Kāinga Ora development not fully compliant but adverse effects 'less than minor'

An image of the new Kāinga Ora homes on Huxley Rd, Kaiti. The site previously had just one house, which was bulldozed in March to make way for the new dwellings. Image supplied

by Matthew Rosenberg

A new Kāinga Ora development in Gisborne is not compliant with all of its consent conditions, as neighbours continue to protest its construction.

But Gisborne District Council says the adverse effects of the proposal are “less than minor” and have given the green light.

Later this year, construction is expected to start on three two-storey homes at a  923 square metre Huxley Rd property.

The section was previously home to a single-storey Kāinga Ora house, which was bulldozed in March following methamphetamine contamination.

In response to the new build, a group of neighbours have mobilised in opposition, citing privacy, cramped living conditions and a lack of consultation as main issues.

Lisa Christensen wrote to Kāinga Ora on May 8 expressing concerns on behalf of nine separate properties.

“None of us feel it’s a good solution for those (incoming) families. We want them to be set up to thrive, not struggle,” she told Local Democracy Reporting this month.

Christensen has since claimed the project does not meet its resource consent conditions in full, which has been confirmed by the council.

In response to questions, council consents manager Jocelyne Allen said applicants could apply to create developments that did not achieve all the general rules.

These were assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the site and surrounding environment.

Based on Kāinga Ora’s proposal, two of the houses would be built on lots which were 23 square metres smaller than what was permitted for a residential zone, while the third section was 71 square metres smaller.

Those sections came in at 297 square metres and 329 square metres respectively.

The new build complied with both its distances from boundaries and height requirements, aside from a “very small area” for the latter, Allen said.

The maximum area of each lot allowed to be covered by buildings is 35 percent under current rules, but two of the lots exceeded this by 2 percent.

Vehicle crossings were closer to the intersection than permitted, but were assessed by traffic engineers to be acceptable due to low traffic flows, vehicle speeds and good visibility.

“The proposal was considered to achieve the objective and policies of the Tairāwhiti Plan with regard to the general residential zone,” Allen said.

“Therefore, the application did not require notification publicly, or to immediate neighbours, and could be granted.”

The council recommends applicants engage with neighbours prior to applying for consent, but this was not a mandatory requirement under the Resource Management Act, she said.

Although the building consent had been processed by the council, it would also be inspected by Consentium — Kāinga Ora’s building consent authority.

Kāinga Ora North Island regional director Naomi Whitewood previously told Local Democracy Reporting her organisation had a clear mandate from the Government to deliver more homes and make the best use of land it already owned.

“Tonight there are whānau in Gisborne who are living in cars, sheds and severely overcrowded homes,” she said.

Whitewood said the next step for her organisation was to secure a build partner for the project.