Indian Newslink 1st APRIL 2018 Digital Edition

APRIL 1, 2018
The Government has made
its first move in fulfilling
its election promise of
building houses to combat
the housing crisis by acquiring
29 hectares of land at the Mt
Albert Campus of Unitec Institute
of Technology.
The Unitec property accounts
for 55 hectares, more of than
half of which is available for development
and the land deal will
also allow the Institute to proceed
with its own development
and expansion plans.
However, the development
would require the consent of the
Iwi of the Nga Mana Whenua o
Tamaki Makaurau collective, in
terms of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Historic Land
Announcing the move this on
Sunday, March 25, 2018, Housing
and Urban Development
Minister Phil Twyford said that
the government would construct
between 3000 to 4000 homes as a
part of its KiwiBuild Programme.
The purchased land will be
transferred to the Crown.
Mr Twyford said that acute
shortage of houses in Auckland
has forced many families with
children to live in cramped and
overcrowded homes and cars.
He described the Unitec property
as a ‘beautiful and historic
piece of land with natural features
such as the Oakley Stream
running through it.’
“The property is close to education,
employment and public
transport. This will be a new
community. This new community
will have open spaces, new
parks and shops,” he said.
Mr Twyford said that the government
was keen to create a
place for people to work, live,
learn and enjoy for several
generations.
“We want to create a place for
people to put down roots and to
live, work, learn and play, for
generations to come. There will
be a mix of affordable KiwiBuild
homes for first homebuyers,
public housing and open market
houses,” he said.
Mr Twyford was also confident
of working with the Iwi
successfully.
Unitec development
Unitec Chairman Dr Lee
Mathias said that construction
of new homes would create a vibrant
space around the Mt Albert
Campus and that Unitec would
be able to fund its development.
“We have enjoyed this stunning
campus for 30 years and
it will be fantastic to open the
space up to others who will
make it their home, grow businesses,
and create a community.
All proceeds of this sale will support
the delivery of our teaching
and learning programmes,”
he said.
Some Unitec Facts
29.3 hectares of land in Mt
Albert, Auckland, within nine
kilometres of the Auckland CBD.
It is a mix of developed and
undeveloped land, suitable for
a master-planned, significant
development.
The site is zoned as residential
(Mixed Housing Urban
and Terraced Housing and
Apartment Building), business
(Mixed Use) and Special Purpose
– Tertiary Education.
The Crown has purchased
the land from Unitec at market
value.
The site is subject to a right of
first refusal and development
protocol under the Nga Mana
Whenua o Tamaki Makaurau
Redress Act 2014.
Unitec has already conducted
comprehensive due diligence
on the site’s housing potential,
which suggests it is suitable for
a large scale residential development
approaching 3000 houses.
The transfer of the land from
Unitec to the Crown represents
an opportunity to help address
the Auckland housing crisis,
through delivering a significant
number of high quality, affordable
houses for first home
buyers under the Government’s
KiwiBuild programme.
Some KiwiBuild Facts
Construction of KiwiBuild
homes will be financed by an initial
$2 billion capital injection,
Educationlink
Government to build 4000 homes on Unitec property
Purchase of 29 hectares of land the first step
Venkat Raman
venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz
Unitec Topography Survey (Supplied)
07
which will be recycled as the
houses are sold.
KiwiBuild will deliver 100,000
quality, affordable homes using
four primary tools undertaking
major urban redevelopment
projects in partnership with iwi,
councils and the private sector
(this will deliver the bulk of
KiwiBuild homes)
Converting existing Crown
land and purchasing additional
land from the private market,
which will be on-sold to development
partners who commit to
delivering KiwiBuild homes
Purchasing or underwriting
new affordable homes off the
plans, to de-risk suitable developments
led by the private sector
and others, in exchange for
accelerating a greater number of
homes at KiwiBuild price points
Identifying and leveraging opportunities
to procure KiwiBuild
homes through existing
Government-led housing initiatives,
such as those being undertaken
by Housing New Zealand.
Editor’s Note: Prime Minister
Jacinda Arden (who is the elected
MP from Mt Albert), Mr
Twyford and others attended
a ceremony at the Te Noho
Kotahitanga Marae in Unitec on
Sunday, March 25, 2018 to mark
the announcement.