New Plymouth's Mayor is backing Government changes to take away power from local authorities

Housing Minister Chris Bishop says new regulation in the Resource Management Act would stop councils stalling housing developments.

It would let him override councils on the grounds of their decisions negatively impacting economic growth.

Mayor Neil Holdom says as it is, elected officials have little input in the development of district plans.

He says they cost millions of dollars and are written by an elite bureaucracy of planners.