Media Release
16 November 2012

Support for Hobsonville Point housing scheme

Auckland Council is to investigate opportunities for innovative housing forms and sections sizes to enable the provision of more affordable homes in a pilot programme at Hobsonville Point.

It has been announced that 20 per cent or 500 to 600 new homes at Hobsonville Point will be sold for less than $485,000 over the coming decade.

Auckland’s Deputy Mayor says Auckland Council is working closely with the government and the Hobsonville Land Company (HLC), the developer of Hobsonville Point, to promote innovation in section size and building design.

“Hobsonville Point is a high quality development with the potential to offer commercial solutions to meet the challenge of housing availability and affordability in Auckland,” says Penny Hulse.

“The key to meeting Auckland’s future housing needs is providing a greater range of quality housing choices for people at all stages of life, and this pilot project will show the commercial viability and market appeal of smaller houses on smaller sections.

“To facilitate some of the housing types envisaged as part of Hobsonville Point’s affordable housing programme, the council is working hard to ensure that zoning and other regulations support opportunities for innovation.

“The development as a whole will add a welcome supply of new homes in Auckland’s north-west. The news that the HLC has targets of 10 per cent of homes for a market price of less than $485,000 and another 10 per cent at less than $400,000 is very welcome.”

The affordable housing targets will be indexed to inflation.

Penny Hulse says partnership between central and local government, as well as the commercial property sector, is crucial to address Auckland’s housing issues.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage