Proposals to enable granny flats to be built without needing a building or resource consent, so long as they met certain criteria, were consulted on from June to August this year and attracted almost 2,000 submissions.
An analysis of feedback following consultation shows strong public interest in proposals to make it easier to build granny flats.
The proposals are part of the Government’s key priority of alleviating the housing crisis by increasing the supply of affordable homes and providing more housing choices.
‘Granny flats’ were defined in the consultation as a small, detached, self-contained secondary dwelling up to 60 square metres in size, built on land with an existing house on it.
There was particular interest during the consultation from homeowners who made up almost a third of the responses and those working within the building sector representing around a third of the responses.
Most submitters agreed housing affordability is a key issue in New Zealand and there is an increasing demand for and a lack of supply of small houses. Submitters also told us regulatory barriers impact the number of small houses being built and we need to make it easier to build more affordable housing.
Submitters wanted all changes to be thoroughly considered, particularly around lowering the risk of building failure, improving consumer protections and avoiding significant environmental impacts and risks such as natural hazards.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Ministry for the Environment, supported by the Department of Internal Affairs are developing advice for the Government on the proposals.
It’s expected legislation making changes to the Building Act 2004 will be introduced alongside new National Environmental Standards for granny flats. Both are expected to be in effect in 2025.
In the meantime, we will produce guidance material to support public and professional understanding of the changes and how to use them once they come into effect.