Affordable homes for Mt Albert development

The Government has today signed an agreement with Marutūāhu Rōpū and Ockham Residential Limited for a 100-home development in New North Road, Mt Albert, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“This development, with an average house price of $573,000 and only 8km from Auckland’s city centre, is a welcome addition to the Government’s Crown Land Housing Programme.

This project is led by the Marutūāhu Iwi and is significant as the first development under the Housing Protocol between the Crown and Tāmaki Collective. Dr Smith and joint venture partners Marutūāhu and Ockham Residential today signed the heads of agreement on the project.

“This site was originally owned by the New Zealand Transport Agency as part of the Waterview roading development and was identified last year as a candidate for the Crown Land Housing Programme. The development opportunity was optimised by purchasing earlier this year an adjacent section which was privately owned.

“The key to more affordable housing close to Auckland city is greater density and smart design. The Special Housing Area status granted earlier this year enables 100 homes on the site, rather than 24 under the old planning rules. Ockham has proven experience in developing innovative, high-quality and affordable housing with a focus on three and four level character apartments. Marutūāhu Rōpū is an important partner and through the Tāmaki Collective helped achieve the successful housing development at Waimahia at Weymouth.

The next step following this Heads of Agreement is the detailed development agreement, which is expected to be concluded in December. The homes in this development will be constructed in stages. It is anticipated construction will begin in July 2017, with the first dwellings due to be completed by May 2018.  The balance will be completed over 2018 and 2019.  

“This development is part of the Crown Land Housing Programme, where the Government is using its ownership to help facilitate an increase in the supply and affordability of housing. The Government receives deferred settlement for the land but places requirements on development to occur at pace and for the homes to be constructed at the more affordable end of the housing market.

“The Government is step by step, development by development, resolving Auckland’s housing challenges. We have multiple reforms under way with Special Housing Areas, the new Unitary Plan, the National Policy Statement on Urban Development, the Resource Management Amendment Bill, KiwiSaver HomeStart and the Housing Infrastructure Fund, as well as this Crown Land Housing Programme. Proof these reforms are working in Auckland is the doubling in residential building activity during the past three years to an all-time high of more than $7 billion per year,” Dr Smith says.

“This latest housing development in Mt Albert, alongside others in Auckland at Hobsonville, Weymouth, Tamaki, Northcote, McLellan and Moire Road, has the Government directly involved in building more homes than at any other time in Auckland’s history. We will be announcing further developments before year’s end.”