New Zealand’s petitions committee wants "urgent progress" from the next government on rezoning accommodation supplement areas across the country, thanks to a concerted effort by a group of Queenstown residents.
In what former mayor Jim Boult labels an "absolutely emphatic" recommendation and a "major win for the whole country", the parliamentary committee has given the next government until December 4 to respond to advice it updates the supplement areas every time Statistics NZ updates its geographic boundaries.
It is just deserts for those who have led the charge from Queenstown.
Spearheaded by Salvation Army Queenstown community ministries director Andrew Wilson, the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Southland MP Joseph Mooney and Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust chief executive Julie Scott, the effort represents seven years’ work.
The means-tested weekly supplement payment varies depending on where a person lives - in Area 4, which is deemed rural, a family can receive up to $120 a week. Those in urban areas can receive up to $305.
While in many parts of New Zealand the supplement was assessed using "statistical geographies" from 2017, Queenstown boundaries have not been updated in 31 years.
That is despite exponential residential growth on what was previously rural land.
For example, Shotover Country is still considered farmland, yet its population increased from 40 in 2013 to 3890 in 2022.
Jack’s Point and Hanley’s Farm are also still considered rural.
Over the same period, the population in that area jumped from 250 to 2140.
Mr Boult felt "totally vindicated" by the recommendation.
Work started on the issue when he was first elected in 2016, "but I got the cold shoulder from umpteen central government politicians".
"They just were not interested in hearing the story.
"I don’t know whether they didn’t care, or just didn’t get it."
Mr Wilson, who was "absolutely rapt" with the outcome of the past year’s concerted effort to effect change, believes any government will struggle to find a "legitimate reason" to ignore the recommendation.
"It really puts the government on the spot to have to respond ... specifically to this petition request.
"[The recommendation] just shows how unfit for purpose this piece of legislation is — it’s all about how populations grow and urban areas develop, but hasn’t been updated in five, almost six years."
The report also reveals why the supplement is using such outdated boundaries for Queenstown.
While Statistics NZ published its "statistical standard for geographical areas" in 2018, boundaries were not ready in time to be included in the Social Securities Act.
That meant the Ministry of Social Development was still using the boundaries from 2017 — which in Queenstown’s case were the same as those set in 1992.
Mr Wilson noted since then, Statistics NZ’s information on Queenstown, and other areas across New Zealand, has been "much more accurate and much more clear".
"While Queenstown is very much the most disadvantaged with the current mapping, there are towns up and down the country that have their residential populations outside the current [urban] boundaries.
"Invercargill is all ‘rural’. The whole city down there is waiting to be put in the right place."
Mr Wilson, who last year skydived with Mr Boult and Mr Mooney to draw attention to the issue, said the outcome showed what happened when a community worked together to achieve positive outcomes.
Mr Boult was clearly also chuffed.
"I have to say, little old Queenstown has led the way on this one. I hope the rest of the country gets the benefit of what’s being done."
