九一星空无限

ZB ZB
Opinion
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Up next
ZB

Kāinga Ora to demolish almost 30 state houses due to Auckland flood damage

Author
Ben Leahy, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Wed, 8 Mar 2023, 10:45am
Kāinga Ora homes in Māngere's Ventura St, Pito Place and Elmdon St are less than 100m from Te Ararata Creek, which regularly floods during bad weather. Photo / LDR
K膩inga Ora homes in M膩ngere's Ventura St, Pito Place and Elmdon St are less than 100m from Te Ararata Creek, which regularly floods during bad weather. Photo / LDR

Kāinga Ora to demolish almost 30 state houses due to Auckland flood damage

Author
Ben Leahy, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Wed, 8 Mar 2023, 10:45am

Almost 30 K膩inga Ora state houses in Auckland are set to be demolished because of damage from January鈥檚 floods.

The Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods damaged the home or surrounds of more than 590 K膩inga Ora properties.

Wh膩nau living in eight Clover Drive houses in Henderson and 19 homes in Pito Place in M膩ngere now earmarked for demolition have been asked to move, the government body said.

鈥淎fter assessing the damage and looking at long-term plans for redevelopment, we have decided repairing many of these homes is not a viable option,鈥 deputy chief executive for Auckland and Northland Caroline Butterworth said.

鈥淲e have talked with the customers in those homes and are arranging for them to permanently move into other K膩inga Ora homes.鈥

The homes may not be the only state houses demolished due to flood damage.

More than half the 590 damaged properties across the city can be lived in while repairs are carried out, but rehousing offers are being made to around 250 customers and their wh膩nau, Butterworth said.

She said there are a few other 鈥渟mall pockets of public housing鈥 where demolition is also being considered because of the extent of the flood damage.

A decision on whether to repair or demolish those homes will be made shortly, Butterworth said.

The homes in Mangere鈥檚 Pito Place are in an area already earmarked by K膩inga Ora for future redevelopment so demolishing them now may bring forward those plans, K膩inga Ora said.

鈥淢aking these decisions promptly means we can give customers from these homes certainty about rehousing and it gives us the opportunity to work through the best future use of the land,鈥 Butterworth said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to take the time needed to make well-informed decisions, including looking at how we might redevelop to provide improved housing solutions with greater resilience to future flooding events.鈥

Land left vacant by the removal work will be kept tidy while decisions are made on what should happen long-term, she said.

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you