ISSUE 27 | JUNE 2023
This issue
In this edition of Development and Construction Matters we look at the scale of our public housing pipeline and highlight some of our developments. We discuss our important infrastructure work, and the initiatives Kāinga Ora is involved in to speed up the delivery of housing.
Don’t forget to also check out our ‘Need to know’ section where we let you know about a new health and safety standard, and our refreshed urban and landscape design guidelines.
Message from our land development, construction, commercial and urban planning leaders
Kia ora koutou,
The unprecedented weather events earlier this year wreaked havoc on our towns and cities. We saw homes flooded and building sites affected and our teams have been working hard to carry out necessary repairs while supporting those impacted. We are grateful to our construction and developer partners who worked tirelessly to assess damage and communicate with us about the impact on their construction projects.
However there were small silver linings: newly constructed infrastructure solutions in our more advanced large-scale developments successfully managed the flood waters, protecting local homes and businesses. The flooding also provided our teams with up-to-date, real-world data to inform flood mapping and planning, meaning future development will be even more resilient against the impacts of climate change.
We are hoping the second half of this year brings us all fewer surprises so we can continue to deliver our important mahi enabling more housing for Aotearoa alongside our partners.
Housing delivery continues
This financial year (ending 30 June 2023) Kāinga Ora will deliver over 2,500 new warm and dry public homes. That number will increase to between 4,500 and 5,300 in the next financial year with the help of our build partners explains Kāinga Ora Board Chair Vui Mark Gosche. This year’s Budget also confirmed the extra supply of 3,000 public homes by June 2026, to be delivered by Kāinga Ora and Community Housing Providers. More information on this, and an updated Public Housing Plan 2021-2024, will be provided by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in the coming weeks.
From (under) the ground up: How thriving communities begin
Infrastructure is more than just pipes and cables; it helps bring people together and make our neighbourhoods more resilient. Done well, infrastructure can improve connectivity, provide environmental benefits and enable thousands of houses for Kiwis now and in the future. Read more about how Kāinga Ora is working in partnership to deliver over 600 infrastructure projects over the next 20 years, and the many benefits it will bring to communities across the motu.
Building Momentum – public and social housing construction advancing at pace
In 2020 Kāinga Ora launched Building Momentum, our construction plan for future homes. Since then, our public housing construction programme has continued to increase in scale and efficiency. Throughout Aotearoa there is a significant number of projects under construction or completed in any given month. Here’s a snapshot of some of our most recent numbers.
IAF moves into the delivery phase
Critical infrastructure projects throughout the country – from the Far North to Otago – have received a share of the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF). Administered by Kāinga Ora, the IAF is designed to help local councils fund critical infrastructure to unlock housing development in areas of need.
The IAF is now largely focused on the delivery stage. This is where Kāinga Ora works closely with councils, developers and iwi to monitor progress on the infrastructure projects – ensuring milestones are reached and, ultimately, that housing outcomes are achieved.
Offsite innovation for housing growing in momentum
To get more New Zealanders into homes faster we need to think differently, to innovate and try new ways of working. As the largest residential developer in New Zealand, at Kāinga Ora we’re using our scale to do just that. Alongside our partners in the building sector we are increasing the use of offsite manufacturing (OSM) to boost housing supply throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Building climate resilient homes and communities
As the recent weather events highlighted, it is important we are building our homes and communities to withstand the impact of future climate change. Innovative urban design, integrated nature-based approaches, and significant infrastructure upgrades are just some of the ways we are increasing the resilience and environmental sustainability of Kāinga Ora developments throughout Aotearoa.
Read more about how we are building climate resilient homes and communities and further from our General Manager of Urban Development and Delivery about the important infrastructure work we are doing to future-proof our neighbourhoods.
Working Better Together
A new partnership has been formed between Kāinga Ora, Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and Watercare to better enable the planning, funding and delivery of the infrastructure needed to support Auckland’s Large-Scale Projects.
The Working Better Together partnership was formalised last year through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Minister of Housing and the Mayor of Auckland, and further cements the commitment to delivering a 10-year plus redevelopment programme across the region.
Need to know:
Adoption of H&S standard Tōtika
It’s important all our Kāinga Ora build partners share our health and safety values, and have an appropriate health and safety management system in place.
To simplify the health and safety prequalification process we have adopted the Tōtika standard. This means all our build partners now have the option to continue with the use of Impac for prequalification or apply and adopt the Tōtika standard.
Release of refreshed Urban Design & Landscape Design Guidelines
Kāinga Ora has released the refreshed Tāone Ora: Urban Design Guidelines and Toitū Te Whenua Toitū Te Kāinga: Landscape Design Guide for Public Housing. The refreshed documents replace a number of legacy documents and contain guidance on improving driveway safety, strategies for the development of steep sites, balconies, fencing standards, the design of communal open spaces, and more. The two new guides can be found on the Kāinga Ora website.
