22 September 2023
Barry Murphy
[FYI request #23794 email]
Tēnā koe Barry
Thank you for your request to Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, dated 11 August 2023, which
you made through th
e www.fyi.org.nz website. You requested the following information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
I request information regarding plans for the affordable houses for Teitei drive. Considering
resource consent has been submitted for this project and the marketing information being provided
by Kainga Ora around the 15 new homes to be built for affordable first home buyers, there should
be substantial information available.
1. What size houses are being considered (square meter and single or double story) with any
details of each, even if in draft.
2. What builders have been considered to build these houses
3. What is the estimated cost of build for each house, $ per sqm wil be fine.
4. Who is intended to sell these on the market
5. Who wil be legible to purchase these houses, first home buyers yes, but what is the
criteria, do they have to have X amount of deposit,
6. Is there a loan by KO and if so is it interest bearing, or do the first home buyers have to go
to a bank?
7. Wil there be rent to own, and if so how does this scheme work, what is the cost to tax
payers
8. What wil the discount be on the land
9. What wil the discount be on the build
10. What is the average discount provided over the last years affordable homes sold in a
similar manner
On 5 September 2023 we extended the time frame for a decision on your request to 22 September
2023 under section 15A(1)(b) of the Act because the consultations necessary to make a decision on
your request were such that a proper response could not reasonably be made within the original time
limit.
Your questions and our responses are set out below.
1. What size houses are being considered (square meter and single or double story) with any details
of each, even if in draft.
Work to date has been for an application for Resource Consent for the subdivision only and we have
not initiated house design. The Teitei Drive, Ohakune Concept Masterplan included in the Resource
Consent application includes indicative lot layouts for sections with a placeholder rectangle and double
stacked rectangles to il ustrate two storey height in relation to boundary concepts. That document is
available at
https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/assets/Developments-and-Programmes/Regional-Housing-
Programme/Manawatu-Whanganui/TeiTei-Drive-Ohakune/Appendix-3_Concept-Masterplan-and-
Landuse-Consent-Package.pdf. An earlier version of this document, dated 13 March 2023, and
released to you on 19 September 2023, also included two indicative site plans to show typical lot
layouts. These included more details of the possible interior layout of homes.
As the current focus is on obtaining Resource Consent, preparing the 44 build-ready sections, and
installing necessary infrastructure, it is too early in the process to determine the detailed design of any
of the new homes.
2. What builders have been considered to build these houses
The proposed development is stil in its early stages. When the land is ready for homes to be built,
Kāinga Ora wil invite builders and developers, including local builders, to become build partners.
3. What is the estimated cost of build for each house, $ per sqm wil be fine.
We do not hold an estimated cost to build for each of the homes, or an average cost to build per
square metre in the Ohakune region. It is too early in the development to consider this. However, in
2021 estimated above-ground costs for the 44 homes to be built on the Stage One land were $11.2
mil ion, excluding development margin.
4. Who is intended to sell these on the market?
Following completion, the affordable homes proposed for this development wil be sold to end
purchasers through a process which wil be determined in consultation with our project partners,
Ruapehu District Council and Ngāti Rangi. As the project is stil in its early stages and has not been
consented, this process has not been designed or agreed as yet. This part of your request is refused
under section 18(g) of the Act, as the requested information is not held by Kāinga Ora and we have no
reason to believe it is held by another agency.
5. Who will be eligible to purchase these houses, first home buyers yes, but what is the criteria, do
they have to have X amount of deposit?
As above, the process or criteria for selling the affordable homes to eligible buyers is yet to be
determined. This part of your request is refused under section 18(g) of the Act, as the requested
information is not held by Kāinga Ora and we have no reason to believe it is held by another agency.
6. Is there a loan by KO and if so is it interest bearing, or do the first home buyers have to go to a
bank?
Kāinga Ora administers a number of government home ownership products and programmes to help
aspiring buyers into home ownership. There is more information available on these programmes on
our website at
https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/home-ownership/
7. Wil there be rent to own, and if so how does this scheme work, what is the cost to tax payers
Rent to own has not been considered as it isn’t one of the three house categories (affordable, public
and long-term worker accommodation) planned for Stage One of the development. This part of your
request is refused under section 18(g) of the Act, as the requested information is not held by Kāinga
Ora and we have no reason to believe it is held by another agency.
8. What wil the discount be on the land
9. What wil the discount be on the build
No decisions have been made on any discounts. This part of your request is refused under section
18(g) of the Act, as the requested information is not held by Kāinga Ora, and we have no reason to
believe it is held by another agency.
10. What is the average discount provided over the last years affordable homes sold in a similar
manner
As indicated above, no decisions have been made on the process for selling the affordable homes,
therefore there are no “homes sold in a similar manner” that can be compared with Teitei Drive. This
part of your request is refused under section 18(g) of the Act, as the requested information is not held
by Kāinga Ora and we have no reason to believe it is held by another agency.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of my decision on your
request. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
Freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that Kāinga Ora proactively releases its responses to official information requests where
possible. Our response to your request may be published at
https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/publications/official-information-requests/, with your personal information
removed.
Nāku noa, nā
Mark Fraser
General Manager – Urban Development and Delivery
