6 June 2024
Michael Bennett
[FYI request #26799 email]
Tēnā koe Michael
Thank you for your email of 14 May 2024 to Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities requesting the
following information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
During the Govt's covid response, the location known as Aaron lodge camping ground and
motor lodge (kaikourai Valley Road, Dunedin) was acquired as a MIQ facility, after that it was
passed to Kianga Ora for the development of social housing and nearby residents were
notified.
since then the site has been left empty, while homeless residents of Dunedin sleep in tents
next to a motorway.
1; has any consideration been given to using this location to house the homeless while the site
awaits development into social housing, and if not why not?
2; what barriers, if any, prevent this site being used to accommodate rough sleepers
3; where do plans to redevelop this site in to social house stand currently
4; what timelines, or targets exist for the above options, if any
Your request has been considered under the Act. Your questions and our responses are listed below:
1. Has any consideration been given to using this location to house the homeless while the
site awaits development into social housing, and if not why not?
Since purchasing the former Aaron Lodge site on Kaikorai Valley Road, Kāinga Ora has been
undertaking robust due diligence to assess how the site could be developed for housing, to determine
its future use.
We have sold and removed the relocatable cabins from the site, and all chattels from the remaining
buildings. Some services have been disconnected.
Given the time and cost realities of the work required to enable the remaining buildings to be used to
house people, there is no consideration being given to using the site for temporary or emergency
housing.
2. What barriers, if any, prevent this site being used to accommodate rough sleepers
Under the Building Act, to be used for housing, the remaining buildings must have a Building Warrant
of Fitness (BWOF), to ensure health and safety compliance.
The Southern District Health Board (SDHB) leased the site from December 2021 to the end of June
2022 for use as a quarantine facility and kept up the BWOF.
Once the SDHB lease ended, and we planned to clear the site for redevelopment, it wasn’t feasible for
us to maintain the buildings to keep the BWOF compliance. The buildings are designed for
commercial use, and do not meet current standards for residential use.
Extensive upgrades and repairs would be needed to bring the remaining buildings up to the standards
required to get a BWOF for residential use.
3. Where do plans to redevelop this site into social house stand currently?
We put a significant amount of work into the planning and design stage of a potential new housing
development to ensure that it is of a high quality, meets local regulatory requirements, and fits well
within the neighbourhood.
We acknowledge this work can be time-consuming and market conditions can change as we work
through that process.
We continue to work through options for the Kaikorai Valley Road property. Since purchasing the site,
costs facing builders and developers across the country have risen significantly and the economic
environment we are operating in is markedly different, which has had to be factored into our decision
making.
4. What timelines, or targets exist for the above options, if any?
We are continuing to work through options for the property and are committed to informing the
community of any decisions regarding its future use, once confirmed.
Kāinga Ora remains committed to exploring opportunities to increase the supply of social housing in
the Dunedin area to help provide homes for families on the Housing Register.
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
Paul Commons
Deputy Chief Executive – Te Waipounamu South Island
