OPINION: The latest housing survey that shows Tauranga and Auckland are among the most expensive places to buy a house in the world should not surprise anyone.
We have been appalling at designing cities that work and housing that is affordable.
This is a massive challenge for this Government. How to actually get the market to build houses and cities that link housing to transport and jobs.
If they could drop a bomb on Auckland and start again they would. But sadly, and sorry everywhere else, you simply can't do that, as much as you would all like.
It's actually Phil Twyford's job to get this right.
Yes, he's much-maligned for his Kiwibuild flop, but Phil could come again, wow, what have we done to deserve that?
But seriously, Twyford does understand this stuff and we should allow him to outline his vision and get on with it. Build houses close to where the transport is that takes you direct to where the jobs are.
We need to get used to a future where we all live in well built, modern apartments and townhouse type complexes.
It's normal overseas.
Babyboomers had the quarter-acre for two-fifths of bugger all. We gotta understand that's gone.
Twyford must get on with it. Tell us what the future looks like for our kids and tell us they can buy a decent well-built apartment type house for 400k.
None of this "800k for a dive on the outskirts of the city".
They can do this in Australia and they should be able to here too.
In other words, Phil, despite all that has been said and done, you are always welcome on The AM Show, the chair is empty. I have a gap on Tuesday. It's yours. Fill it with answers.
Duncan Garner hosts The AM Show.
