Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
National party says its housing growth plan would fast-track developments on new land.
Housing spokesperson Chris Bishop said the party's proposed housing growth policy would require councils to zone enough land for 30 years of demand.
"They will have to zone for 30 years of growth immediately, which means that there will be abundant development opportunities into the housing market," he said.
Under a National-led government, Bishop said the policy would allow councils to opt out of the existing Medium Density Residential Zone (MDRS) standards.
Earlier this week, National back downed over its support for denser house zoning.
Party leader Christopher Luxon said his party had got MDRS wrong.
Bishop said it would be up to council's to facilitate growth.
He said they will introduce a billion-dollar incentive for councils that allow for more house-building.
New housing policy misguided and shambolic - Green Party
The Green Party said National's housing policy was counterproductive and will have a negative impact on farmers.
Green urban development spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said the policy will generate costly infrastructure projects and waste valuable farmland.
"Green fields urban development results in incredibly high infrastructure costs, worse traffic and it eats into productive farming land.
"While National say they want to protect farming land, the reality of their policy is it will result in more farmland turning into houses," she said.
She said the policy would increase urban sprawl and make traffic worse.
Council's to identify floodprone areas - Bishop
Bishop has denied the policy would encourage developments in flood-prone areas.
"It's really important that councils go through a process of identifying where the flood prone areas are, and we need good science and good data. That is going to be a really important part of how we move forward," he said.
He said the quality of housing needed to improve, but the current building code worked fine.
