37020 (2026). Arena Williams to the Minister for Building and Construction

Written Question

Published date: 27 Aug 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	37020 (2026)
Question asked:	17 Aug 2026
Member asking:	Arena Williams
Portfolio:	Minister for Building and Construction
Minister replying:	Hon Simon Watts
Answer received:	23 Aug 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_37020_2026
Document guid:	e07f05f4-70d5-452b-8801-e952da6d6a6f

37020 (2026). Arena Williams to the Minister for Building and Construction: 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?

Hon Simon Watts: 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.