Cameron Luxton

Cameron Luxton is the ACT Party's construction spokesperson and the first Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) ever elected to the NZ Parliament. He and Andy discuss the key drivers behind NZ's world-leading housing costs: materials pricing, design and consenting costs, and hidden council liability that ratepayers unknowingly underwrite. Cameron explains ACT's materials equivalency register policy, now picked up by Minister Chris Penk as the Overseas Materials Amendment Bill, and makes the case for private insurance and self-certifying schemes. His path from leaving school at 16 through building, dairy farming, and eventually "putting sign boards up" for David Seymour into Parliament is a classic NZ story.

Key Topics Discussed

• Materials equivalency register. ACT campaign policy now progressing as the Overseas Materials Amendment Bill (going through Select Committee; Cameron sits on it)
• Overseas products pricing. British plasterboard landed for $10 vs NZ equivalent at $25 in shops (2017 example)
• Leaky homes fear. unique to NZ, both rational and irrational, creates a barrier to overseas products entering the market
• Council liability as hidden cost. ratepayers unknowingly underwrite building consent authority liability; need to make this cost visible to enable private insurance and self-certifying schemes
• Design and consenting costs. described as "astronomical"; hidden RFI costs can't be priced upfront
• RFI frequency. confirms approximately 1 RFI per day during the construction phase
• Career path. left school at 16, pre-trade course in Rotorua, BCITO apprenticeship in Tauranga, dairy farming in Galatea, building company in Papamoa, then Parliament

Notable Quotes

"Putting sign boards up", Cameron on what he initially offered to do for David Seymour before ending up as an MP

NZ housing costs are among the highest in the world, driven by materials, design/consenting, and hidden council liability

Leaky homes fear is "unique to NZ", both rational and irrational, and it stops overseas products from entering the market

Guest Background

Cameron Luxton is a Member of Parliament for the ACT Party and the party's construction spokesperson. He is the first (and only) LBP ever elected to the NZ Parliament. He left school at 16, completed a pre-trade course in Rotorua, did a BCITO apprenticeship in the Tauranga area, tried dairy farming in Galatea, then returned to Papamoa to start a building company before entering politics.