Source: New Zealand Government
Around 230 new homes are planned for the Bay of Plenty, with Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods announcing five strategic land purchases in Tauranga, Rotorua and Katikati.
“This is great news for people and whānau in need of housing in this fast growing region, and what’s even better is that the homes will be built within the next three to four years,” Megan Woods said.
“Now that Kāinga Ora has bought these parcels of land for public and affordable housing, it’s looking at the specific types of houses and apartments that will be built to help meet strong demand for homes for those most in need.
“Our Government strongly believes everyone deserves a warm, dry home and we are investing more in public housing than has been done since 1970s, with nearly 9,000 new homes delivered since we came into office, with more than 7,000 of them being new builds.
“These public housing projects also enable more affordable housing to be built, as we work in partnership with developers to increase housing supply,” Megan Woods said.
The purchases and plans are as follows:
Tauranga (two sites) – 120-150 multi-storey apartments for public housing being explored on a ¾ hectare site at 1170-1176 Cameron Road and, six homes are also planned for subdivided land at 1219-21 Cameron Road.
Cameron Road is a key city corridor with strong transport and infrastructure connections and aligns with planning and growth intentions for the Te Papa peninsula.
Rotorua – 50-60 homes planned for a two stage development on three hectares of land on Owhata Road, and 20 public housing apartments planned for the former language school site on Pukuatua Street.
Katikati – up to 20 mixed public and affordable homes at 24 Middlebrook Drive.
Development planning and high-level design work is underway for each site, and engagement with mana whenua, and other stakeholders, neighbours and local communities will take place through the stages of development for each site.
The homes will be built to 6 Homestar energy efficient, warmth and sustainability standards, be landscaped and have good connections to the wider community.
As well as increasing housing supply in the region, this investment will boost regional employment and stimulate local economies.
Partnership with councils has been key in feasibility, investigations and future planning for these sites, and support from Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Rotorua Lakes Council is recognised.
Notes for editors
Under the 2021-24 Public Housing Plan between 430-450 homes are expected to be delivered in the Bay of Plenty by 2024.
In April 2017, National sold 1,138 public housing homes
Currently 191 homes are under construction or being planned in Rotorua, and 78 in Tauranga.
The purchases are in addition to the recent acquisition of land by Kāinga Ora at Ferncliffe Farm in Tauriko West, Tauranga, where around 1,000 homes are in planning, and which will bring much needed housing options to Tauranga and the wider region.
Kāinga Ora also continues to progress and explore other housing and urban development opportunities across the region on its own land and alongside a wide range of partners.
