Housing project in new suburb upsets residents
Feilding locals are upset about a mediumdensity Kāinga Ora development popping up in the middle of the town’s new Maewa urban growth area.
Fort St East resident of 37 years Joe Griffen said he felt his world had been turned upside down when he found out through an unofficial source at the end of January that a 20-home cluster of state homes would be built in the new Maewa residential growth area.
It was not until February that Kāinga Ora informed residents it had a deal with GL Corporation Ltd to build the homes, which it would buy on completion.
By that stage, the Manawatū District Council had granted consent for the development, a process that even mayor Helen Worboys did not know had occurred.
Griffen said an action group had been formed to oppose the development but, apart from plans to start a petition and the possibility of a public meeting, it was running out of options to stop it.
Residents and other developers were likely to see their property values drop as a result, he said. “The thing that really disappointed us was the lack of transparency.”
One of their concerns was about the quality of the subdivision. With houses packed into sections that were mostly under 500 square metres, and without garages, that was out of keeping with the style of housing they expected in the new neighbourhood.
“And even if they suga- coat it and say they will be wonderful houses to live in, they will never be able to guarantee the quality of tenants,” Griffen said.
The group understood there was a clause in the District Plan that allowed the internal roading to be counted as part of the total area to calculate average lot sizes.
Under that equation, average lot sizes came out larger.
Council chief executive Shayne Harris said the District Plan provided for the development as a discretionary activity.
He said resource consent was granted on a non-notified basis having regard to legal requirements, and the nature and extent of the development’s effects.
Griffen said the community felt let down by the council.
Worboys said although she understood the development was causing serious concerns in the community, the council’s hands were tied.
She said the perception that Maewa was intended to be a high-end residential area was not based in the reality of the planning rules.
She said most of the people who would be tenants in the new homes were already living in Feilding in substandard housing and not causing any problems.
“I don’t expect they will start playing up in a new home.”
She said everyone deserved a nice, warm home, and she hoped government agencies would step up and make sure the tenants had the wraparound services and support they needed to live well in the community.
Kāinga Ora/Homes and Communities regional director Graeme Broderick said neighbours and the wider community were notified about the development after all contractual conditions had been met.
He said the developer would manage all aspects of the construction process, including obtaining resource consent, and Kāinga Ora would take over ownership once the homes were finished.
“We work proactively with the developer to ensure the homes to be built are of a high construction standard, using designs which complement both the environment and meet the needs of our customers and communities.
“So far, we have only received a handful of feedback related to the development and we really welcome the opportunity to talk directly to the people who have concerns.”
Broderick described the development as being close to schools, services and amenities.
The residents’ action group challenged that.
The area was not on a bus route, and most people would depend on private cars to get to shops, town services and schools.
“The thing that really disappointed us was the lack of transparency.”
Fort St East resident Joe Griffen