Is Innovation a Luxury or a Necessity to Keep Developments Moving?

23/05/2025 41 min Episodio 15
Is Innovation a Luxury or a Necessity to Keep Developments Moving?

Listen "Is Innovation a Luxury or a Necessity to Keep Developments Moving?"

Episode Synopsis

On this episode of The Building Pulse Podcast, host Tim Haycock  sits down with seasoned developer John Kenel to explore one of the biggest questions in the housing market today:
Is innovation still possible—or even necessary—to keep developments moving in New Zealand?
With over 1,000 homes built and 20+ years navigating the trenches of property development, John shares what’s changed, what’s broken, and why navigating red tape has become a developer’s biggest risk.
In Part 1, they cover:


How New Zealand’s consenting process has evolved—and not always for the better


The disconnect between local councils and central government


The cultural shift in how Kiwis see landlords and developers


Why innovation might not be optional anymore


Whether you’re in development, investing, or just trying to make sense of the housing crisis—this episode brings the perspective of someone who’s seen the full cycle, and still believes New Zealand can build its way forward.
👉 Stay tuned for Part 2—where John dives deeper into solutions, strategies, and what it’ll take to fix the system.

More episodes of the podcast Talking Property Development with John Kenel