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As Building and Construction Minister, does he believe that the cost of building and construction is affordable in New Zealand; if not, what areas specifically does he think are unaffordable?

Answered Question 37020 (2026)
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Asked by

Arena Williams

Member for Manurewa · Labour Party

Question

  • As Building and Construction Minister, does he believe that the cost of building and construction is affordable in New Zealand; if not, what areas specifically does he think are unaffordable?

Answered by

Hon Simon Watts

Member for North Shore · National Party · Minister for Building and Construction

Answer

I believe building costs in New Zealand remain too high overall. The main pressure points driving costs are the slow, costly consenting system, overly complex regulation, and previous liability settings that inflated risk and insurance costs.