KiwiBuild boss leaves role

The head of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s KiwiBuild unit, Stephen Barclay, has resigned with immediate effect.

His resignation was announced in a oneline statement from a PR company yesterday. The reasons are not known but Barclay, who began in the role in May last year, was reportedly in an employment dispute.

A spokeswoman for Housing Minister Phil Twyford said he would not comment “as it is an employment issue”.

A spokeswoman for Ministry of Housing and Urban Development had no immediate comment. Further comment is being sought from Barclay himself.

The Weekend Herald revealed late last year that Barclay had not been working in his role since November, reportedly over an employment matter.

National’s Housing spokeswoman Judith Collins said Barclay’s resignation did not bode well for KiwiBuild.

“This is extraordinary and needs a full explanation from Mr Twyford, and whether it was due to a relationship breakdown.”

Act leader David Seymour said Barclay’s resignation had thrown the KiwiBuild programme into crisis.

KiwiBuild is one of the Government’s flagship programmes and aims to build 100,000 homes across in New Zealand over the next 10 years.

Twyford announced in October that he had opened the new ministry which would “help the Government build New Zealand out of the national housing crisis and restore the basic rights to healthy, affordable housing for all New Zealanders”.

The new ministry united a range of previously fragmented housing policy, funding and regulatory functions from MBIE, Twyford said at the time.