Grounds up in the air
diesel tanks above and below ground, three historic landfills and a potentially contaminated stream.
Two community groups on the land, Te Rito Gardens and Echoes, spent days clearing a large section near the stream that had become a makeshift dump for residents.
They collected a whole skip worth of washing machines, TVs, bags full of nappies and other rubbish.
A little bit of investment from the Office of Treaty Settlements and a lot of elbow grease from community organisations are what has kept some of the buildings standing.
Despite all that, many are optimistic about the site’s future.
Porirua mayor Nick Leggett said it could be the next big growth area in the city, with potential for commercial development and medium to high-density housing.
‘‘Porirua has a real need to have people living within our central area in higher density housing than people currently live in,’’ Leggett said.
‘‘ That’s an absolute opportunity,’’ he said.
‘‘We know people want to live in low- maintenance sections and within walking distance of amenities and public transport and work.
‘‘So that site’s prime for that,’’ Leggett said.
Although the community groups might need to find somewhere else to go, Porirua was not short on space and there was a chance for some affordable hous- ing to be developed on the site, he said. ‘‘I’m not scared of change. The city will relish growth and development up there.
‘‘We have some ill fits in terms of people’s needs in a house and what they can get here, and I see that site as part being part of the answer to some of those issues.’’
City councillor and longtime real estate agent Euon Murrell wouldn’t go as far as saying it was a property goldmine, but said that with much of the infrastructure, such as roads, already in place there could be some payback.
But its best chance was Ngati Toa partnering with a developer to build some high-density housing, he said.
‘‘I don’t think we’re in a market where there are a lot of developers – there are one or two who are keen to develop pieces of land. I don’t think there would be a long queue.’’
If Ngati Toa turned the land down, the Office of Treaty Settlements has said it would go on to the open market.
Te Rito Gardens co-ordinator Steve Wilson said developers would be ‘‘crazy’’ not to utilise what had already been built. In their corner of the grounds, that amounted to an extensive organic vegetable garden that made money and supported people with disabilities.
‘‘We’ve had to change our attitude to working in with what happens, instead of throwing up our arms in despair,’’ Wilson said.
‘‘We’re doing a good thing with the land here and we’re an asset to the community.’’
If it were up to Wilson, the new owners would build some tasteful, affordable apartments that backed on to Kenepuru Drive – making them close to the city – and which overlooked a large botanic garden at which Te Rito remained the centre.
He conceded he sounded like an idealist when he said it, but someone had to be, ‘‘or we’ll end up like Tokyo’’.
Neighbour James Michael, who runs a community space centred on sustainability called Echoes, is with Wilson.
Michael doesn’t hesitate when asked what his vision for the land would be: ‘‘ A sustainable ecoparadise’’.
Parts of the Porirua community are struggling financially and he would like to see the land developed so that the not-so-well-off benefit, whether by building affordable, eco-friendly homes or gardens that could supply cheap fruit and vegetables.