Development concerns
A Housing New Zealand development is causing concern for an Auckland residents group.
The Fontenoy Community and Residents Group is made up of Mount Albert neighbours calling for involvement in a Housing New Zealand Special Housing Area (SHA).
The Mt Albert development is at 31-45 Fontenoy Street and 5-14 Ambrose St. At present there are 13 dwellings on the site. After development there could be up to 50 new social houses.
The group met with Housing NZ on May 18 to hear plans and ask questions about the development.
To help address the Auckland housing shortage the Government in 2013 created SHAs where consents would be fast-tracked to stimulate the market and tackle rising house prices.
Housing New Zealand has land in around 50 SHAs across Auckland.
Group member Nicola Dennison says they development could have a negative impact on the community if current residents are not consulted.
‘‘We have a list of concerns we have presented to Housing New Zealand.
‘‘One of our biggest concerns is schooling, schools in the area are already at capacity.
‘‘If Housing New Zealand has not consulted with the schools then this could cause major issues,’’ Dennison says.
Mt Albert MP David Shearer says he supports the community group and has called for Housing NZ to keep them informed.
‘‘As a government department it has an obligation to look at the knock on effects it will have on social structure,’’ Shearer says.
Dennison says the group strongly opposes Housing NZ’s plan to have no private housing integrated into the SHA.
‘‘Housing NZ’s preferred approach in general is integration,’’ she says.
A Housing NZ spokesperson says they ‘‘will be speaking with the Ministry of Education, following on from the feedback we received at our recent meeting with residents’’. The spokesperson says Housing NZ will continue discussions with Auckland Transport and will keep the community informed.