Mature trees are key to liveable cities – housing intensification plans must ensure they survive | Margaret Stanley

The benefits of a single large tree can't be replaced by a mown lawn or a seedling. With thoughtful planning we can keep them

The New Zealand parliament is about to have its third reading of an amendment bill informally known as the housing intensification bill". Its purpose is to relax the Resource Management Act (RMA), which currently restricts building height and intensity in cities, to meet the urgent demand for housing and address affordability.

While it is clear that housing affordability needs to be addressed to meet the needs of young and low-income New Zealanders, there are pitfalls to the speed at which the legislation is rushing through the system. Yes, we do need more houses, and we do need to intensify within our cities so that we don't further impact the rural landscape as the tentacles of our cities spread into key food production and natural ecosystem areas.