EZ, not sure, why this would be a political issue at all. The rest of the world does just fine in housing people in apartment blocks (
http://www.thejournal.ie/best-apartm...53671-Oct2014/) - and it is neither difficult nor expensive (well, on a per apartment-basis) to build a small settlement with 25000 units. Or - if you don't want to house them all in one place - make it 3 "settlements" with 8000 units each.
Great for energy efficiency, great for public transport, shorter ways to shops and work. And all Auckland housing problems solved in one stroke. Win-win-win. As indicated - has been done all over the world, its only New Zealand still living in the stone age of human habitation ... one cave (or box) per family.
Maybe this could be something useful for Labour to do ... investigate appartment settlements around the world and find out what it would take a Kiwi household to move into a cheaper, well equipped, energy efficient and warm apartment unit instead of living in a standalone box surrounded by high fences and many other standalone boxes.
Isn't it Labour supposed to push the social idea? Just help us to make Kiwis more social (and I don't mean the Friday evening binge) and this problem disappears ...