Council backs housing project

Chris Carter

Plans for high-density housing in the predominantly state house suburb of Glen Innes were approved by the Auckland City Council last night, despite widespread fears it will be a social disaster, bring more crime to the area and reduce property values.

The plan change is expected to provide 900 new homes for 3000 people over the next 20 years by rezoning large tracts of one of the city's poorest suburbs for houses of three and four storeys.

The issue has divided the council with City Vision-Labour councillors supporting intensification so people can continue to live within existing suburbs and not be pushed into outer suburbs.

Citizens & Ratepayers Now councillors believe intensifying Glen Innes alongside plans for 2500 houses in the nearby Mt Wellington quarry have been approved ahead of transport solutions in the Tamaki area and will dump traffic in the eastern suburbs.

C&R Now councillor Linda Leighton also said the council was putting its head in the sand by ignoring the social implications.

Housing Lobby spokeswoman Sue Henry said the plan had been "bulldozed" through against the wishes of wide community concern. Most of the 600 public submissions opposed the plan.

Last year Tamaki College principal David Hodge said that unless fundamental problems were addressed first, Glen Innes would become the "worst urban slum in New Zealand".

"I for one am sickened by the fact that the neighbourhood I so love and appreciate will, likely as not, turn into a residential fiasco, a ghetto, a slum," said one submitter, Glen Innes resident Jannie van Hees.

Housing Minister Chris Carter has unveiled plans to redevelop large state-housing areas and spare Crown land in Auckland with a mix of state houses, affordable homes and even some luxury properties.