AH 23 088
4 December 2023
Hon Chris Bishop, Minister of Housing
cc: Vui Mark Gosche, Board Chair
Teitei Drive, Ohakune development
Purpose
1.
This memo provides you with background on the Teitei Drive, Ohakune development
subsequent to a media release by the Ohakune Ratepayers and Residents’ Society
Inc, on 3 December 2023.
Act
2.
The project responds to the need for more housing from within the community and will
help address the shortage of suitable and affordable housing to rent or buy. This
proposal has been met by strong and well co-ordinated opposition from a small section
of the community.
Background
3.
The proposed development at Teitei Drive was initiated by Ruapehu District Council
and is being delivered by Kāinga Ora in partnership with Ngāti Rangi and the Ruapehu
Information
District Council who currently own the land. It addresses the need for more fit-for-
purpose housing to meet the varied needs of the community, including affordable
housing to rent or buy.
4.
As of September 2023, around 60 applicants with an urgent housing need are on the
Ministry of Social Development’s (MSD) Housing Register, including 10 whānau
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already living in Ohakune. Ruapehu District Council has 34 applicants on its Housing
Register for Social Housing in Ohakune and 6 applicants for Raetihi.
the
5.
Research by Ruapehu District Council and Ngāti Rangi suggests these numbers only
capture the ‘tip of the iceberg’ for housing need. Many whānau are living in
substandard conditions but are not registering on official lists due to the known lack of
available public housing stock. Through our work in the community, we have spoken to
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many local families living in overcrowded or substandard accommodation – and who
are not on the MSD Housing Register – indicating there is a higher need than the
numbers show.
6.
Stage One of the project wil see Kāinga Ora acquire part of the 9.6 Ha site to deliver
44 build-ready sections along with masterplan and infrastructure design for all stages,
and delivery of key infrastructure to support future delivery by Ruapehu District Council
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as growth requires. Kāinga Ora wil subsequently enable the delivery of 44 homes
comprising 15 affordable homes, 14 worker-rental homes and 15 public homes.
Kāinga Ora wil only build the 15 public homes, which it wil retain.
7.
Kāinga Ora has been approved to receive up to $5.2 mil ion + GST (if any) funding
support through the COVID Response and Recovery Fund ‘shovel ready’ project
initiative to deliver stage one of Teitei Drive. The funding is being distributed and
managed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Construction of
the 15 public homes on the Stage One land would be funded separately by Kāinga Ora
as part of BAU. The affordable and worker homes are expected to be enabled by
selling the build-ready land to a build-partner who would build the houses in
accordance with a Development Agreement.
AH 23 088: Teitei Drive, Ohakune development
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8.
We are planning to submit an initial resource consent application for Stage One early
2024 for enabling earthworks on the site. Once this is granted, we will be able to get
the infrastructure work underway to align with the timing requirements of the Crown
Infrastructure Partners (CIP)funding. The land use and subdivision designs for Stage
One will be part of a second resource consent application to be lodged in mid-2024.
9.
Undertaking the consent in two parts will allow us to get the infrastructure work
underway with central government funding, while also ensuring we have adequate
time to undertake further engagement with the community, giving them opportunities to
provide feedback and get their questions answered.
10.
As part of our commitment to keeping the community updated as we progress with our
plans, we have been in regular communication with residents, property owners and
stakeholders. We have hosted a series of face to face and online outreach sessions, to
answer questions and to seek feedback around what works and what might be
improved in the community. We have also provided a direct contact for questions and
feedback. These initiatives have resulted in positive feedback from many in the
community and we will continue to engage openly as we progress.
11.
We have proactively made a considerable amount of information about the
development available to the public via the Kāinga Ora website, which can be found at:
https://kaingaora.govt.nz/en NZ/urban-development-and-public-housing/public-
housing/public-housing-developments/manawatu-whanganui-region/teitei-drive/
This includes copies of the Resource Consent application and other proactively
released documents, including the bulk of the responses to OIA requests.
s 9(2)(a)
and the Ohakune Ratepayers and Residents’ Society Inc
12. s 9(2)(a)
is a non-resident Ohakune property owner, with holiday home properties
that neighbour the proposed development at Teitei Drive. s has expressed concerns
about the need for the development, lack of appropriate assessments, lack of
consultation, and the perceived conflict of interest of a Kāinga Ora staff member. s
has published criticism of the development and misinformation on a website:
www.saveohakune.com.
13.
Kāinga Ora has received close to 50 OIA requests (and climbing) from s 9(2)(a)
under the Official Information Act
s 9(2)
since July 2023, on the proposed development and related topics. s has also
written to the previous Minister of Housing, to raise concerns about the project and
requested information from other agencies, including CIP and the Ruapehu District
Council.
14. s 9(2)(a)
the Ohakune Ratepayers
and Residents’ Society Inc, which has made seven requests for official information to
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Kāinga Ora as at the date of this advice.
15.
Kāinga Ora have also received a number of OIAs from three other Ohakune residents,
since July 2023.
16.
Kāinga Ora notes that the Ohakune Ratepayers and Residents’ Society Inc media
release refers to multiple Ombudsman Act complaints being lodged about the
management of OIA decisions on this development. We note that we have received
and responded to one Ombudsman Act complaint, accepting that there were delays
with the decisions made, as Kāinga Ora had underestimated the amount of time
needed to collate and review information in scope of that one request (which had
initially included over 1,000 emails).
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Mark Fraser
General Manager, Urban Development and Delivery
Act
Information
Official
the
under
Released
AH 23 088: Teitei Drive, Ohakune development
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