Part 4: Consultation questions
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General
1. Have we correctly defined the problem? Are there other problems that make it hard to build a granny flat?
2. Do you agree with the proposed outcome and principles? Are there other outcomes this policy should achieve?
3. Do you agree with the risks identified? Are there other risks that need to be considered?
Building system proposal
4. Do you agree with the proposed option (option 2: establish a new schedule in the Building Act to provide an exemption for simple, standalone dwellings up to 60 square metres) to address the problem?
5. What other options should the government consider to achieve the same outcomes (see Appendix 1)?
6. Do you agree with MBIE’s assessment of the benefits, costs and risks associated with the proposed option in the short and long term?
7. Are there any other benefits, costs or risks of this policy that we haven’t identified?
8. Are there additional conditions or criteria you consider should be required for a small standalone house to be exempted from a building consent?
9. Do you agree that current occupational licensing regimes for Licensed Building Practitioners and Authorised Plumbers will be sufficient to ensure work meets the building code, and regulators can respond to any breaches?
10. What barriers do you see to people making use of this exemption, including those related to contracting, liability, finance, insurance, and site availability?
11. What time and money savings could a person expect when building a small standalone dwelling without a building consent compared to the status quo?
12. Is there anything else you would like to comment on regarding the Building Act aspects of this proposal?
Resource management system proposal
13. Do you agree that enabling minor residential units (as defined in the National Planning Standards) should be the focus of this policy under the RMA?
14. Should this policy apply to accessory buildings, extensions and attached granny flats under the RMA?
15. Do you agree that the focus of this policy should be on enabling minor residential units in residential and rural zones?
16. Should this policy apply to other zones? If yes which other zones should be captured and how should minor residential units be managed in these areas?
17. Do you agree that subdivision, matters of national importance (RMA section 6), the use of minor residential units and regional plan rules are not managed through this policy?
18. Are there other matters that need to be specifically out of scope?
19. Do you agree that a national environmental standard for minor residential units with consistent permitted activity standards (option 4) is the best way to enable minor residential units in the resource management system?
20. Do you agree district plan provisions should be able to be more enabling than this proposed national environmental standard?
21. Do you agree or disagree with the recommended permitted activity standards? Please specify if there are any standards you have specific feedback on.
22. Are there any additional matters that should be managed by a permitted activity standard?
23. For developments that do not meet one or more of the permitted activity standards, should a restricted discretionary resource consent be required, or should the existing district plan provisions apply? Are there other ways to manage developments that do not meet the permitted standards?
24. Do you have any other comments on the resource management system aspects of this proposal?
Local government infrastructure financing
25. What mechanism should trigger a new granny flat to be notified to the relevant council, if resource and building consents are not required?
26. Do you have a preference for either of the options in the table in Appendix 3 and if so, why?
27. Should new granny flats contribute to the cost of council infrastructure like other new houses do?
Māori land, papakāinga and kaumātua housing
28. Do you consider that these proposals support Māori housing outcomes?
29. Are there additional regulatory and consenting barriers to Māori housing outcomes that should be addressed in the proposals?