Unitec deal marks major KiwiBuild milestone
Unitec deal marks major KiwiBuild milestone
The Government has announced the first major development under its ambitious KiwiBuild programme with the purchase of 29 hectares of land for thousands of houses in Auckland.
The land at Unitec’s Mt Albert campus, just 9km from Auckland’s CBD, will be transferred from Unitec to the Crown with the intention of building a community of between 3000-4000 homes.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford says it’s an opportunity to build a whole new community around Unitec, and help address Auckland’s housing crisis.
“Too many Aucklanders are suffering because of the housing crisis. This Government will not sit around while children are living in cars and families are cramped into overcrowded housing. We need bold action to solve this.
“There will be a mix of affordable KiwiBuild homes for first homebuyers, public housing and open market houses.
“This is a beautiful and historic piece of land with natural features such as the Oakley Stream running through it. It’s close to education, employment and public transport. This new community will have open spaces, new parks and shops.
“We want to create a place for people to put down roots and to live, work, learn and play, for generations to come.
“We’re looking forward to working with the Iwi of the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau collective on this development, consistent with the agreements in their Treaty settlement,” Phil Twfyord says.
Unitec Chairman, Dr Lee Mathias, says the introduction of new homes would create a vibrant space around the campus. The sale of surplus land freed up capital currently used for maintenance work and provided funding for the institute’s ongoing development.
“We have enjoyed this stunning campus for 30 years and it will be fantastic to open the space up to others who will make it their home, grow businesses, and create a community. All proceeds of this sale will support the delivery of our teaching and learning programmes,” Lee Mathias says.
The announcement will be marked with an official welcome for the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford at Unitec’s Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae later this morning.
Further information is available at www.kiwibuild.govt.nz.
Unitec Land for Housing
The
Government has purchased land at Unitec’s Mt Albert campus
in Auckland to develop housing.
About the
site
• 29.3 hectares of land
in Mt Albert, Auckland, within nine kilometres of the
Auckland CBD.
• It is a mix of developed and
undeveloped land, suitable for a master-planned, significant
development.
• The site is zoned as residential (Mixed
Housing Urban and Terraced Housing and Apartment Building),
business (Mixed Use) and Special Purpose – Tertiary
Education.
• The Crown has purchased the land from
Unitec at market value.
• The site is subject to a
right of first refusal and development protocol under the
Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Redress Act
2014.
• Unitec has already conducted comprehensive due
diligence on the site’s housing potential, which suggests
it is suitable for a large scale residential development
approaching 3,000 houses.
• The transfer of the land
from Unitec to the Crown represents an opportunity to help
address the Auckland housing crisis, through delivering a
significant number of high quality, affordable houses for
first home buyers under the Government’s KiwiBuild
programme.
Vision
• 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.
Land for Housing
programme
• The land has been acquired under
the Government’s Land for Housing programme, which
converts existing Crown land and purchases additional land
from the private market to provide residential land supply
for development.
• The Land for Housing programme is
one of four primary methods to facilitate KiwiBuild and
wider housing development.
FACT
SHEET
What is
KiwiBuild?
KiwiBuild is an
ambitious programme that aims to deliver 100,000 quality,
affordable homes for first home buyers over the next decade.
50,000 of these homes will be in Auckland, to help meet the
growing demand for housing stock in our biggest city.
Why do we need
KiwiBuild?
For over a decade
demand for housing in New Zealand has outstripped supply.
Prices are increasing and homeownership rates are falling.
There is a huge unmet need for affordable homes for first
home buyers, which the market hasn’t been delivering.
There’s also a need to encourage innovation and
productivity in the sector. The Government has established
KiwiBuild to help address these issues.
How will
we deliver on
KiwiBuild?
Construction of
KiwiBuild homes will be financed by an initial $2 billion
capital injection, which will be recycled as the houses are
sold.
KiwiBuild will deliver 100,000 quality, affordable
homes using four primary tools:
• Undertaking major
urban redevelopment projects in partnership with iwi,
councils and the private sector (this will deliver the bulk
of KiwiBuild homes)
• Converting existing Crown land
and purchasing additional land from the private market,
which will be on-sold to development partners who commit to
delivering KiwiBuild homes
• Purchasing or
underwriting new affordable homes off the plans, to de-risk
suitable developments led by the private sector and others,
in exchange for accelerating a greater number of homes at
KiwiBuild price points
• Identifying and leveraging
opportunities to procure KiwiBuild homes through existing
Government-led housing initiatives, such as those being
undertaken by Housing New Zealand.
The KiwiBuild
programme will also be supported by initiatives across
Government to streamline planning and consenting processes,
and provide a catalyst for innovation in the building and
construction sector, such as increased use of prefabrication
and modular housing, to speed the pace of new
developments.
Over the next ten years KiwiBuild will
deliver the step-change that New Zealand’s housing system
needs, to support the creation of diverse, thriving
communities of the future.
Who will deliver
KiwiBuild?
A KiwiBuild unit has
been established within the Ministry of Business, Innovation
and Employment, to start delivering on the KiwiBuild
programme. This is an interim measure while the Housing
Commission is being established, which will eventually take
over as the driver of the KiwiBuild programme.
The
Government will work with iwi, councils and private
developers to deliver the KiwiBuild
programme.
Information for suppliers and
developers
Houses will need to be delivered
differently if we want to reach our goal of building 100,000
quality, affordable homes.
Given the pace at which the
KiwiBuild programme is aiming to deliver, our initial focus
is likely to be on partnering with developers and builders
who have development-ready proposals set for
consideration.
We expect to be going out to market soon
with an invitation to participate in the KiwiBuild
procurement process. Interested parties should register with
the Government Electronic Tenders Service (www.gets.govt.nz) to receive
updates.
Information for prospective
homeowners
The focus of the
KiwiBuild programme is on first home buyers, recognising
that New Zealand’s housing system is currently failing to
deliver to this segment of the market.
Further
information will be available once the criteria for
KiwiBuild home buyers is finalised.
Unitec_topographical_survey__Subdivision_plan.pdf