Govt announces 3-4k new homes in first major KiwiBuild move

Some 29.3 hectares of bare and developed land will be acquired in an arrangement that will see the Crown develop the area in concert with iwi of the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau collective, an urban Maori representative body that has held rights of first refusal over the land in the event of it being relinquished by Unitec.

Proceeds of the sale, for an undisclosed sum but at “market rates”, will all be applied to infrastructure and teaching programmes at Unitec, the institution’s chair, Lee Mathias, said in a statement.

Due diligence by Unitec had established the land, which runs along Carrington Road and the Oakley stream along one edge and the suburb of Mt Albert, the electorate held by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, on its other long boundary, was capable of carrying “up to 3,000 homes”.

Ardern and Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced the development, saying the intention was to between 3,000 and 4,000 homes.

“The government’s vision is to develop this prime site with a mix of affordable KiwiBuild homes for first homebuyers, alongside public housing and open market homes. Our aim is to build a stunning urban community with great transport links and the best of urban design” on the site, some 9 kilometres from the Auckland CBD and served by existing motorways, bus routes and potentially a light rail service from West Auckland to the central city.

The land has been acquired under the Land for Housing programme, which converts existing Crown land and purchases additional land from the private market to provide residential land supply for development.

“We want to create a place for people to put down roots and to live, work, learn and play, for generations to come.,” said Twyford.