor
Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson will not be seeking re-election to the top job. Photo: NZME A controversial Northland mayor will not be standing for a second mayoral term. In a shock move, Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson on Tuesday confirmed he would not be standing for the $138,441-a-year position in the October local election. Mangawhai's Jepson (67) is instead backing Kaipara District Council (KDC) Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen (54). Jepson appointed Larsen to the deputy role in October 2022. And Jepson - who has referred to himself as the "Trump of the North" - will be standing as a councillor in his Kaiwaka-Mangawhai ward. The position pays $68,719 annually. Jepson's about-turn comes after consistently indicating he will be standing for a second tilt at the Kaipara mayoralty. He would not be drawn on the reason for the tack change, other than to say he wanted to step down from the top job and spend more time on issues close to his heart as a councillor. Jepson's political move comes as first-term KDC councillor Ash Nayyar said for the first time that he would be taking a tilt at the top job. Dargaville's Nayyar believed too many KDC decisions were being made behind closed doors, and unnecessary pet projects were being adopted by the council. He said he was unhappy KDC, in his opinion, had generally ignored the voice of the people during public consultation. Nayyar claimed Kaipara's west had been neglected and as Mayor he would do all parts of the district justice. He has a Master of Business administration, Bachelors of Commerce and Law and 40 years' banking experience. Kaipara Councillor Dargaville's Ash Nayyar speaks at the controversial KDC meeting in Mangawhai in August where the council voted to can its Māori ward. Photo: NZME Topuni's Larsen was first elected onto KDC in 2010. He resigned in protest in August 2012, just under two years into a three-year term. He said he left over his dissatisfaction with the council making closed-door decisions on the future of the controversial Mangawhai wastewater scheme , including $30 million in extra spending on the project. Larsen said he had brought this matter to the attention of the Auditor-General. government ministers and Ombudsman. The government appointed commissioners to run KDC in September 2012. Larsen was re-elected in 2016 and has been a KDC politician since. If successful in October, it would see him elected for a fifth term. He has a Bachelor Science, and an Executive Master of Business Administration with first class honours. Kaipara Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen at KDC's Māori ward meeting in Mangawhai in August where he voted for removal of the electoral area from the upcoming 2025 local elections. Photo: NZME In his first controversial move, Jepson canned karakia from council meetings in November 2022, just two months into the job. KDC later became the only council to can its Māori ward in August 2024 after government law changes - one of Jepson's proudest achievements, and one which was also backed by Larsen. Jepson said he was proud of his council's "small" 8.2 percent rates rise for 2025/2026. He said another positive move was his council withdrawing from national councils' representative body Local Government New Zealand. The mayor said there were a range of issues he wanted to work on as a councillor. Getting rid of mangroves would be one of the major issues he wanted to invest in. "I want to get rid of mangroves from our harbours, not just Mangawhai Harbour, but Kaipara Harbour and the whole of Northland," Jepson said. KDC councillor Ash Nayyar (second from right) was among volunteers parking 20,000 visitors' Northland Field Days vehicles over the event's three days along with (from left) Dargaville quartet of KDC councillor Ash Nayyar (second from right), with (from left) Anthony Taylor, Darren Jones and John Murray. Photo: Susan Botting, Local Democracy Reporter Northland Jepson said he also wanted to boost the fight against Auckland's Dome Valley landfill - which is just across the local political border in Auckland Council - and educate people about the merits of waste to energy technology. He has strongly campaigned for such a plant in Kaipara. Larsen and Jepson jointly conducted information visits to constituents around Kaipara on the plants. Meanwhile, Jepson has long-challenged current science backing climate change. KDC axed its Ruawai-based Northland climate change pilot midstream . KDC also got rid of its key climate change policy in 2023 in a move brought to the council table by Larsen. Larsen said that even if climate change was a reality, the actions of Kaipara's 18,000 ratepayers would not make a jot of difference in a world with 8 billion people. Jepson was elected with a big majority in 2022. Jepson said that many had encouraged him to stand again, to do a "lap of victory", but being a local politician was not about ego. It was about what was best for the district. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
43 minutes ago
- Scoop
Saying Yes To More Housing
Minister for RMA Reform Hon Simeon Brown Minister for Auckland City-shaping changes are coming to New Zealand's largest city, ensuring that Auckland can fully harness the economic growth benefits of the new City Rail Link, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill (the Bill) has been reported back to Parliament today by the Environment Committee, containing significant changes to enable housing growth in our largest cities. 'After many months, Auckland Council and the Government have reached agreement to free up more land for housing, particularly around City Rail Link (CRL) stations. These are some of the most significant changes to the shape of Auckland since the Auckland Unitary Plan,' Mr Bishop says. 'It doesn't make sense that we have single story houses on quarter acre sections a stone's throw away from stations that, in a year or so, will see trains every few minutes. 'The Government and the Council are investing billions in CRL and have a shared vision for stations that become hubs for public transport, mixed use development and new housing. 'Successive Governments and Councils have failed to grasp this opportunity for economic growth in New Zealand's largest city. This is how modern, growing cities all around the world operate, and now it's Auckland's turn.' Advertisement - scroll to continue reading 'Today's announcements are a result of Auckland Council and the Government working together to deliver a plan for more housing that works for Auckland. The Bill now has the effect of abolishing the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) in Auckland while requiring more housing density around key public transport corridors - a common sense solution for Auckland,' Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. 'Auckland must grow to fully meet its potential as a world-leading city. The one sized-fits-all approach of the MDRS was not appropriate for Auckland. Today's announcement will ensure our city grows where it makes the most sense and maximise on the significant investment made in the City Rail Link.' 'I want to thank Auckland Council, particularly Mayor Brown and Councillor Richard Hills, for their pragmatic approach to solving these complex challenges over many months,' Mr Bishop says. 'Mayor Brown has previously described this situation as 'RMA gymnastics' and he is right, but I am confident that these arrangements align with our shared vison of density and development in places that work for Aucklanders.' Removing ability to opt-out of the MDRS 'The Bill as introduced provided councils with the flexibility to opt out of the MDRS, if they could show they had provided for 30 years of housing growth in their district and unitary plans,' Mr Bishop says. 'Councils have been going through plan changes for years in order to incorporate the MDRS. Most councils have already substantially completed their plan changes through this process, with just three (Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri) yet to finish. 'The practical reality is that if councils did vote to 'opt out' of the MDRS, they would have to pass a new plan change to do so, and due to the length of time this typically takes under the RMA, by the time this was complete, the Government's new planning system is expected to be in place. 'Fundamentally, it would have achieved nothing, but cost ratepayers a lot. 'The Government has therefore taken the pragmatic view that it would be sensible to remove the ability for councils to opt out of the MDRS and to work on bespoke legislative solutions for Auckland and Christchurch instead.' New plan change for Auckland 'Auckland's intensification plan change, PC78, has been underway since 2022. Progress has been slow for many reasons, including the Auckland floods. The intensification plan change process does not allow Auckland to 'downzone' certain areas due to natural hazard risk – only to 'upzone' them – and the Council wrote to the government asking them to fix this problem,' Mr Bishop says. 'The Government has therefore agreed to change the Bill to allow Auckland to withdraw PC78. However, the government is determined to unlock housing capacity in Auckland and fix our housing crisis and has taken steps to ensure this is achieved. 'Earlier in the year I directed Auckland Council to bring forward decisions on the parts of PC78 that relate to the city centre, requiring final decisions to be made by the end of May. Auckland Council met this requirement, finalising this part of PC78 on 22 May 2025. 'These decisions made by the council are a step forward in increasing development capacity in Auckland's CBD, but there is more work to be done. 'The Bill as reported back from the committee now allows Auckland Council to remove the remaining parts of PC78, but requires them to process a new plan change urgently. This plan change must be notified by 10 October this year, and must enable housing capacity equal to or greater than that enabled by PC78. 'As I've indicated, the Government is keen to see greater density around public transport, particularly City Rail Link stations. The Bill therefore now also requires Auckland to allow for greater density around the key CRL stations of Maungawhau (Mount Eden), Kingsland, and Morningside. 'Auckland Council must enable within a walkable distance from these stations heights and densities reflective of the higher demand for housing and business in these areas. This requirement goes further than the existing requirements under the NPS-UD, and I expect heights and densities that ensure we make the most of the opportunities offered by this transformational transport project. 'The government is also considering whether further amendments to the Bill to fully maximise development opportunities around other CRL stations as necessary, and I will have more to say in due course.' 30 years of growth for Christchurch 'Christchurch City Council also requires a bespoke solution, as they have made a number of decisions on their plan change to implement the MDRS and NPS-UD, known as PC14, but have yet to complete it,' Mr Bishop says. 'Last week I released my decisions on the recommendations from the Council on parts of PC14. These decisions will enable a greater level of development in and around Christchurch City's urban centres. 'Christchurch City Council is currently required to finalise the MDRS components of PC14 by December 2025. The Bill will allow Christchurch to withdraw the MDRS parts of PC14 provided they allow for 30 years of housing growth at the same time. Assessment of that target will be made by me based on advice from officials.' 'In addition to these changes, the Environment Select Committee has recommended a suite of changes to improve the workability of the Bill and help unlock growth in infrastructure and energy, farming and the primary sector,' Mr Bishop says. The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill will have its second reading in the coming weeks and is expected to pass into law in mid-2025.' Waimakariri District Council were much further progressed in their plan change than Auckland and Christchurch, and are expected to make decisions on their plan change on 30 June, before the Bill's expected third reading.
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- NZ Herald
New laws to stop carbon forest on productive farms ‘long overdue': Fed Farmers
Federated Farmers' 'Save our Sheep' campaign has taken a major step forward this week with the Government introducing legislation to stop carbon forestry on productive farmland. 'This legislation is a really positive step forward, but from a farmer's perspective, it's long overdue,' Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams
