Source: PSA
– Maintenance staff to be ripped out of 40+ regional offices and centralised to Auckland and Christchurch
– 138 roles impacted, net loss of 46 positions
– More than 1,100 Kāinga Ora jobs axed since 2024 as Govt. dismantles public housing
The Government’s relentless gutting of Kāinga Ora continues with a new restructure plan that proposes to cut maintenance staff in regional offices across the country and centralise them in Auckland and Christchurch – putting tenants’ access to timely repairs at risk.
Kāinga Ora is proposing to centralise their response to maintenance requests by establishing two Maintenance Operations Centres in Manukau and Addington. This impacts 138 roles with a net loss of 46 positions proposed.
Maintenance supervisors and administrators in more than 40 regional offices could lose their jobs, with only those in Auckland and Christchurch retained and many existing workers will be forced into precarious work on fixed term roles for up to 12 months
“This is all about government cost cutting. It’s already gutted Kāinga Ora, sacking over a thousand workers in just two years. Now it’s coming for the people who keep the lights on and the roofs watertight for tenants – it’s heartless and immoral,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“These are the people who triage repairs and get tradespeople into homes. When a tenant calls because their roof is leaking or their water heating has failed, it’s the regional maintenance teams who know the local contractors, know the properties, and can get someone there fast.
“Replacing that local knowledge in regional offices with staff hundreds of kilometres away is a recipe for slower repairs and worse outcomes for tenants. Under this proposal, a maintenance supervisor in the regions will no longer be able to visit a property to assess what’s needed – that flexibility will be lost.
“With more severe storms and weather events hitting communities across the country, the ability to respond quickly to urgent repairs is more important than ever. Centralising these services risks slowing down emergency responses when tenants need help most.
“Many of these workers are in regional towns where unemployment is already high. Losing their jobs will devastate families in already tough times.
“Kāinga Ora has already lost more than a thousand jobs since 2024 – over a third of its workforce. The Government has stopped building new public houses, is selling off state homes, and now it’s cutting the teams that keep existing homes liveable. This is a deliberate dismantling of public housing in New Zealand.
“This again exposes who the Government really cares about. It made a choice to fund billions of dollars in tax breaks for landlords while turning its back on vulnerable families who rely on the state for a roof over their heads.
“The PSA will fight the latest cuts and will keep reminding voters that come November they have a choice to change this heartless government.”
Background on latest proposal
Kāinga Ora is proposing to centralise maintenance operations currently spread across more than 40 regional offices including Wellington and Dunedin into two Maintenance Operations Centres based in Manukau (Auckland) and Addington (Christchurch).
The proposal impacts 138 roles with a net loss of 46 positions. Roles to be disestablished include Regional Managers – Assets and Maintenance, Team Leaders – Maintenance (outside Auckland and Christchurch), Maintenance Supervisors (outside Auckland and Christchurch), and Maintenance Administrators. Final decisions are expected by 17 June.
Previous Kāinga Ora job losses
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.