Sensible Supermarket strategy

Nicola Willis has announced some significant changes to encourage a third supermarket chain. They are:

• Legislate so that new supermarkets which would improve grocery competition qualify as fast-track referrable projects under the Fast-Track Approvals Act. 
• Streamline building consenting processes for new supermarkets by selecting a single building consent authority to standardise and streamline building consent processes for grocery developments that would enable competition.
• Amend Building Act regulations to facilitate pre-approved “MultiProof” building plans for multiple grocery developments.  
• Improve the Overseas Investment Act regime through grocery-specific provisions in the Ministerial Directive Letter.
• Amend the Commerce Act to better combat “predatory pricing” with the introduction of an objective economic test for the prosecution of firms misusing their market power to exclude or stamp-out competitors.

These all look useful and laudable steps. They seek to enable better competition, but not remove property rights from existing companies.