Castor Cres still empty

It is time there were houses on the Castor Cres land in Porirua, because too many people are still waiting for homes, Porirua’s MP says.

Kris Faafoi told a public meeting last week that leaving the Castor Cres land undeveloped was no longer acceptable.

In 2008 and 2009, 27 ageing and earthquake-prone Housing New Zealand homes were bowled in what’s known as the Castor loop in Porirua East. More were pulled down in nearby Hazard Gr and Esk Place last year.

It was hoped a private developer might build there, but this had not eventuated.

Housing New Zealand representatives had said in the past that the Castor loop land was not economically viable, but Faafoi said the waiting list for social housing was long, and there was an obvious need in Porirua.

‘‘At the moment it looks like a council park, but it’s high time we had houses built there,’’ he said.

He said he had been asking for more than five years when new houses would be built.

At the public meeting in Russell School’s hall, the Mana MP introduced speakers from the Porirua community, before opening up the floor to let the 40-strong audience have their say on the empty land in Cannons Creek.

Questions and comments from the floor included giving incentives to private developers, ensuring there was a mix in size of homes and wanting a representative from Housing New Zealand to actually visit the Castor loop.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided a petition would be organised and Faafoi would attempt to get the Housing Minister to visit the Castor Cres lot in the near future.