The Auckland Council is disputing the Prime Minister's view that it may be partly to blame for the shortage and high cost of housing in the city.
In his State of the Nation address on Friday John Key said more land needs to be freed up for building but developers were waiting up to 18 months for resource consents and council charges were too high.
Mr Key did not specifically criticise Auckland but his comments echo those directed at Auckland recently by the Finance Minister, Bill English.
Auckland's deputy mayor, Penny Hulse, says 95% of the 11,000 consent applications to the council during 2012 were processed within 20 days.
She said some large and complex developments involving public notification, appeals and court hearings can get delayed but waits of six to 18 months were rare.
The council says enough residential land is currently zoned for 15,000 new homes, ready for developers to begin work on.
