ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Housing Minister Phil Twyford reviewing KiwiBuild homes target

Author
Jason Wells,
Publish Date
Wed, 8 May 2019, 8:44PM
Housing Minister Phil Twyford is reviewing a key element of the Government's flagship housing policy. (Photo / Herald)
Housing Minister Phil Twyford is reviewing a key element of the Government's flagship housing policy. (Photo / Herald)

Housing Minister Phil Twyford reviewing KiwiBuild homes target

Author
Jason Wells,
Publish Date
Wed, 8 May 2019, 8:44PM

The Government appears to be reviewing its flagship KiwiBuild policy's commitment to building 100,000 homes over 10 years.

Neither Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, nor Housing Minister Phil Twyford would confirm that the 100,000 was still the Government's target.

The Government has publicly said in January it would be "recalibrating" the KiwiBuild short targets.

The policy had promised to deliver 5000 KiwiBuild homes in 2020, 10,000 the year after, and 12,000 every year after that until 2028.

Those targets, however, were scrapped but Ardern and Twyford were both at pains to point out in January that although the interim targets were gone, it was still targeting 100,000 homes in 10 years.

That, however, no longer appears to be the case.

Twyford created confusion this morning by refusing to confirm the 100,000 target.

"It's like American nuclear ships in the 1980s. It's a neither confirm nor deny situation," he told Interest.co.nz.

In the House, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was grilled by National Leader Simon Bridges over the KiwiBuild issue and Twyford's comment.

She would not directly answer a question, asking if the Government was still committed to the 100,000 target.

Asked by Bridges if the lack of a direct answer was a confirmation that the commitment was gone, Ardern said no.

But, after being asked again, she said: "We are working through our KiwiBuild reset. When we have completed that, we will be making announcements in due course."

Speaking to media this afternoon outside the House, Twyford was not clear on what was happening with the 10-year target.

He was asked multiple times if the target had been scrapped and initially, refused to explicitly say.

"We're considering all aspects of the programme; not just KiwiBuild but the entire housing programme," he said when asked if the Government was still committed to the 100,000 KiwiBuild homes.

He said he would not be speculating about what was in, and what was out of the recalibration, saying only a "decision would be made in due course".

Pressed again, he said he said he "would not be speculating today on the results of the rest".

He said the Government was "working through the issues" and an announcement would be made in June.

But asked when the 100,000 target was scrapped, he said: "a target hasn't gone".

He said he could not commit to it because "we have not announced the results of the reset in June – we will make all of those details clear then".

Twyford, and the KiwiBuild policy as a whole, has faced an intense amount of criticism for the Opposition.

It was promised that 1000 KiwiBuild homes would be built by July this year. However, with just months to go until that deadline, just over 80 homes have been built.

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you