March 8, 2025 • 8 mins
The Government wants to speed up land acquisitions for critical infrastructure projects.
Private landowners will be offered a premium payment to help the process run smoothly.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks,
I'd be for years.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Lord drawn out legal battles, many ending up in the
Environment Court have stalled progress, leaving roads and public works
projects stuck in limbo. The government wants to speed up
land acquisitions, among other things, for infrastructure projects, looking to
fast track changes to the Public Works Act by course
bypassed the existing court process, streamlining objections and speed things
up basically while offering landowners. If I think this is
(00:32):
a fair way of summing it up, slightly sweeter deal
to come to the table early. Is it a win
win for progress and property owners? And Minister for Land,
Information and Building and Construction Chris pink is with me now,
good afternoon, Good to you.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Too, and well summarized. I think you've done a great joby.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Stop buttering me up. I read the press release and
if I was to take one sentence away from it, it
sort of sounds like, in a nice way saying, look,
get out of a way because this train ain't stopping.
Is that sort of motivation behind it? We need to
get things cracking.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Well, we certainly need to get things cracking. I don't
think it's about getting out of the way in the
seats that you know, everyone's going to benefit if we
can get the infrastructure built, and you know, just to
make it clear to people, everyone needs the roads and
rail and schools and hospitals and so on. So we think, well,
from the community point of view, it's good. Everyone wants
us to go ahead and builds tough much more quickly
in this country. And then you ask, well, from a
(01:28):
landowner's point of view, for people who need to have
their land taken off them for this, is it fair? Well,
that's part of the when when scenario we're hoping for
in terms of having a faster and fearer process, and
a lot of that's about the intent of payments. But
also give them more credites so people don't have to
march up to court and spend years and a huge
amount of legal costs, you know, getting their rights clarified.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
What's an example of some of the hold ups which
you would be hoping would be changed.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, well, I mean I don't want to give a
specific examples because the most telling ones that are on
my desk at the moment actually in some cases are
still before the courts. And it's kind of point but
obviously I need to be secitive and not spread on
post hosts in terms of many years of legal battles
in some cases, and often it will probably just feel
like delaying the inevitable, maybe trying to wait out a situation.
(02:18):
And obviously we're sympathetic when someone has the stress and
the uncertainty of that letter through the door or the
knock on the door or the leader through the post
saying that there's an agency central government or local government
looking to acquire their land. But it's obviously not a
great situation for a start, but we certainly don't need
to be exacerbating it with such delays. And if we
(02:40):
can get people to the table fast by being more
generous with the money out front, we think that's a
good bug and too for the rate payer and taxpayer,
because ultimately you're saved in the long term on those costs.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Are landowners holding projects to ransom enough? So are you're
just going to pay the ransom?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, well, that would be one way to put it.
I mean, I don't want to be to rocket of
my language about holding to ransom, but certainly there have
been a couple of cases, and I'll put it in
this quite neutral way. We're one or two landowner have
exercised four legal rights as they currently exist, and that
has delayed the projects. That means you don't get this
injient planning. And of course there's construction costs having risen
(03:14):
as much as they have in the last decade or so,
possibly to the back even that, of course there's a
huge extra cost when never there's delay, and that that
just falls on everyone. So it's not a great situation
currently and we think we can do better for everyone.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Is it, well, it kind of put it another way.
Is it a case that you will be able to
go to these landowners who might be looking to try
and squeeze them out and say, look, take more now
or you can take less later.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yes, there's definitely that carrots and so we and that's
exactly the design of the scheme. So there will be
five percent extra that you get anyway if one of
these critical infrastructure projects involves your land. And just to
be clear, that's the roads of national significance that we
campaigned on, and it's the fast track approval at consented
projects public runs obviously, not not private ones. So those
(04:03):
you know separate again, but apart from that extra five percent.
The extra fifteen percent, taking up to a total of
twenty would go to those who come to a new
agreement without getting into the detail and losing your listening
audience on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon. Is a specific
section of the Act that says, if you get a
notice of intention, that's a particular step. That's the step
(04:26):
before which if you're agreed, then you can have the
extra firsteen percent to the value of your land, which
we think is a pretty decent.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
But it's up to one hundred and fifty thousand. So
if somebody's got a slight piece of land worth a million,
you can say to them, look, we don't want to
waste time. Here's one point one five mili and let's
call it quits.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, absolutely good to go. Willing buyer, willing seller thinks
very much. Shake hands. And by the way, also still
the legal fees that they have, you know, we don't
want to do out of pocket and into the transaction,
and also moving costs of fees are dwelling enrolled. How
about that will remain?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
How do you how do you budget how this is
going to affect the cost of of infrastructure projects or
is it the fact that you budget and all these
delays anyway, And frankly one fifty thousand dollars per piece
of land as a bargain.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah, I mean in some cases it definitely would have
been a bargain, and in other cases we're landowners happy
to move on. Anyway, we'll be paying perhaps potentially something
more than we needed to. So there's always these things
are a balance, but it's about right in terms of
the projects that have been held up over the years,
and we think it's a fair and reasonable way to
(05:29):
go about it, including respecting the private property rights of
those who get that knock on the door.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Well, speaking of speeding things up, but it'll be fast
trackless legislation too. And do you expect many and any
objections to that?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Oh, well, we're still going to do some consultation. We
do want to hear the public thing. And there'll be
many people who have strong views, and there'll be some
who will say we should go throughther and fast, and
there with some who are concerned about any change whatsoever.
And again, as always we'll take that into account and
try and to strike a good balance. But I think
it's we're also noticing that this kind of thing's been
discussed in many years. And also it's quite prevalent overseas,
(06:05):
so we're not reinventing the wheel, where we'd simply recognizing
best practice overseas. So if we can expedite the process
of getting past that stage of setting around and talking
about it forever, then then there will be to the
benefit of the community.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
And how much realistically in practice, how much benefit do
you really think it'll make? Will it make a significant
difference of people? Bere like goodness made This is underway
already after we're normally that used to these things taking
the three or four years to go off the ground.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, I mean it is hard to measure because you
don't know what reaction people have to the extent of
the incentives. Payment will be available to those who choose it.
You know, the ball is in their course. But I
can cerainly say in it doosally and from the perspective
of being a local MP in an area where land
is being acquired for different transfert projects and elsewhere, you know,
at schools, at hospitals, it might be had protection works
(06:56):
for example, very topical in my area of Northwest Auckland
and elsewhere, and you know, there have been a lot
of situations where people have consternation because they get the
letter or they knock on the door, and then it's
years after that that actually it all flows through, and
in the meantime they're really caught in limbough. You know,
they can't sell or at least they have much reduced
because they've got to disclose that uncertainty. So it really
(07:19):
does come up the works, and we think for that reason,
even though it's difficult to put an exact figure on
in terms of time and cost, we're pretty confident that
it's going to more than pay for itself as well
as producing a better outcome of those directly involved.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
So one last question, So if somebody's land is subject
to these criteria, basically everyone whose land is subject to
these criteria, you want their land and you've got the
resource to pay the extra fifteen percent is basically all
land the acquisitions will now carry this this premium or
is it slightly different?
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Yeah, you no, good question, And I possibly wasn't clear
enough at the start on that. So the range of
measures we've announced today applied to land that's going to
be needed for fast tracks approval. Projects with a public element,
not your private case only to do private things. And
also roads of national significance. You can knock those up
to probably google them quite readily. Even the question of
(08:12):
other public works at lend acquisitions, that's going to be
still on and more of a business's usual kind of approach.
But we're changing that too, So we're going to review
on that as well, and we'll be making more announcements
in a little while about how we can make process
more efficiency in critical infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Ones is for calling them good stuff. Hey, Chris, I
really appreciate your time this afternoon.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk ZB weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks,
I'd be for years.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Lord drawn out legal battles, many ending up in the
Environment Court have stalled progress, leaving roads and public works
projects stuck in limbo. The government wants to speed up
land acquisitions, among other things, for infrastructure projects, looking to
fast track changes to the Public Works Act by course
bypassed the existing court process, streamlining objections and speed things
up basically while offering landowners. If I think this is
(00:32):
a fair way of summing it up, slightly sweeter deal
to come to the table early. Is it a win
win for progress and property owners? And Minister for Land,
Information and Building and Construction Chris pink is with me now,
good afternoon, Good to you.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Too, and well summarized. I think you've done a great joby.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Stop buttering me up. I read the press release and
if I was to take one sentence away from it, it
sort of sounds like, in a nice way saying, look,
get out of a way because this train ain't stopping.
Is that sort of motivation behind it? We need to
get things cracking.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Well, we certainly need to get things cracking. I don't
think it's about getting out of the way in the
seats that you know, everyone's going to benefit if we
can get the infrastructure built, and you know, just to
make it clear to people, everyone needs the roads and
rail and schools and hospitals and so on. So we think, well,
from the community point of view, it's good. Everyone wants
us to go ahead and builds tough much more quickly
in this country. And then you ask, well, from a
(01:28):
landowner's point of view, for people who need to have
their land taken off them for this, is it fair? Well,
that's part of the when when scenario we're hoping for
in terms of having a faster and fearer process, and
a lot of that's about the intent of payments. But
also give them more credites so people don't have to
march up to court and spend years and a huge
amount of legal costs, you know, getting their rights clarified.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
What's an example of some of the hold ups which
you would be hoping would be changed.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, well, I mean I don't want to give a
specific examples because the most telling ones that are on
my desk at the moment actually in some cases are
still before the courts. And it's kind of point but
obviously I need to be secitive and not spread on
post hosts in terms of many years of legal battles
in some cases, and often it will probably just feel
like delaying the inevitable, maybe trying to wait out a situation.
(02:18):
And obviously we're sympathetic when someone has the stress and
the uncertainty of that letter through the door or the
knock on the door or the leader through the post
saying that there's an agency central government or local government
looking to acquire their land. But it's obviously not a
great situation for a start, but we certainly don't need
to be exacerbating it with such delays. And if we
(02:40):
can get people to the table fast by being more
generous with the money out front, we think that's a
good bug and too for the rate payer and taxpayer,
because ultimately you're saved in the long term on those costs.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Are landowners holding projects to ransom enough? So are you're
just going to pay the ransom?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, well, that would be one way to put it.
I mean, I don't want to be to rocket of
my language about holding to ransom, but certainly there have
been a couple of cases, and I'll put it in
this quite neutral way. We're one or two landowner have
exercised four legal rights as they currently exist, and that
has delayed the projects. That means you don't get this
injient planning. And of course there's construction costs having risen
(03:14):
as much as they have in the last decade or so,
possibly to the back even that, of course there's a
huge extra cost when never there's delay, and that that
just falls on everyone. So it's not a great situation
currently and we think we can do better for everyone.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Is it, well, it kind of put it another way.
Is it a case that you will be able to
go to these landowners who might be looking to try
and squeeze them out and say, look, take more now
or you can take less later.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yes, there's definitely that carrots and so we and that's
exactly the design of the scheme. So there will be
five percent extra that you get anyway if one of
these critical infrastructure projects involves your land. And just to
be clear, that's the roads of national significance that we
campaigned on, and it's the fast track approval at consented
projects public runs obviously, not not private ones. So those
(04:03):
you know separate again, but apart from that extra five percent.
The extra fifteen percent, taking up to a total of
twenty would go to those who come to a new
agreement without getting into the detail and losing your listening
audience on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon. Is a specific
section of the Act that says, if you get a
notice of intention, that's a particular step. That's the step
(04:26):
before which if you're agreed, then you can have the
extra firsteen percent to the value of your land, which
we think is a pretty decent.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
But it's up to one hundred and fifty thousand. So
if somebody's got a slight piece of land worth a million,
you can say to them, look, we don't want to
waste time. Here's one point one five mili and let's
call it quits.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, absolutely good to go. Willing buyer, willing seller thinks
very much. Shake hands. And by the way, also still
the legal fees that they have, you know, we don't
want to do out of pocket and into the transaction,
and also moving costs of fees are dwelling enrolled. How
about that will remain?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
How do you how do you budget how this is
going to affect the cost of of infrastructure projects or
is it the fact that you budget and all these
delays anyway, And frankly one fifty thousand dollars per piece
of land as a bargain.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah, I mean in some cases it definitely would have
been a bargain, and in other cases we're landowners happy
to move on. Anyway, we'll be paying perhaps potentially something
more than we needed to. So there's always these things
are a balance, but it's about right in terms of
the projects that have been held up over the years,
and we think it's a fair and reasonable way to
(05:29):
go about it, including respecting the private property rights of
those who get that knock on the door.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Well, speaking of speeding things up, but it'll be fast
trackless legislation too. And do you expect many and any
objections to that?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Oh, well, we're still going to do some consultation. We
do want to hear the public thing. And there'll be
many people who have strong views, and there'll be some
who will say we should go throughther and fast, and
there with some who are concerned about any change whatsoever.
And again, as always we'll take that into account and
try and to strike a good balance. But I think
it's we're also noticing that this kind of thing's been
discussed in many years. And also it's quite prevalent overseas,
(06:05):
so we're not reinventing the wheel, where we'd simply recognizing
best practice overseas. So if we can expedite the process
of getting past that stage of setting around and talking
about it forever, then then there will be to the
benefit of the community.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
And how much realistically in practice, how much benefit do
you really think it'll make? Will it make a significant
difference of people? Bere like goodness made This is underway
already after we're normally that used to these things taking
the three or four years to go off the ground.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, I mean it is hard to measure because you
don't know what reaction people have to the extent of
the incentives. Payment will be available to those who choose it.
You know, the ball is in their course. But I
can cerainly say in it doosally and from the perspective
of being a local MP in an area where land
is being acquired for different transfert projects and elsewhere, you know,
at schools, at hospitals, it might be had protection works
(06:56):
for example, very topical in my area of Northwest Auckland
and elsewhere, and you know, there have been a lot
of situations where people have consternation because they get the
letter or they knock on the door, and then it's
years after that that actually it all flows through, and
in the meantime they're really caught in limbough. You know,
they can't sell or at least they have much reduced
because they've got to disclose that uncertainty. So it really
(07:19):
does come up the works, and we think for that reason,
even though it's difficult to put an exact figure on
in terms of time and cost, we're pretty confident that
it's going to more than pay for itself as well
as producing a better outcome of those directly involved.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
So one last question, So if somebody's land is subject
to these criteria, basically everyone whose land is subject to
these criteria, you want their land and you've got the
resource to pay the extra fifteen percent is basically all
land the acquisitions will now carry this this premium or
is it slightly different?
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Yeah, you no, good question, And I possibly wasn't clear
enough at the start on that. So the range of
measures we've announced today applied to land that's going to
be needed for fast tracks approval. Projects with a public element,
not your private case only to do private things. And
also roads of national significance. You can knock those up
to probably google them quite readily. Even the question of
(08:12):
other public works at lend acquisitions, that's going to be
still on and more of a business's usual kind of approach.
But we're changing that too, So we're going to review
on that as well, and we'll be making more announcements
in a little while about how we can make process
more efficiency in critical infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Ones is for calling them good stuff. Hey, Chris, I
really appreciate your time this afternoon.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk ZB weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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