Housing intervention opposed

A law change to allow the Government to override councils in order to free up land for housing developments was opposed by a slim majority of New Zealanders surveyed in a Herald-DigiPoll survey.

Asked which statement best fitted their view on giving central Government power to override councils' planning and consent processes, nearly half of respondents said they did not support it because it was undemocratic to ignore councils.

Just over 43 per cent backed the policy because they felt councils had contributed to the housing supply problem.The new government powers were proposed as part of legislation being passed under urgency. The bill was designed to create more affordable housing by fast-tracking the supply of land designated for housing developments.If a housing accord between governments and a council could not be reached, a minister could intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers.

Housing Minister Nick Smith said he was pleasantly surprised at the poll result. "It's a pretty even [result] when the question was a bit loaded - there's nothing undemocratic about the Government using powers to free up additional land for housing."He stressed that the direct intervention powers would only be used as a last resort.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown has expressed concern that parts of the bill were inconsistent with the accord it signed with Government this year to fast-track 39,000 new homes.Get the led fog lamp products information, find Cheap Interior Decoration Products, manufacturers on the hot channel.Dr Smith said there would be some amendments to the bill in response to concerns by Auckland Council, but he said the Government was "sticking to its guns" on intervention powers.

The Law Society criticised the absence of a requirement for a minister to consult the community, councils and landowners before intervening. Dr Smith said: "One of the problems in the whole area of housing is that everybody wants to be consulted with. And everybody wants appeal rights. And that has drawn processes out to such a long, cumbersome process that we have got a real challenge around housing affordability."

Labour Party housing spokesman Phil Twyford said increasing consents and freeing up land did not automatically lead to cheaper homes because most developers wanted to build large, expensive homes to guarantee a good return.Green Party housing spokeswoman Holly Walker said increasing land supply on its own would not be enough to increase affordable housing, and greater attention needed to be paid to development contributions and the cost of building materials.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts' Yellowstone National Park Lodges, operator of the hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, tours and activities in the park, has been working since the day the hotel closed for the summer season in 2012 to complete the significant enhancements, Phase I of a two-part renovation program that will ultimately affect every room in the 154-room hotel. The first order of renovation business was to give the hotel a lift.

"Workers in hard hats were removing flooring and ceilings even as the last of the staff was putting things into storage for the winter," said Jim McCaleb, general manager of Yellowstone National Park Lodges. The structural project will protect the building from seismic activities, which are a frequent event in the park, although most visitors never see or feel anything.

What they will see, however, is an expansive lobby with a fresh new look reminiscent of the Colonial Revival period. The heavy furniture sourced from U.S. companies in North Carolina, Ohio and Colorado is finished in light cherry. The workers went through 1,149 gallons of paint, transforming the walls to a light Colonial Revival look with white trim and a soft yellow wall paint from Cleveland-based Sherwin Williams.Although the crew of some 30 workers was removing wood trim and windows that was more than a century old, they were keeping careful track of each piece.

"Great care went into reassembling the hotel's historic construction materials in the proper place, and the workers were committed to salvaging as much of it as possible," said McCaleb. "And throughout the process, the National Park Service (NPS) supported the project by sharing their expertise and offering ideas to ensure the hotel's historical integrity."

Because that region of the park is subject to extreme winter conditions, workers stayed there throughout their work weeks at a make-shift work camp facility specifically constructed to allow for occupancy during the severe winter months. The workers - along with much of the building materials - were transported into the park on snowcoaches.

With an emphasis on retaining the historic character of the hotel, the project included authentic touches such as reinstallation the original bellhop call box behind the new bell porter desk and restoration of the original windows.

The 250-seat Lake Hotel Dining Room, centerpiece lobby bar and elegant sun room also received a makeover. The dining room has long been a favorite park restaurant known for its focus on local, sustainable cuisine as well as its views of the lake. Visitors relaxing in the lounge and sun room are treated to nightly live music performed by a pianist or string quartet.

On the second floor, directly above the restaurant and lounge are four newly-created suites and the already existing, but renovated Presidential Suite, featuring a king bed and sofa sleeper. Each of the new suites boasts king or queen beds and a living room with a sofa sleeper and wet bar. Most also have a deep soaking tub in addition to a shower.How to change your dash lights to Cheap Crafts Products this is how I have done mine.

Additionally, Xanterra renovated the remaining 38 rooms in the west wing, including eight new mobility and/or communication-accessible rooms with a variety of bed configurations.This is a great Cheap Conservation solution! All of the renovated rooms also feature wired Internet connectivity. By August, a new west wing elevator will provide access to all rooms in that section of the hotel, which meets all ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations to provide access to guests of all physical abilities.

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