News

No new moves on housing market: Minister

The Government has disclosed there are no new measures under consideration to cool the housing market.

Tuesday, October 12th 2021

Instead, the Government will rely mainly on policies that are already in place. 

The comments came from the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson. He was answering questions while unveiling the Government financial accounts for the year to June 30 2021.

Those accounts showed a strong rebound from forecasts as recently as those of the Budget in May.

There was a deficit of  $4.6 billion, far better than the $10.6 billion deficit predicted in the Budget.

Net debt was relatively restrained as well, at 30% of GDP, compared with a forecast 34%.

During questioning, Robertson faced stiff challenges about the housing market as well as the Government accounts. 

That market rose 26.3% in a year, according to the most recent figures from QV, and was the least affordable it has even been, according to CoreLogic.

Robertson responded by saying those figures had to be looked at carefully.

He said data from the major banks, the Reserve Bank and Treasury agreed the monthly rate of increase in house prices was beginning to ease off. 

“Everybody is continuing to accept that the impact of both the Government's policies and the Reserve Bank's policies will have that effect.”

The Government earlier this year tried to cool the housing market by removing tax deductability from rental properties except for new builds, and by assisting with the cost of developing infrastructure around housing developments. 

Robertson said the impact of those changes were only now starting to come into effect, and this process would continue.

But he said there had already been a rise in building consents to what he said were record levels.

But these reforms were definitely the end of the matter for now. 

“At this point we are not proposing any major changes in the tax area or anything like that.

“We will continue to monitor the situation …...  but the changes that we made in March are really it for now.”

Comments

No comments yet

Unity First Home Buyer special 3.99
ICBC 4.25
SBS FirstHome Combo 4.29
Co-operative Bank - First Home Special 4.35
TSB Special 4.39
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 4.45
ANZ Special 4.49
ASB Bank 4.49
SBS Bank Special 4.49
Unity Special 4.49
Westpac Special 4.49
Westpac Special 4.45
SBS Bank Special 4.49
BNZ - Std 4.49
Kiwibank Special 4.49
TSB Special 4.49
AIA - Go Home Loans 4.49
ANZ Special 4.49
ASB Bank 4.49
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 4.49
ICBC 4.59
Wairarapa Building Society 4.59
SBS Bank Special 4.99
Westpac Special 4.99
ICBC 4.99
BNZ - Std 4.99
AIA - Go Home Loans 5.15
ASB Bank 5.15
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 5.19
ANZ 5.39
TSB Special 5.39
Kiwibank Special 5.39
Kainga Ora 5.49
SBS FirstHome Combo 3.44
AIA - Back My Build 3.54
SBS Construction lending for FHB 3.74
CFML 321 Loans 4.25
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 5.30
Co-operative Bank - Standard 5.30
ICBC 5.39
Heartland Bank - Online 5.45
Kiwibank - Offset 5.80
Kiwibank 5.80
ANZ 5.89

More Stories

Market recovery signals consistent with interest rate falls

Monday, November 03rd 2025

Market recovery signals consistent with interest rate falls

The early stages of a property recovery could have appeared in the past two months, Kelvin Davidson, Cotality chief property economist says.

Another swipe at property investors

Thursday, October 30th 2025

Another swipe at property investors

Labour’s capital gains tax of 28% on residential and commercial property won’t deter investors who invest for cashflow, Nick Gentle, iFind Property founder and buyer’s agent says.

Capital gains tax almost irrelevant – English

Monday, October 20th 2025

Capital gains tax almost irrelevant – English

Former Finance Minster Bill English says the days of guaranteed capital gains in the housing market are over,

Thursday, October 09th 2025

New rules for meth contaminated houses

REINZ welcomes regulation of methamphetamine contamination in rental housing.