Development rules in Canterbury are to be eased to allow the swift development of housing for the army of workers needed for the post-quake rebuild.
It is expected to involve about 30,000 short-term workers.
Changes will be made to the Christchurch City Plan, as well as District Plans for the Banks Peninsula, Waimakariri and Selwyn areas under Section 27 of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act.
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the changes will streamline and speed up consenting processes included in the Resource Management Act and the Building Act.
Mr Brownlee says the changes will allow temporary buildings to house up to 200 people in central city areas zoned for mixed use in Christchurch, and up to 20 people in some residential and commercial zone areas.
Councils are still the first point of contact for prospective developers, he says.
All temporary housing erected under the rule change must be dismantled and removed by the end of 2022.
