Far North Mayor Moko Tepania has welcomed $48.6 million of Government funding to help build up to 665 houses in Kaikohe, above, and Kawakawa as crucial for affordable and general market housing development in the district.
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania has welcomed $48.6 million of Government funding to help build up to 665 houses in Kaikohe, above, and Kawakawa as crucial for affordable and general market housing development in the district.
Housing needs in Northland are dire, with more than 1100 people on the emergency housing list, and Northland leaders have welcomed a $48.6 million package to help build 665 new homes in Kaikohe and Kawakawa.
Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced the Government is investing $539.8m on groundwork including pipes, roads and flood protection to enable thousands of new homes in communities, from Kaikohe to Hokitika, with up to 16,000 new homes expected to be built thanks to the infrastructure spend.
Critical infrastructure projects will get Government support to unlock thousands more homes in communities around the country, Woods said.
“We are turning around the housing crisis we inherited by stripping back red tape to get more housing built, and investing in the long-neglected critical infrastructure needed to prepare land so it’s ready to build on,’’ she said.
“Laying the literal groundwork like this with roading, and Three Waters infrastructure for drinking, waste and stormwater, means new housing projects that include affordable housing, can get under way faster.’’
A road extension and significant water infrastructure upgrades in Kawakawa will receive $25.6 million from the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF), to enable up to 300 new homes to be built in the area and address the significant housing shortfall.
The Far North District Council (FNDC) expects the infrastructure projects funded by the IAF for the 300 new homes will include approximately 180 homes within the proposed Te Mataora development, to be delivered by Ngā Kāingamaha o Ngāti Hine Charitable Trust. The trust’s plans for the development include aged care apartments and more affordable homes, to create an intergenerational community.
Housing developments on three sites in Kaikohe will be accelerated by $23 million in IAF funding, which will be used for flood management and significant wastewater and stormwater upgrades to improve the current network and provide for future growth.
The FNDC expects the IAF-funded infrastructure will enable 365 new homes in the area, to provide much-needed home ownership opportunities for mana whenua and the wider community. Both public and papakāinga homes are among the planned housing outcomes.
Up to 300 homes could be built close to Kawakawa’s main street thanks to $25.6 million of Government funding for infrastructure projects to aid building.
Mayor and Kawakawa resident Kelly Stratford said the town and surrounds have a major housing shortage, with homeless people now appearing in the area and the agencies that help them struggling with the demand.
“I’m really excited for the opportunities this means. It means there will be more homes for our elderly and people that are not very well of. But it also means more housing for others as well - working people who are finding it really hard to find a home here,” Stratford said.
“We’ve got council staff and school staff finding it hard to get nowhere to live. The council is just going out with its District Plan and this infrastructure funding will allow more capacity and more homes to be built. This will help free up the land to build homes for all those people. This is not just for social housing, but will also help developers looking at building homes.”
“This funding from Government will be combined with our Long-Term Plan allocations to enable us to carry out much-needed water and wastewater projects earlier than originally planned,” Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said.
“This investment in core infrastructure will also enable affordable and general market housing development in our community.”
Tepania said the funding would support the improved performance and additional capacity for new homes.
“Further enabling housing that is desperately needed in the Far North is fantastic news for our communities, and this funding makes it possible for new homes to become available.”
Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi chief executive officer Tia Ashby said the infrastructure funding will allow Ngāpuhi to continue to deliver its Housing Strategy for Ngāpuhi whānau by providing more homes in Kaikohe over the next few years.
‘’We are excited that we can work with our partners such as HUD and the Far North District Council to deliver housing through appropriate and modern infrastructure for the benefits of our community,” Ashby said.
Housing needs are dire in Northland, but up to 365 new homes could be built in Kaikohe after the Government coughed up $23 million for flood management and significant wastewater and stormwater upgrades to improve the current network and provide for future growth.
Heamana (Chair) of Ngā Kāingamaha ō Ngāti Hine, Peter Hemi White, said everybody knows the need for more housing in the north is dire.
“What we also know is most good things in this world start at home. We are grateful to be working together to enable the health of our people and their community through better homes.
“We value the support, relationships, all the mahi, and the leadership that got us to this point. We acknowledge all those that have come before us. We understand we still have a lot of mahi ahead of us to deliver the homes for our people and their community,” White said.
“Te Mataora being in such close proximity to the Bay of Islands Hospital will be of great benefit. Especially to our old people, who we treasure so very much.
“Bay of Islands Hospital has recently seen much-needed and significant investment. We look forward to working with our people to realise Te Mataora and setting the conditions for those that aspire to return home. He ahi kā roa.
“We of Ngāti Hine are a blessed people, with a rich history, a treasured living culture, a valued community and a bright future ahead. Hei toutou i te kapura o te tangata.”
The new funding is on top of a $55 million support package to build new homes in Te Tai Tokerau announced at the end of October.
That was for a new investment partnership with Te Pouahi o Te Tai Tokerau to build up to 100 houses in the North.
The $55m package was to support Te Pouahi o Te Tai Tokerau (a collective of Northland-based Māori housing service providers and supported by Northland iwi, hapū and Ahu Whenua Trusts) to prototype their delivery model. This funding package will deliver 80-100 affordable rental homes and up to 110 infrastructure sites by June 30, 2025.
■ Figures from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) show there were 1167 people on the housing register in Northland at the end of September.
