Earthworks have started on a Kāinga Ora social housing develoment at 3 Clark Rd, Kerikeri. Photo / Noēl Garcia
Earthworks have started on a Kāinga Ora social housing develoment at 3 Clark Rd, Kerikeri. Photo / Noēl Garcia
Kāinga Ora has changed some of its controversial plans for large scale social housing in central Kerikeri after input from the community.
Kāinga Ora has faced large-scale opposition to its plans for social housing on Clark Rd and Kerikeri Rd, with more than 800 people packed inside and outside the Turner Centre - and 375 following online - for a public meeting on the proposal in May.
The Government’s state housing provider originally had plans to build a three-storey social housing block in central Kerikeri.
Last month Kerikeri community trust Our Kerikeri called on the Government’s social housing provider to pause its controversial plans for high-density social housing until the town’s spatial and master plans are completed. Our Kerikeri said it was not against social housing, just the size and scale of this development.
Additionally, a petition organised by a group of concerned Kerikeri residents “urges Government to halt all Kāinga Ora social housing developments proposed for Kerikeri until a master plan and spatial plan has been competed and adapted into the relevant Far North District Council strategies and rules guiding development”. The petition sent to Parliament got 1300 signatures, around 10 per cent of the Kerikeri population.
However, after the public backlash and further consultation Kāinga Ora lodged a consent application for fresh plans for the site on Clark Rd, reducing the size of the buildings and including a play park for children.
The fresh plan has been largely welcomed by Our Kerikeri, but the group still has some concerns
Kāinga Ora regional director for Northland Jeff Murray said developer Gemscott, Kāinga Ora and mana whenua Ngāti Rēhia have collaborated on plans for 5-7 Clark Rd – the neighbouring site to the already-consented 3 Clark Rd.
Just under 800 people attended a public meeting about Kāinga Ora’s planned social housing in Kerikeri
Murray said after a blessing of the site in late August, Ngātī Rēhia unveiled and gifted the development the name “Te Tira” meaning “Our Community is Climate Smart, Secure & Respectful.”
He said community feedback regarding density and a lack of outdoor space in the original plans resulted in Gemscott buying the adjoining site in order to redesign the development across a larger area. A large park and play area for tamariki are now a feature of the proposed 14-home development.
An application for resource consent to construct the 14-home development was lodged with the Far North District Council last Friday, he said.
Murray said the revised plans follow extensive community feedback regarding proposals to deliver much-needed public housing in Kerikeri.
“We have taken on board the different views shared with us by the community and have adjusted our plans accordingly. We hope the modified plans show our genuine commitment to listening to local views, and working constructively with communities to achieve better outcomes.”
Tim Jennings, project manager at Gemscott, said feedback from the community regarding initial proposals has ultimately improved plans.
“The purchase of 7 Clark Road allowed a complete redesign of the development, with space to accommodate an outdoor park and play area for whānau and their tamariki.”
The 14 homes are all two- or three-bedrooms, across two-level terrace and apartment style buildings. As well as the large onsite park, the proposal includes individually fenced, private outdoor areas for all ground floor units.
Throughout October and November, Kāinga Ora is inviting community members to regular drop-in sessions at their soon to be up-and-running pop-up office at 115 Kerikeri Rd.
Meanwhile, civil works have started at neighbouring 3 Clark Rd, which received resource consent earlier this year. In August, Ngāti Rēhia conducted a blessing of the site, which once complete will contain eight two-bedroom units over two levels.
Our Kerikeri trustee Vince Buxton said the group was pleased that some of the community feedback has been heard and elements of the design will now provide green space for families and safer vehicle access on to and exiting the complex.
“The drop in height from 3 storey to 2 buildings is less likely to stand out from surrounding buildings which lowers the risk of stigmatising the people moving into the new homes,” Buxton said.
“The location is not ideal given the potential ring-fencing of our commercial area and loss of active street frontages on a probable future main route on the edge of the town centre. However, we are pleased Gemscott is working with the community on the visual design of the streetscapes.”
Buxton said the key issue moving forward for Our Kerikeri is to ensure there is a place-based approach with community input into the planning of the town with the right spaces for all types of housing in the right locations with good multimodal connectivity to schools, amenities and workplaces.
“A week or so ago, Vision Kerikeri organised the first collaborative workshop of a number of key stakeholders [Vision Kerikeri, Our Kerikeri, Kāinga Ora, MHUD, key developers, Ngāti Rēhia, Kyros and council] to discuss planning with respect to housing needs in Kerikeri/ Waipapa. We are optimistic that further discussions with wider community engagement will lead to a more robust Proposed District Plan and other planning tools that will meet the objectives of this community going forward,” he said.
In Northland, 1116 people are on the Housing Register and Kāinga Ora has about 282 homes in planning or under way.
■ 3 Clark Rd - modified proposal granted resource consent in June 2023. The approved consent allows for eight homes over two levels on the site, rather than 12 homes over three levels as originally planned. Site blessed and civil works started late August. Construction of the homes to start in late 2023, with completion expected by late 2024.
■ 5-7 Clark Rd - in response to community concern regarding density and a lack of outdoor space, Gemscott purchased the adjoining property at 7 Clark Rd to allow a redesign of the development, specifically the inclusion of a large, onsite park and play area for residents. Resource consent application for the revised proposal lodged September 1 - a 14-home development across two sites, all two and three-bedroom, across two-level terrace and apartment style buildings, with shared onsite park and individually fenced, private outdoor areas for all ground floor units.
■ 4 King St - Kāinga Ora has withdrawn its plans to invest in public housing at this site.
■ 115 Kerikeri Rd – Kāinga Ora is currently exploring design options for the land it owns at 115 Kerikeri Rd and will provide an update when it has more information to share.
