Hon Dr Nick Smith
Minister for Building and Housing

26 April 2016

Ngati Whatua O Kaipara MOU opens door for housing developments

The Government has welcomed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed today between Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara, the Hobsonville Land Company and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for housing developments in north-west Auckland (MBIE), Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said today.

“This MOU is an important step on the road to opening up surplus public land for housing developments in the north-west of Auckland. It provides a framework in which we can create a pipeline of housing bringing together the development skills of the Hobsonville Land Company, Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara’s Treaty Settlement Right of First Refusal, and MBIE’s Crown Land housing programme,” Dr Smith said.

“The first development to progress with Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara will be the nine hectare Village Precinct in Hobsonville of 400 homes. The subdivision is to proceed next summer with the first homes to be completed in early 2018.

“The development has a strong affordability element, with eighty per cent having to meet specific price points. Fifteen per cent are required to be below $450,000, 7.5 per cent below $500,000 and 7.5 per cent below $550,000.

“These thirty per cent affordable homes under the Axis Series programme will be sold to owner occupiers and at least fifty per cent of these will go to first home buyers. The remaining fifty per cent will be sold below Auckland’s median house price.

“We are also exploring a development agreement involving Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara, the Hobsonville Land Company and MBIE on 18 hectares of New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) owned land in Brigham Creek Road. MBIE has reached a preliminary agreement with NZTA on purchasing this land for the Crown Land programme and it is currently being subjected to due diligence. Other sites in north-west Auckland are also being explored.

“This MOU is just a first step in the Crown’s land development programme in the north-west of Auckland where Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara has a right of first refusal. It is important to recognise that this legal right is quite different to the Housing Protocol and Mahi Ngātahi agreement with the 13 iwi over other parts of Auckland.

“There is no sense in having surplus Crown Land sitting vacant when Auckland has major housing issues derived from a shortage of land. It is a complex process freeing up this land for much needed housing, but we are progressing work in a pragmatic way to get homes built as quickly as practically possible.”

ends

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