Backyard granny flats are about to get bigger, and easier to build.

The Government's announced it's going further to ease construction regulations, allowing for an estimated 13-thousand new flats to be built without consents.

The proposed 60 square metre maximum is now increasing to 70.

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk, says removing these barriers is critical for increasing housing supply.

Newstalk ZB's resident builder Pete Wolfkamp talks to Kerre Woodham. 

LISTEN ABOVE. 

Backyard granny flats are about to get bigger, and easier to build.
The Government's announced it's going further to ease construction regulations, allowing for an estimated 13-thousand new flats to be built without consents.
The proposed 60 square metre maximum is now increasing to 70.
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk, says removing these barriers is critical for increasing housing supply.
Newstalk ZB's resident builder Pete Wolfkamp talks to Kerre Woodham.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE.&nbsp;

Join Kerre Woodham one of New Zealand’s best loved personalities as she dishes up a bold, sharp and energetic show Monday to Friday 9am-12md on Newstalk ZB. News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your morning listening covered.

Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Pete Wolfkamp: Newstalk ZB's resident builder on the Government's decision to ease construction regulations for granny flats

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/22137f2c-f01b-4b7a-9fd5-b2b8000141c8/transcript

What would you rather? New Zealand jobs in a premium product or cheap materials? The aluminium extrusion industry says the government's decision not to impose a safeguard on imports may have signed the New Zealand industry's death warrant. Under advice from MBIE, the government has rejected a request to give special temporary protection to the aluminium extrusion industry in the face of growing competition from offshore.  

The industry, which manufactures aluminium into products such as windows and door frames, had asked the government for what is known as safeguard protection measures to give it time to adjust to the competition. However, Minister of Commerce Cameron Brewer decided the threshold for a safeguard measure had not been met, which is interesting because the MBIE report noted that the domestic industry had suffered serious injury in recent years. It also said the increase in imports was one source among many, including a contracting domestic market and cost increases. It said while a safeguard measure might help the domestic industry in the short term, it would be likely to raise prices for consumers and would not support New Zealand's trade goals. 

However, it was odd because the industry, who was talking to Mike this morning, said that the MBIE officials had asked them to investigate taking a dumping case. Clearly MBIE thinks that there is a case there, or at least a case to be made, but in the meantime, they're not willing to put in the safeguard protections.  

Dave Slomp, Managing Director of McKenney Aluminium Solutions says what they need in the short term to look after jobs and to ensure that a quality world class product remains on the market. 

"We operate at world-class levels of quality, service, productivity, the envy of the world, and we're an industry that services the New Zealand market extremely well. And what we're seeing here is Chinese extrusion being landed in New Zealand for less than what extruders pay for the raw billet that we make extrusions out of." 

When you are bringing in a product for less than the price of the material in the home country, that is dumping, pure and simple. You would have thought it was an open and shut case. He said it's going to put the country's manufacturers' skilled jobs and critical industry capability at immediate risk. And all very well and good for those of us who want to buy aluminium extrusion products thinking, "Oh yay, they're cheap as chips because the Chinese are dumping their products here." What happens if they decide they're not going to? What happens if they decide that New Zealand's not a market worth bothering about?  

We won't have the product at all because our premium product, our New Zealand made product, will have shut up shop. We've been here before with the imported peaches versus homegrown. The government found that Chinese peaches were in fact being dumped into New Zealand following an investigation of claims made by Heinz Wattie's last year. Again, goods are considered to be dumped if they're exported for less than their normal value in their home country.  The peach industry just took an absolute hammering when all of the imported produce turned up, and despite the fact that tariffs were put on, it was all far too late for the peach growers.  

But ultimately, Heinz Wattie's said we won't be able to can New Zealand peaches because of a declining demand for canned peaches of New Zealand origin. It's a premium product, just like our New Zealand aluminium extrusions. Premium, costs more, and consumers decide with their wallets. The consumers ultimately decided they'd rather have the cheaper imported fruit, and that was the end of the premium product. That's the rub. Ultimately, the consumer will decide. If you're a customer, if you're somebody who is buying aluminium extrusion products, do you want the cheaper or do you want New Zealand aluminium industry safeguarded? 

And I can't understand if MBIE is saying to the industry, "Go ahead, put together a dumping case." Surely, it's incumbent upon them to put safeguards in place to protect the industry while the case is considered. As a consumer living in a free trade world, do you want the cheapest available goods that are on the market globally, or is there some merit in paying more to keep New Zealand jobs here? 

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What would you rather? New Zealand jobs in a premium product or cheap materials? The aluminium extrusion industry says the government's decision not to impose a safeguard on imports may have signed the New Zealand industry's death warrant. Under advice from MBIE, the government has rejected a request to give special temporary protection to the aluminium extrusion industry in the face of growing competition from offshore. &nbsp;
The industry, which manufactures aluminium into products such as windows and door frames, had asked the government for what is known as safeguard protection measures to give it time to adjust to the competition. However, Minister of Commerce Cameron Brewer decided the threshold for a safeguard measure had not been met, which is interesting because the MBIE report noted that the domestic industry had suffered serious injury in recent years. It also said the increase in imports was one source among many, including a contracting domestic market and cost increases. It said while a safeguard measure might help the domestic industry in the short term, it would be likely to raise prices for consumers and would not support New Zealand's trade goals.&nbsp;
However, it was odd because the industry, who was talking to Mike this morning, said that the MBIE officials had asked them to investigate taking a dumping case. Clearly MBIE thinks that there is a case there, or at least a case to be made, but in the meantime, they're not willing to put in the safeguard protections. &nbsp;
Dave Slomp, Managing Director of McKenney Aluminium Solutions says what they need in the short term to look after jobs and to ensure that a quality world class product remains on the market.&nbsp;
"We operate at world-class levels of quality, service, productivity, the envy of the world, and we're an industry that services the New Zealand market extremely well. And what we're seeing here is Chinese extrusion being landed in New Zealand for less than what extruders pay for the raw billet that we make extrusions out of."&nbsp;
When you are bringing in a product for less than the price of the material in the home country, that is dumping, pure and simple. You would have thought it was an open and shut case. He said it's going to put the country's manufacturers' skilled jobs and critical industry capability at immediate risk. And all very well and good for those of us who want to buy aluminium extrusion products thinking, "Oh yay, they're cheap as chips because the Chinese are dumping their products here." What happens if they decide they're not going to? What happens if they decide that New Zealand's not a market worth bothering about? &nbsp;
We won't have the product at all because our premium product, our New Zealand made product, will have shut up shop. We've been here before with the imported peaches versus homegrown. The government found that Chinese peaches were in fact being dumped into New Zealand following an investigation of claims made by Heinz Wattie's last year. Again, goods are considered to be dumped if they're exported for less than their normal value in their home country. &nbsp;The peach industry just took an absolute hammering when all of the imported produce turned up, and despite the fact that tariffs were put on, it was all far too late for the peach growers. &nbsp;
But ultimately, Heinz Wattie's said we won't be able to can New Zealand peaches because of a declining demand for canned peaches of New Zealand origin. It's a premium product, just like our New Zealand aluminium extrusions. Premium, costs more, and consumers decide with their wallets. The consumers ultimately decided they'd rather have the cheaper imported fruit, and that was the end of the premium product. That's the rub. Ultimately, the consumer will decide. If you're a customer, if you're somebody who is buying aluminium extrusion products, do you want the cheaper or do you want New Zealand aluminium industry safeguarded?&nbsp;
And I can't understand if MBIE is saying to the industry, "Go ahead, put together a dumping case." Surely, it's incumbent upon them to put safeguards in place to protect the industry while the case is considered. As a consumer living in a free trade world, do you want the cheapest available goods that are on the market globally, or is there some merit in paying more to keep New Zealand jobs here?&nbsp;
</div>

Kerre Woodham: Would you rather NZ jobs in a premium product or cheap materials?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/d9744f87-38c0-471b-8c5c-b4e3000ab2c0/transcript

New Zealand First has confirmed it's not putting out a fiscal plan this election that would detail funding for its promises. 

The plans also allocate extra spending during the term. 

So far, they've been released by Labour, National, and ACT.  

Costly NZ First policies this election include buying the Bank of New Zealand. 

Winston Peters says that could cost as much as $15 billion, but he told Kerre Woodham Governing parties don't need to produce fiscal plans.   

He says the 2026 Budget is New Zealand First's fiscal plan. 

Peters also says people planning to stay here long-term should sign up to being a New Zealander.  

A resident who arrived here as a two-year-old has asked the NZ First Leader why it would make her a more loyal Kiwi to officially become a citizen after 65-years. 

She says she never needed to officially apply for citizenship, but Peters told her he'd have expected her to sign up years ago. 

He says the least we can expect is people to sign up to our country, sign up to our flag, and make this the country of their future. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

New Zealand First has confirmed it's not putting out a fiscal plan this election that would detail funding for its promises.&nbsp;
The plans also allocate extra spending during the term.&nbsp;
So far, they've been released by Labour, National, and ACT. &nbsp;
Costly NZ First policies this election include buying the Bank of New Zealand.&nbsp;
Winston Peters says that could cost as much as $15 billion, but he told Kerre Woodham Governing parties don't need to produce fiscal plans. &nbsp;&nbsp;
He says the 2026 Budget is New Zealand First's fiscal plan.&nbsp;

Peters also says people planning to stay here long-term should sign up to being a New Zealander. &nbsp;
A resident who arrived here as a two-year-old has asked the NZ First Leader why it would make her a more loyal Kiwi to officially become a citizen after 65-years.&nbsp;
She says she never needed to officially apply for citizenship, but Peters told her he'd have expected her to sign up years ago.&nbsp;
He says the least we can expect is people to sign up to our country, sign up to our flag, and make this the country of their future.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Winston Peters: New Zealand First Leader takes talkback with Kerre Woodham, discusses immigration, coalitions

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/cef75330-178f-4b55-96f4-b4e20179dabd/transcript

I've seen a few posts on my social media over the past month from young people moaning that "they're locking us out of voting". They, presumably being the rich white patriarchal establishment, us, presumably being the 18 to 24 year olds. What absolute hogwash. Yes, the rules around enrolment have changed and same day enrolment is no longer possible, but they are doing everything they can to get young people registered to vote and have been doing so since time immemorial, since every election.  

In 2020 the Electoral Commission paid 12 Kiwi social media stars a combined $160k or thereabouts to create and share dozens of pieces of nonpartisan content about voting on their TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook pages. Overall, in 2020 the Commission spent $3 million on advertising that targeted 18 to 29 year olds alone. The budgeting bill for advertising was higher than that, but $3 million was spent on younger voters. It'll be more this time round, heaven only knows what's been spent, it'll take an OIA to find out.  

I don't think there's anything wrong with a message that says if you want to vote, you've got to take it seriously. Registering is a very good start to understanding that with rights come responsibilities. If you want to vote, you have to think about it. If you want to vote, you have to get your act together and enrol. A young colleague was saying to me this very morning that an acquaintance of hers, who would describe herself as an activist and will attend a protest march at the drop of a keffiyeh, posted that she wouldn't normally use her platform to encourage people to vote, but this one matters. What is wrong with using your platform to encourage people to vote?  

I know it's a lot harder to think about issues and problems that we have at home, far easier to rig yourself up a witty slogan painted on a placard and get out there and march, be on the six o'clock news, show that you care. Actually showing that you care is registering, voting, taking an interest, reading the policies, things that 18 to 24 year olds are perfectly capable of doing. And interestingly, of those young people who do get off their chuffs and enrol to vote, they show up on election day.  

Mike was quoting a story from the Herald this morning that showed in '23, 74% of young people who were enrolled to vote did in fact cast their vote. They were the biggest proportion of the enrolled voting population to actually use the power of their vote to cast it. It matters. In our household, I think we've got three of us voting differently across the spectrum. And that's okay, that's democracy, and aren't we lucky to live in a society where men and women can debate political matters, can turn up without fear of getting mown down to cast their vote, to know that for all its faults and for all a few spot issues, voting is fair, you're not going to get corruption at the ballot box.  

It's an imperfect society in which we live. Very few of us going to get a government that we're passionate about. For a lot of us, turning up to vote is going to be holding your nose and ticking the box. But it matters. And if young people cannot be bothered, not be sufficiently informed to understand that they have to enrol to vote, they can't rock up on voting day, then perhaps they shouldn't be in possession of a vote. If they don't care enough, they're not informed enough to know that they need to be enrolled, fine by me if they don't cast their vote. 

I've seen a few posts on my social media over the past month from young people moaning that "they're locking us out of voting". They, presumably being the rich white patriarchal establishment, us, presumably being the 18 to 24 year olds. What absolute hogwash. Yes, the rules around enrolment have changed and same day enrolment is no longer possible, but they are doing everything they can to get young people registered to vote and have been doing so since time immemorial, since every election. &nbsp;
In 2020 the Electoral Commission paid 12 Kiwi social media stars a combined $160k or thereabouts to create and share dozens of pieces of nonpartisan content about voting on their TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook pages. Overall, in 2020 the Commission spent $3 million on advertising that targeted 18 to 29 year olds alone. The budgeting bill for advertising was higher than that, but $3 million was spent on younger voters. It'll be more this time round, heaven only knows what's been spent, it'll take an OIA to find out. &nbsp;
I don't think there's anything wrong with a message that says if you want to vote, you've got to take it seriously. Registering is a very good start to understanding that with rights come responsibilities. If you want to vote, you have to think about it. If you want to vote, you have to get your act together and enrol. A young colleague was saying to me this very morning that an acquaintance of hers, who would describe herself as an activist and will attend a protest march at the drop of a keffiyeh, posted that she wouldn't normally use her platform to encourage people to vote, but this one matters. What is wrong with using your platform to encourage people to vote? &nbsp;
I know it's a lot harder to think about issues and problems that we have at home, far easier to rig yourself up a witty slogan painted on a placard and get out there and march, be on the six o'clock news, show that you care. Actually showing that you care is registering, voting, taking an interest, reading the policies, things that 18 to 24 year olds are perfectly capable of doing. And interestingly, of those young people who do get off their chuffs and enrol to vote, they show up on election day. &nbsp;
Mike was quoting a story from the Herald this morning that showed in '23, 74% of young people who were enrolled to vote did in fact cast their vote. They were the biggest proportion of the enrolled voting population to actually use the power of their vote to cast it. It matters. In our household, I think we've got three of us voting differently across the spectrum. And that's okay, that's democracy, and aren't we lucky to live in a society where men and women can debate political matters, can turn up without fear of getting mown down to cast their vote, to know that for all its faults and for all a few spot issues, voting is fair, you're not going to get corruption at the ballot box. &nbsp;
It's an imperfect society in which we live. Very few of us going to get a government that we're passionate about. For a lot of us, turning up to vote is going to be holding your nose and ticking the box. But it matters. And if young people cannot be bothered, not be sufficiently informed to understand that they have to enrol to vote, they can't rock up on voting day, then perhaps they shouldn't be in possession of a vote. If they don't care enough, they're not informed enough to know that they need to be enrolled, fine by me if they don't cast their vote.&nbsp;

Kerre Woodham: If you want to vote, you have to take it seriously

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6ef547c1-dbc9-4c6c-8c73-b4e1017c6b4b/transcript

Pete Wolfkamp: Newstalk ZB's resident builder on the Government's decision to ease construction regulations for granny flats

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