Hon Amy Adams

Minister for Social Housing
16 May 2017

New North Road construction underway

The construction of 100 new homes on land formerly set aside by NZTA for roading can now begin, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams announced today at the sod-turning in New North Road Mt Albert.

In October 2016 the Government signed an agreement with Marutūāhu Rōpū and Ockham Residential Limited for the development as part of the move to repurpose vacant land for new houses in Auckland.

“The Crown Land Programme is a smart and innovative programme. People may not live where past planners thought they would – we can, and we must, cast our eye over under-utilised land which Crown agencies are holding,” Ms Adams says.

“New North Road is handy to Auckland’s CBD and the Waterview connection due for completion next month, and it is close to the city-linked cycleway.

“The Crown Land development sites have advantages not seen in a purely commercial housing development. The initiative offers a Government commitment that 20 per cent of the homes across the programme are available for social housing and a further 20 per cent priced as affordable – defined as no more than the KiwiSaver HomeStart cap.

“In this instance, 50 per cent of the homes in New North Road will be priced in the affordable range for Auckland.

“MBIE has acquired four sites in Auckland, has five others in the pipeline, with further opportunities identified. Together they will deliver around 2700 homes.”

The 100 houses on New North Road is part of the Government’s Crown Building Project which will replace 8300 old, rundown houses in Auckland with 34,000 brand new purpose-built houses over 10 years. 24,000 of these will be done by Housing New Zealand through their new Auckland Housing Programme.

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