Dear John,
A busy couple of weeks for the government and for me! Parliament's in recess for the school holidays at the moment and the PM is away overseas but our work continues. In the last couple of weeks I've announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage more landlords back into the market, a new "pet bond" system to make it easier to have pets in rentals, our new Fast Track Advisory Group, changes to the RMA to extend consents for ports, and that we're investigating a new "long tunnel" in Wellington from The Terrace to the east. We have a busy agenda and I'm loving the job!
On the so-called Long Tunnel, we've asked NZTA to look at this as part of our commitment to a second Mt Victoria tunnel. Fixing Mt Vic is one thing, but there's a strong case to do Mt Vic, the Basin, Te Aro and the Terrace all at the same time. It'd be a twin four kilometre tunnel from the Terrace to Wellington Road - and would shave 15 mins off the journey to the airport. It'd mean urban development in Wellington (no SH1 running through the middle anymore!), make it easier for buses on the quays, and be much easier to construct than a parallel tunnel next to Mt Vic. It could be paid for through tolls and/or as a public-private partnership. What do you think?
Pet Bonds: I enjoyed announcing our changes to the rules around pets in rentals with David Seymour on Monday. Ladyhawke and Leo (the ACT dog) were special guests at the announcement - Lady wouldn't shut up throughout the whole thing which I guess is a good sign - she must have been excited. Lots of people who rent want pets but lots of landlords say no - so our changes are about making it easier for landlords to offer a property that will allow pets. Tenants will be able to be charged an additional bond for pet damage, and we're also going to change the law so that landlords can only withhold consent for a pet on reasonable grounds (at the moment, they can just say no). I reckon it'll make a difference. Interested in your views!
Kapiti Expressway: You might have missed it this week but consultation on raising the speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway from 100km/h to 110km/h begins on 22 April 2024 and will last for four weeks. This is all part of the government’s agenda to build the infrastructure needed to grow the economy, reduce travel times and increase the productivity of our transport network. For me, it's a no brainer!
ANZAC Day: I hope to see you at an Anzac Day service around the Hutt this year. You can find the list of ceremonies here. It's always a race for me with the dawn service, Petone (x 2!), the civic ceremony and then over to Wainuiomata. Do say hello if you're around.
Finally, we've been spoilt by having some great Autumn weather - long may it continue. I hope you enjoy your weekend, and as always, if you have any concerns please reach out. Hope to see you around the Hutt in the next week or so - Parliament's in recess.
Chris
P.S We've announced that we're bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years. More details here. This is good news for the Hutt and for the wider Wellington region!
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It's definitely worth a look in my view - what do you think?
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Sts Peter and Paul visit Parliament
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Last week I enjoyed a visit from St. Peter & Pauls primary school students - it's always awesome when local schools visit Parliament and I try and pop in to say hello and give the students a bit of an insight into what it's like being a MP. If you'd like to bring a school group in then please contact my office!
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David and I were joined by Ladyhawke and Leo for our pet bonds announcement. Lady loved it!
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Speaking at the NZ Initiative Retreat in Queenstown last week.
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Opening the NZ Plumbing Conference last week. A critical part of our economy. We will back them to help them and NZ grow!
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Thank you to the Urban Development Institute and Arup for hosting me in Auckland to talk housing, infrastructure and resource management on Wednesday.
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Simeon Brown and I have announced that the Government intends to extend coastal permits for ports which connect New Zealand to the world and play a crucial role in our economy. Red tape has created high levels of uncertainty for our ports. Reducing red tape and boosting productivity is a key part of our Government’s plan to rebuild the economy to get it working for all New Zealanders.
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Earthquake Prone Buildings
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The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years. More here.
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