“Infrastructure underpins new housing developments and the economy. This investment will result in more build-ready land, unlocking the potential for a further 2,000 homes, as well as better local flood defences, improved transport links and town centre upgrades,” Woods said.
“Our investment today extends beyond bricks and mortar, pipes and roads. It is an investment in the future of eastern Porirua which will see more connected neighbourhoods, more affordable home ownership and economic growth.”
Community engagement in 2019 revealed one of the biggest problems facing eastern Porirua residents was poor infrastructure, causing leaks and flooding.
The east also has one of the highest concentrations of public housing in New Zealand. Most of these homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s and are no longer the size and type of housing needed by Porirua families.
Another area in Porirua, which could accommodate 6000 homes, is currently under consideration by Kāinga Ora.
The urban development agency has chosen Porirua’s northern growth area (NGA) for assessment as a potential Specified Development Project.
The area, which is more than 1000 hectares, is the first project to be picked for the new process under the Urban Development Act.
The Porirua City Council asked Kāinga Ora to use its tools under the act to facilitate and co-ordinate housing and urban development in the area.
Specified Development Projects (SDPs) provide a new way for Kāinga Ora to work with councils, iwi, landowners and private developers to plan and deliver complex urban developments.
Through the process, Kāinga Ora has a range of tools to overcome key barriers to development, helping projects progress with more certainty.
