National Party leader Christopher Luxon says he has the answers to solving New Zealand’s “critical” housing crisis and Rotorua’s desperate emergency housing woes.

That is to “build houses”.

Luxon was in Rotorua today and spoke at the party’s Central North Island region conference at Arawa Park Hotel about how he believed his party could best tackle New Zealand’s housing crisis.

He proposed to do this by “unlocking land inside and around cities”.

”We are going to make sure communities share the benefits of growth.”

Luxon said councils in major towns and cities would be required, under a National government, to zone enough land to accommodate 30 years’ worth of housing demand “immediately”.

He said councils would have a choice of where those houses went. Some could go into greenfield developments, which do not have infrastructure developed, while some could go into greater-density areas.

”But they will have to deliver the increased houses.

”We need to make more land available for housing, that’s critical.”

Asked what National’s plans were to address Rotorua’s emergency housing situation, Luxon responded with:

“What we have to do is be able to build houses in Rotorua and across New Zealand, we have to make sure that we get the private rental market working again.

“I have spoken with people in emergency housing here in Rotorua that were in the private rental market [who] fell out of this because there was more cost being added to their weekly rent”.

He said, “We need to power up more community housing providers to provide state housing and give them access to capital and that will actually improve the emergency housing situation.”

Today Christopher Luxon spoke at the party’s Central North Island region conference at Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua. Photo / Michaela Pointon

In a media release sent out earlier today, National spokesman for housing Chris Bishop referenced people on the social housing waitlist, which he said had increased by more than 20,000 applicants. There were 3500 families living in motels, and more than 400 families living in cars.

Bishop said the party’s plans also included allowing councils to opt out of existing obligations regarding housing intensification.

“National will let councils opt out of the one-size-fits-all approach to intensification - the Medium Density Residential Changes. But councils must show they can meet future demand by either zoning land through greenfield development or through greater density.

" ... To achieve their new housing targets, National expects many councils will further increase density in these transport corridors.”

A $1 billion Build for Growth fun was also announced, aimed at giving councils and communities great flexibility about where new houses were built.

Bishop said National was open to “sensible change”.

Today Christopher Luxon spoke at the party’s Central North Island region conference at Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua. May 28 2023. Photo / Michaela Pointon