Kāinga Ora: Gore housing development on hold
Kāinga Ora’s resource consent application for its proposed housing development in East Gore is on hold while it considers feedback from affected parties.
Kāinga Ora proposes building 24 homes of various sizes on the site of the former Longford Tavern.
Regional director Otago, Southland and South Canterbury Kerrie Young said an application for resource consent had been lodged and was being processed by the Gore District Council.
This was notified by the council to the parties deemed “affected” by the proposed development, and they were provided an opportunity to provide a submission.
Kāinga Ora is now considering this feedback in relation to its current plans for the site.
A hearing will be held in the near future to decide on the consent for the development proposal.
“This council-run process follows our own initial engagement with the community that took place last month,” Young said. “This included a drop-in session for around 30 neighbours, whose properties adjoin or are in close proximity to the site, to share our current proposed plans.
“Once the consenting process concludes, we’re looking forward to being able to share the finalised plans for the site with the wider Gore community.”
The homes will be a mix of sizes and designs, and the proposed plan is for some of them to meet full Universal Design Standards, meaning they can be adapted to be accessible for people of all abilities, at any stage of life.
Kāinga Ora already owned 38 homes in Gore, and it said there was an urgent need for public housing in Southland.
Data from the Ministry of Social Development shows there are currently 26 applicants on the Public Housing Register in Gore.
There are 29 in Clutha, 239 in Invercargill and 39 in the Southland district.
Its website said Kāinga Ora will match the new homes to individuals on the Ministry of Social Development’s Housing Register with the highest priority for a home of that size and in that location.
A spokesperson for the Gore District Council building control team said the resource consent application was notified to adjoining landowners and submissions have closed.
Currently the application had been placed on hold at the request of Kāinga Ora.
The council was yet to receive a building consent application.
Kāinga Ora generally used the Crown entity, Consentium, to process, inspect and certify their building consents.
When Consentium took care of the consenting process, the information was passed onto the council at certain milestones for filing within the property file, the council spokesperson said.
The Mataura Licencing Trust closed the Longford Tavern in 2021, blaming the Covid-19 pandemic, a lack of staff and falling revenue.
It was demolished in March 2023.
“Once the consenting process concludes, we’re looking forward to being able to share the finalised plans for the site with the wider Gore community.”
Kerrie Young