A new bill proposed by our local MP, Suze Redmayne, has been adopted as a government bill. Redmayne hopes to help farmers and public servants who must live at their workplace get onto the property ladder in New Zealand – something that is becoming increasingly out of reach for many young people.
This bill matters to Feilding because our growing rural community depends on strong local services, infrastructure, and regional investment. It is an opportunity to ensure towns like ours continue to receive the support needed for local businesses, families, and future growth.
When asked about her motivations regarding this bill, Suze Redmayne told Feilding First:
“My motivation for introducing this bill began when Tirrell, our Stock Manager at Tunnel Hill, came to me and my husband Richard with a problem. He had worked hard to build a solid first-home deposit through KiwiSaver, yet he could not access it because he lived in a service tenancy as part of his job on our farm.
This did not seem fair to any of us. I quickly realised this was not an isolated case, with many rural workers across Rangitikei facing the same barrier. If people work hard and save for their future, they should have a fair opportunity to get ahead, regardless of where they live or the job they do.”
Housing affordability has become an increasing concern for younger rural workers across the region, particularly those living in tied accommodation.
The KiwiSaver (First Home for Farmland and Service Tenancy Tenants) Amendment Bill expands access to KiwiSaver first-home withdrawals for rural workers and prospective farmers through two targeted changes to the eligibility rules.
The bill will make the following changes:
- Removes the principal residence requirement for service tenants: This means allowing those who are required to live in employer-provided accommodation, such as farm workers, rural teachers, defence personnel and police officers to use their KiwiSaver savings to purchase a first home without needing to move into the property immediately.
- Supports buying a first farm through a business structure: First-time farmers can now use their KiwiSaver savings to purchase a farm through a company, trust, or partnership, as long as they plan to live on the farm and own most of the business.
Suze Redmayne told Feilding First: “The changes are about levelling the playing field and creating a fairer pathway into home ownership for thousands of hard-working kiwis. Towns like Taihape, Hunterville, Marton, Bulls, Feilding, Foxton and Levin could benefit from more people buying locally, putting down roots and building long-term connections in communities close to where they work.”
The bill will now move through the parliamentary process, including a first reading and select committee stage, where members of the public will be able to make submissions and share their views. Redmayne says she hopes the proposal will encourage more rural and public service workers to put down long-term roots in communities such as Feilding and across the wider Manawatu region.