The government is asking for your opinion on its policy of not allowing “grandmother’s flats”.

The government has announced a consultation on a move that would force local governments to allow the construction of buildings of up to 60 square meters in some areas without requiring consent.

It describes the policy as a way to “make it easier to build granny flats and increase the supply of affordable homes for all New Zealanders”.

New Zealand’s first leader and acting Prime Minister Winston Peters made the announcement alongside Housing and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop after Monday’s cabinet meeting.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was abroad and went to Japan on an official visit.

The move follows a commitment in the National-NZ First coalition agreement that requires the government to “amend the Building Act and the resource consents system to facilitate the construction of granny flats or other small-scale structures up to 60 square meters requiring only an engineer’s report”.

However, it is clear from the discussion paper published as part of the announcement that the requirement for an engineer’s report has been waived as this could mean additional costs and engineering services.

“Instead, we propose that all work be carried out or supervised by competent professionals in accordance with applicable professional licensing requirements to ensure that all construction work complies with building regulations,” the documentation states.

Peters said the policy would make it “easier for families to live in a way that suits them best.”

“The high cost of housing has a greater impact on Māori, Pasifika and people with disabilities, as well as seniors, so freeing up space in family members’ backyards opens the door to new ways of living,” he said in a statement.

“We know granny flats are a great option for seniors, but they are becoming increasingly popular with other families, such as those who want homes where their college-aged children can live at home while maintaining some privacy and independence. or families who want to provide additional support for a loved one.”

Bishop said many local governments have already allowed granny flats without requiring resource consent.

“But there is a lack of consistency and different standards across the country. We are proposing a National Environmental Standard (NES) that would require all local governments to allow granny flats in rural and residential areas without resource consent. NES means changes can take effect quickly.

“We are determined to exceed the cost of building a home in this country.”

This would apply in rural and residential areas, but the documents called for views on whether it should apply in other areas, such as mixed-use zones.

The changes should also be taken into account in the context of flood risk so that some of the principles of the district plan continue to apply. In addition to the size of the building, other restrictions include the percentage of the property that can be covered by buildings and the distance from the boundary.

He said he hoped the move would not make local governments worse off since the consent fees were intended to recover costs, and he would be “horrified” if municipalities made money off it. He pointed to the ACT Party’s proposal to share GST with councils to encourage new home building, which is another way the government is trying to support local authorities.

Bishop said granny flats would not be allowed to be more than one story, would require interconnected smoke detectors and would be far enough from the perimeter to prevent a fire from spreading to other buildings.

He said the consultation would take several months to ensure the right settings were chosen.

Consultations run from today, June 17, until 5 p.m. on August 12. Final policy decisions will be made later in 2024 and are expected to be made by mid-2025.