Crown-iwi agreement on Auckland housing programme

Agreement has been reached with Auckland iwi which will facilitate progress on the Government’s programme to develop housing on Crown-owned land, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“The Government and Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau have come to an agreement, where we will be able to get on and use vacant public land for housing while at the same time ensuring Treaty settlements covering the Auckland region are respected and upheld. I welcome the decision by Ngāti Whātua Rōpū to withdraw legal proceedings to allow the programme to continue at pace,” Dr Smith says.

The Tāmaki Collective Deed of Settlement – signed in 2012 between the Crown and Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau – includes a protocol which stipulates that where the Government intends to develop land subject to a Right of First Refusal for state housing purposes, it must first provide the Limited Partnership of Ngā Mana Whenua iwi and hapū with the first opportunity to be the developer before offering it to private sector developers. 

“The Housing Mahi Ngātahi Agreement reinforces this protocol, as well as setting out further ways for the Government and iwi to work together on common objectives in housing. The Agreement includes a shared commitment for 20 per cent of new houses delivered through the Auckland housing programme to be made available for purchase by community housing providers, and for a further 20 per cent priced as affordable for first home buyers,” Dr Smith says.

“The Crown’s assessment of potential sites is progressing with a focus on those parcels of land with the capacity for 60 homes or more. The next step will be issuing an Invitation to Partner, seeking private sector expertise and capacity for delivering housing developments. Individual projects may include iwi partners where they have taken up the opportunity. I remain hopeful that the first development agreements will be in place this year and the first homes from this programme completed by the end of 2016.

“This programme is about delivering more homes for Auckland with a focus on growing the supply of affordable and social housing. I look forward to working closely with the iwi and hapu of Tāmaki Makaurau on developments that ensure we meet this objective.”