694 (2026). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Associate Minister of Housing

694 (2026). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Associate Minister of Housing: What steps, if any, has Kāinga Ora taken to help regions with high housing demand facing pressures due to issues associated with consenting delays or limited local build capacity overcome these issues?

Hon Tama Potaka: Kāinga Ora advises me that consenting delays are a more prevalent challenge than limited build capacity. Consenting, utility and build partner delays can compound and extend delivery timelines, shifting some projects into the next financial year. Updated forecasts over the next few months will confirm the impacts. To overcome these issues Kāinga Ora is strengthening engagement with build partners and stakeholders (councils and utility providers) by improving pipeline visibility. Regarding consenting pressures, Kāinga Ora advises me that they are are most acute in Auckland, the Eastern North Island, and Wellington regions, causing delays across some projects. To date, 18 projects (119 homes) have been re‑forecast from 2025/26 to 2026/27 due to consenting delays. In Auckland, where consenting delays are most significant, Kāinga Ora is working closely with the Council and utilities to improve coordination and reduce bottlenecks. In the instances where build partner capacity is a constraint (Eastern North Island, West Coast South Island), Kāinga Ora is supplementing capacity where needed, and using six‑day work weeks where possible. Kāinga Ora has also increased senior‑level engagement to resolve issues earlier. This is also my response to WPQs 695 (2026) and 696 (2026).