Cross-party unity paves way for housing density breakthrough

Labour and National have shared a stage to announce major changes to turbocharge urban density rules, The Spinoff reveals, laying down the gauntlet to councils and raising hopes for first-time buyers. In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, ministers of New Zealand’s two biggest parties joined forces to announce an overhaul of planning rules designed to dramatically accelerate growth in medium density housing. It is the first time National and Labour have shared a stage to announce a policy breakthrough since 2007’s compromise on the controversial “smacking bill”.