Consultation on development levies

Background

The Minister of Housing and the Minister of Local Government have announced a suite of reforms aimed at improving how infrastructure is funded and financed to support housing and growth across New Zealand.

Read the joint Ministers’ press release on the Beehive website www.beehive.govt.nz/portfolio/nationalactnew-zealand-first-coalition-government-2023-2026/local-government.

Consultation on replacing development contributions with a development levies system is now open.

We are seeking feedback on a partial exposure draft of the Local Government (Infrastructure Funding) Amendment Bill (the Bill) (PDF, 328KB) to implement the development levies system and on proposed regulations which will underpin implementation.

To support feedback, the underlying policy for the Bill and proposals for regulations are outlined in the consultation document:

Going for Housing Growth: Supporting Growth Through a Development Levies System (PDF, 919KB)

Submissions

Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga and the Department of Internal Affairs seek written submissions on the proposals raised in the consultation document which relate primarily to the draft Bill.

Submissions close at 5pm on Friday 20 February 2026.

Please provide your feedback by emailing development.levies@dia.govt.nz.

Either complete and email the submission form (DOCX, 69KB) or simply email us your feedback.

Please include your name, and/or the name of your organisation, and contact details.

We have included proposals and questions throughout the consultation document. You may comment on any or all of the proposals. We also welcome any other relevant information, comments, evidence and examples.

Further information

If you have any questions or would like more information about the process for making submissions, please email development.levies@dia.govt.nz.

You can find more information about the Going for Housing Growth programme here:

We may release further information here as the consultation progresses to respond to common queries or if any new information becomes available.

Use of information

Your submission will help the Government to develop the new system for funding development infrastructure and may inform other policy development where relevant. We may contact submitters directly if we require clarification of any matters in submissions or would like to discuss your feedback with you further.

There will be no hearings in relation to this consultation on the exposure draft Bill, hearings will be part of the Select Committee process in 2026.

Release of information

We may publish a summary of the feedback we receive on the consultation document. This could include a summary of submitters’ views and may include the names of individuals or organisations that have made submissions. The Privacy Act 2020 establishes certain principles with respect to the collection, use and disclosure of information about individuals by various agencies, Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga and the Department of Internal Affairs. Any personal information you supply to us in the course of making a submission will only be used for the purpose of assisting in the development of policy advice in relation to the issues canvassed in this consultation document.

Please clearly state in the online submission form and any email or covering letter if you do not wish for your name, or any other personal information, included in the summary of submissions.

Submissions may be requested under the Official Information Act 1982. Please set out clearly in the submissions template or in your covering letter or email if you have any objection to the release of the information contained in your submission and in particular, which parts you consider should be withheld, together with the reasons for withholding the information. We will take such objections into account and will consult with submitters when responding to requests under the Official Information Act.

Department of Internal Affairs | Te Tari Taiwhenua

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