Woods’ half-billion spend on housing infrastructure
The Government has announced a $540 million plan to build pipes, roads and a cycle bridge which Housing Minister Megan Woods says should support the development of 16,600 new houses.
Woods made the announcement in Hamilton, the city set to Ōbenefit the most from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund announcement.
Of the $539.8m budgeted for road and water infrastructure improvements, Hamilton would receive $150.6m of the spend.
For Hamilton, its funding would allow for the construction of water infrastructure including a new reservoir and pump station. Woods also confirmed it would fund a pedestrian and cycle bridge, to allow commuters to cross from the eastern suburbs into the city centre.
Woods said this funding would lead to 4000 new houses to be built within a 20-minute ride to the Hamilton CBD.
Woods also confirmed funding for works in Auckland, Tauranga, Christchurch, Kawakawa, Pahiatua, Kaikohe, Upper Hutt, Waipukurau and the West Coast.
The Auckland suburbs of Mt Albert and Pt Chevalier were also expected to grow by 4000 houses as a result of this latest tranche of funding.
Woods said the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund would pay $113.2m to widen Carrington Rd, making way for bus lanes and cycle options, as the area undergoes significant residential developments.
Across the city, Auckland would also benefit from $7.3m invested into road safety improvements near the rākei pā.
Woods said safety improvements at the intersection between Kupe St and Kepa Rd would allow for up to 460 new whare to be built at the Ngāti Whātua rākei papakāinga, near
rākei Marae.
Yesterday’s announcement included the biggest list of spending from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, which was launched in March last year. Before this, Woods said just $916.3m of the $3.8
billion package had been allocated.
The fund, operated by Kāinga Ora, was there for councils and developers to make funding bids for infrastructure that would allow land to be developed at greater density.
Announcing yesterday’s decisions, Woods’ office called this an ‘‘infrastructure bonanza’’ – which included 13 projects in total.