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QUEENSTOWN HOUSING STRATEGY

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July, 2021

Queenstown Lakes District councillors are being asked to approve the
draft Queenstown Lakes Homes Strategy and Action Plan, and
inclusionary zoning policy options for the District Plan at the full council
meeting on Thursday 29 July 2021.
The intent of the draft Queenstown Lakes Homes Strategy is to improve
the housing system for residents in the district, by identifying
challenges and setting outcomes, goals and actions to address housing
affordability.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said that the Queenstown Lakes was
world-renowned as a place to visit and enjoy, and that many people
moved to the district to attain an unrivalled work life balance.
"However, this attractiveness comes with a price tag and housing in our
district is among the most expensive in the country. The root causes of
housing affordability are complex and addressing this has been
something I have been personally passionate about since coming to
office in 2016. Key challenges in the Queenstown Lakes centre on
housing supply, choice, availability and quality," said Mr Boult.
"Housing is a fundamental aspect of individual, household and
community well-being, and by describing the challenge our district
faces and setting a direction to address this, the draft Queenstown
Lakes Homes Strategy and Action Plan could provide a specific scope for
housing work, and set out Queenstown Lakes District Council's (QLDC)
role in influencing change in the housing system through advocacy,
partnership and local action. I am very keen to hear what our
community thinks about this proposal.
One policy solution being considered to help address the housing needs
of low to moderate income households is inclusionary zoning.
Chair of the councils Planning and Strategy Committee Councillor Penny
Clark added that while a number of council and government initiatives
to address housing affordability were underway, the need for housing
for those on or around the median wage could be seen through the
approximately 750 households on the waiting list for the Queenstown
Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT).
"Despite positive steps to address supply both locally and nationally, the
reality for many locals in our district is that housing, when built or on
the market, is just too expensive. This has been a massive challenge for
decades and remains a real and ongoing concern for many residents in
the district, Ms Clark said.
"Population growth is projected to continue despite the ongoing fallout
from COVID-19, and weve got to take action to ensure more of the
housing created in our district remains affordable for those that need it
- the hard-working locals we all rely on."
Inclusionary zoning is a planning method which requires or incentivises
developments which meet set criteria to provide a portion of the
development for affordable housing.
Council General Manager Planning and Development, Tony Avery pointed
out that planning methods like inclusionary zoning were used
internationally in places like London and San Francisco where the
housing markets were expensive, but it wasnt widely used in New
Zealand or Australia.
"These policies are always specific to the local context, as there is no
'one size fits all' approach," Mr Avery added.
If approved, the community will be asked to share feedback on
inclusionary zoning and a range of options, from QLDC reducing and
removing controls through to implementing a mandatory contribution
for developers to include some retained affordable housing across most
of the district.
"It's important to note that QLDC has used the concept of inclusionary
zoning to a certain degree in two different ways since the early 2000s,
with Stakeholder Deeds and the Housing Accord and Special Housing
Areas Act 2013 (HASHAA) both combining to provide $24million of
affordable housing in the district, delivered through the Queenstown
Lakes Community Housing Trust," Mr Avery said.
Public consultation on the draft Queenstown Lakes Homes Strategy and
inclusionary zoning options for the District Plan will begin at 9am on
August 16, 2021, if approved by elected members.