12. PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie) Link to this
to the Minister of Housing
What is the Government doing to improve the accommodation of people in high-need communities?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) Link to this
I am pleased to announce a kick-start housing investment of $46 million to be put into the Auckland suburb of Tāmaki over the next 3 years to redevelop and renovate up to five housing precincts. This investment will involve the replacement of old State houses with newly built ones; free up land for new private homes, some for first-home buyers; and upgrade up to 120 State homes. Not only will building and upgrades benefit those living in Tāmaki, but also it will benefit the tradespeople and builders who will be working in Tāmaki.
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga Link to this
What other work is being undertaken as part of the Tāmaki Transformation Programme?
This work is just the start. The next stage of the programme brings together the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Economic Development, and Te Puni Kōkiri. We are determined to stop talking—like the Labour Government had done—and actually start doing something when it comes to Tāmaki. Labour started talking about that issue more than 2 years ago; we are getting on and doing something about it—a little like Hobsonville.
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga Link to this
How will the Government ensure that what is delivered is appropriate for the Tāmaki community?
The local member should not be concerned at all. The programme will work with the residents of Tāmaki to ensure they are involved in the design and delivery of the Government services that they receive. It is acknowledged that 40 percent of the Tāmaki community are from the Pacific Island community and 20 percent are of Māori descent. That is why it is important that we talk to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and Te Puni Kōkiri, which are involved along with the Auckland Regional Council, the Auckland City Council, local iwi, and stakeholders.
Moana MackeyDoes the Minister agree with the statement made by Housing New Zealand Corporation staff—before they were forced to apologise to him for being honest at the select committee—that “affordable and social housing initiatives are nationally significant”, and should be added to the Government’s streamlining process in the Resource Management Act to avoid the kind of nimbyism displayed by John Key over the Hobsonville project?
I guess I share the frustrations of the Housing New Zealand Corporation and other householders who watched while the previous Government announced the Hobsonville development in 2002, yet 7 years later no spade had hit the ground, and again when it announced the Tāmaki development three or four times over the last 2 years, yet no consents were sought nor houses built. Perhaps if the previous Government had won the election it could have talked about the Tāmaki development for 5 years, instead of just talking about it for 2 years.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I asked the Minister a very specific question, and he chose to go into a rant and not answer it. I asked him whether he agreed with the statement that housing initiatives should be added to the Resource Management Act streamlining process.
Mr SPEAKERThe dilemma is that where a member asks for the Minister’s opinion it is very difficult to expect a particular answer. Where a Minister is asked whether he or she agrees with a certain statement—some Speakers even rule that sort of thing out, because they rule it as being a means of injecting an opinion into a question. I do not rule it out, but we cannot be too precise with answers.
How can the Minister be taken seriously when his own leader has said that building State houses in his electorate would be economic vandalism; or is it the case that National members support high-need communities only as long as they are not in their own communities?