10,000 home plan for eco-city

A plan to build an ‘‘eco-city’’ in a northern suburb of Wellington is part of a civic wishlist submitted to the Government.

Documents released under the Official Information Act (OIA) reveal Wellington City Council asked the Government to partner on building 10,000 dwellings in the Lincolnshire Farm/Grenada North/Grenada area.

‘‘The council would like to explore the Government’s interest in a development partnership leveraging the Petone-Grenada Link road project …’’

However, the highway project was recently overlooked in the Government’s National Land Transport Programme and its status is being re-evaluated.

Yesterday, Wellington Mayor Justin Lester said the Lincolnshire Farm plan was still on the long-term horizon.

The eco-city, which would be built to ‘‘modern environmental designs’’, could gain traction when the Government sets up its national Urban Development Agency.

The council’s summary of building proposals were sent to Housing Minister Phil Twyford, asking him for accelerated government support, a scaled-up regional partnership approach,

‘‘Our initial estimates show that the northern CBD area could deliver around 1500 new housing units.’’ Wellington City Council’s request to the Government

changes to the Special Housing Area legislation and to use KiwiBuild funds for the city’s housing solutions.

The document proposes using KiwiBuild funds to purchase or partner with private building owners to create social and affordable dwellings, as well as using the funds to purchase adjoining land to accelerate Wellington’s redevelopment.

It asks the Government to agree to implement KiwiBuild with the council on a number of brown-field development opportunities, such as those on Centreport and Wellington Railway Station land at Kaiwharawhara and the Strathmore area, in partnership with Housing New Zealand.

‘‘Our initial estimates show that the northern CBD area could deliver around 1500 new housing

units. CentrePort and railway land parcels also offer capacity for significant residential development and could deliver another 1500 new housing units.’’

It also sets out the council’s current capacity and where it intended to intensify and increase the number of units, from 399 to 727, as part of its Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP).

The report says the council expected to add 250 homes in the city by working with private owners on developments at Hanson St, Taranaki St, Southmark House and Freemason House on Willis St, Takapu Island near Tawa and Haukawakawa/ Thorndon.

The tranche of documents also reveals the council asked the Government to establish a new Deed of Grant and use KiwiBuild funds to purchase social and affordable housing, from 2018, as part of the Wellington KiwiBuild scheme.

In 2007, the council and Crown agreed to a $400 million partnership to redevelop its social housing stock over 20 years but the council has already spent the Government funds.

A Wellington social housing review, released to Stuff in June under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, revealed some properties were upgraded beyond the design standards agreed by the Crown and cost up to 50 per cent more than the standard building code.

Last month, Stuff reported that the Government looked set to step in to help Wellington sort out its social housing shortage.

Housing New Zealand is preparing to sign a deal for the council’s vacant Arlington sites, which could see KiwiBuild homes constructed there.