As I write this, staff from the New Zealand Transport Agency and the Waikato Regional Council are trying to block resource consent for a billion-dollar investment by Sleepyhead.
The well-known bed maker is looking at moving from Auckland to Ohinewai in the Waikato so its employees can have a better lifestyle. The majority of factory workers are struggling with unaffordable house prices, so Sleepyhead is planning a 1500-house subdivision alongside the factory.
This is capitalism at its best. The directors see their workforce as an investment to look after, and they are setting out to achieve what Kiwibuild failed to do. Waikato District Council mayor Alan Sanson has spoken out in support of the obvious massive boost to the region, yet overpaid bureaucrats are arguing against it at the current consent hearing.
NZTA is okay with the factory but wants to stop the housing development. Their logic is that new residents may drive to nearby Huntly for shopping, which increases traffic. This does not make sense. If the factory is built without housing, workers will have to drive from Huntly (or farther), which also increases traffic. Why is one a problem but not the other?
It appears as though bureaucrats don’t want problems to be solved. It is much easier to control people who are struggling to survive than those who have the financial security to fight back.
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