Housing at Pt England Reserve a step closer

  • Nick Smith
Building and Housing

Legislation changing the designation of part of Auckland’s Point England Reserve so houses can be built has passed its first reading in Parliament, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Point England Development Enabling Bill allows for housing development on 11.7 hectares of the 48 hectare Point England Reserve in Tāmaki, east Auckland. Ngāti Paoa will have the right to develop the land for housing, in conjunction with the Tamaki Redevelopment Company.

“This plan is about replacing the cows with homes and enhancing the balance of the reserve with improved recreational and cultural facilities. This initiative will give more families a warm, dry, affordable home, improve amenities in the area and help to resolve Ngāti Paoa’s Treaty settlement,” Dr Smith says.

“Ngāti Paoa will have the right to develop this land for housing and will pay fair market value. A further 2ha is being provided for the development of a marae as part of the cultural redress of the Treaty settlement.

“We need to increase the supply of land suitable for housing in Auckland so we can grow our housing stock. Houses are needed now and Ngāti Paoa’s planned development of about 300 homes will be under way next summer.

“The aim is to achieve a minimum of 20 per cent social houses and 20 per cent affordable houses but the details are yet to be negotiated with Ngāti Paoa. The balance of the reserve will remain as recreation reserve land, as will the adjacent Council-owned beach reserve.

“The Government is committed to 100 per cent of the proceeds of the land for housing development being reinvested in the Tamaki community. We are in discussions with the Auckland Council on the redevelopment of the reserve and a significant portion of the funds will be required for enhanced recreational facilities and improvements in the reserve’s amenities. Any balance will be reinvested in the adjacent Tamaki redevelopment.”

The Bill passed its first reading unanimously and was referred to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee for consideration. The committee will call for public submissions on the Bill and it is anticipated it will report back to Parliament in April 2017.