State house spruce-up

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

State house tenants here are set to benefit from a $1.4 million spending programme to improve their homes.

Kainga Ora has announced it will invest more than $1.4 million into maintaining and making improvements to homes for its tenants and their whanau in Gisborne this financial year.

Area manager Billie-Jo Paratene said the spending on maintenance such as painting, fencing, roofing and driveway safety improvements was part of its focus on improving the quality of its homes.

Kainga Ora owns 1249 homes in the Gisborne region.

The investment includes $256,000 on fencing improvements, $868,500 on painting, $272,500 on roofing and $41,500 on driveway safety improvement projects.

Mrs Paratene said Kainga Ora was committed to ensuring the health and safety of its tenants, and investing in such maintenance played a big role in that.

“It's great to see this money being spent on our homes in Gisborne.”

“These improvements will help keep our homes in good condition and provide a safe, warm environment for tenants and their whanau.”

The driveway safety programme began in 2013. Its aim is to reduce the risk of children being run over in the driveways of state homes through fencing, self-closing gates with child-resistant latches, speed restriction signs, speed humps and convex mirrors where appropriate.

The programme, which has already seen improvements to 20 Gisborne properties, focuses on separating play areas from driveways and ensuring these areas are visible and accessible from main living areas.

Each year Kainga Ora spends about half a billion dollars on maintaining and improving its homes across New Zealand.

“That is a massive financial commitment and one we're proud of. I'm especially thrilled to see that money being spent on our Gisborne homes,” Mrs Paratene said.

The improvements were “tangible proof” that Kainga Ora took the health and safety of its tenants and their families seriously.

Kainga Ora's driveway safety programme and its values have been supported and commended by Safekids Aotearoa.

Safekids Aotearoa director Melissa Wilson encouraged all homeowners and tenants to be extra careful around their driveways. Many driveway run-overs happened during summer months when families were busy, out of routine and spending time outdoors, she said.

“It's critical you know where your children are and that they are supervised before you get into your car.

“Make it a habit to take a walk around your car and make sure there are no children playing behind or near your car.

“Taking steps to keep your kids' play areas separate from your driveway is vital. Physical barriers between those spaces, such as fences, are also something we support. But most of all remember ‘know where they are' and check for kids before you turn the key.”