<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Thursday <strong>June</strong> <strong>22</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 18 OPINION/LETTERS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz ‘Committed to delivering new homes’ Kāinga Ora has come under fire from residents who live close to housing complexes they have planned in Christchurch. Liz Krause, regional director for Canterbury, Kāinga Ora – homes and communities, explains the agency’s position I am totally in agreement with Cherrie McGlashan’s letter of the <strong>June</strong> 15. <strong>The</strong> (train) lines are still in place through the tunnel and all the way to Cashin Quay where the cruise ships berth. It only requires a platform there for people to be able to board a train. Yes, the Christchurch station is no longer in a suitable place for passengers wanting to access the city, but with the number of ships expected and the financial benefit to the city, surely there could be a platform erected at the back of say Harvey Norman on the Moorhouse Ave, Colombo St corner as the lines pass behind those buildings? Lyttelton residents should be supplied with THE DEMAND for public housing in Ōtautahi Christchurch has steadily climbed over the past few years and we now have more than 1800 individuals or families in our city on the Ministry of Social Development’s housing register. Some of those people will be currently homeless or living in over-crowded accommodation. Some will be elderly, some will have young children. All are in need of a home. As a Crown agency, Kāinga Ora has been given the mandate by Government to build more public housing to provide homes for the growing number of people across the country who cannot afford to pay market rents. In Christchurch, we’ve delivered more than 780 public homes since 2019. We’re planning on delivering another 1000 between now and <strong>June</strong> 2025. We get these homes in a number of different ways. We redevelop properties we already own, we buy land, and we partner with developers to build new pockets of public housing across the city. In some situations, we also buy completed homes from developers to use for public housing. When state houses were first built in Christchurch they were often on big sections. In recent years, we’ve started to demolish some of those old homes so we can build new warm, dry homes on smaller sections, more suited to our customers’ needs. This allows us to make better use of the a pass identifying them as such for their normal bus route, as I believe they subsidise their buses through rates to Environment Canterbury and should have land and provide more housing. We are also buying land and working with build partners to deliver new public housing. For example, at 376 Halswell Junction Rd we have recently bought land and are now working with a developer to build 17 homes. Most new housing developments, whether initiated by us or a private developer, need to go through a resource consent process run by the local council. That process takes into account factors such as whether there is enough infrastructure and services to support the proposed new development and how it aligns with the District Plan. It is the local council that decides whether there is a need for the public to be notified of priority. Why should the cruise ship passengers not only travel at the same price as the locals, but consider they are more entitled to fill the bus before the regular BUILD: An artist’s impression of the planned 17-home Kāinga Ora development at Copper Ridge in Halswell. the consent application. If a local council approves a non-notified resource consent for a new housing development, we have no additional obligation to engage or consult with the community under the RMA, even if the development is going to be used for public housing. Having said that we do generally engage with the community because we understand that people want to know what’s happening in their neighbourhood. How and when we engage will vary from case to case. We hope by sharing information about our developments, people will understand the pressing need for more public housing and see we are building good quality housing. We hope too How a cruise ship train could work passengers are able to board? You may be interested in this photo of navy personnel waiting for a train in Lyttelton (left). <strong>The</strong>re are officers to the front at the left, nearest to the Lyttelton Railway Station, roof visible in the foreground, and other crew lined up all along the railway yards. –Shirley McEwan Cashmere Chlorination Christchurch now has disgusting tasting water courtesy of our Labour Government. It would be good if a legal firm would do a service to Christchurch residents and take they will be welcoming of our customers moving in. Most of the people who live in our homes are ordinary New Zealanders who value the chance to get on with their lives. <strong>The</strong>y make great neighbours and they contribute – in big and small ways – to their communities. Typically, the places in Christchurch where we are seeking to buy or develop new homes are in areas close to schools, public transport links, shops and other services that our customers need easy access to. Nearly 40 per cent of the people living in our homes are children. For them, a Kāinga Ora home means they are not moving from one property and school to another. Research shows that having a stable home has a significant impact on education outcomes and a flow-on effect on employment in the long-term. Stable housing also helps improve physical and mental well-being. <strong>The</strong> reality is a Kāinga Ora home can have a lifelong impact that spans generations. In Christchurch, there are too many families and children living in unstable living conditions. We’re committed to delivering new homes as quickly as possible to help change that. We want to hear your views on the issues affecting life in Canterbury Send emails to: barry@ starmedia.kiwi Letters may be edited or rejected at <strong>Star</strong> Media’s discretion. Letters should be about 200 words. A name, postal address and phone number should be provided. Please use your real name, not a nickname, alias, pen name or abbreviation. a class action against the order to chlorinate our water which was probably the best in New Zealand. – Ray O’Rourke Casebrook CANTERBURY SPORTS CORNER LISTEN LIVE ON SENZ CHRISTCHURCH 1260AM IT'S KIWI FOR SPORT. DOWNLOAD THE SENZ APP.
Thursday <strong>June</strong> <strong>22</strong> <strong>2023</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> 19