Turanga Built Smart facility opening. From left: Annette Wehi, George Reedy, Doug Jones, Maia Warren, Phil Hokianga, Peeni Henare, Isabelle Ngamoki, Willie Te Aho, Ani McDoanld and Meka Whaitiri. Photo / Liam Clayton
Turanga Built Smart facility opening. From left: Annette Wehi, George Reedy, Doug Jones, Maia Warren, Phil Hokianga, Peeni Henare, Isabelle Ngamoki, Willie Te Aho, Ani McDoanld and Meka Whaitiri. Photo / Liam Clayton
The dream of Tairāwhiti whānau owning their own homes has moved one step closer with the opening of the Toitū Tairāwhiti BuiltSmart facility.
A fortnight ago, Associate Minister for Housing Peeni Henare, along with East Coast MP Kiri Allan and Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP Meka Whaitiri, attended the official opening of the complex on Aerodrome Road in Gisborne.
The facility has six “smart shelters”, with the capacity to accommodate the building of 24 affordable homes at one time. Four homes can be built in each of the six smart shelters.
The facility will deliver over 50 homes by June 2023. It will create 18 full-time jobs and also provide a site for Toitū Tairāwhiti Māori cadets to gain building qualifications.
Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing Ltd is comprised of Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou and Ngāi Tāmanuhiri in partnership with Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Te Whakatōhea iwi.
Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing Ltd managing director Annette Wehi said it was an awesome day, with the sun shining down to welcome the opening of the facility.
The initiative was the result of addressing the need for houses in Tairāwhiti, she said.
“We know we have a housing crisis here. During Covid-19, we were having houses built in Huntly and delivered here, then during the last long lockdown in Auckland, we decided to plan to have a facility here in Tairāwhiti to build.
“Under each smart cover there will be a Tairāwhiti company building four houses at a time, which should take eight weeks to complete.”
Wehi says this was a result of the partnership between iwi, local council, central government and all the tradies who have helped along the way.
“We don’t have enough houses. We don’t have enough public houses, and we have tamariki and mokopuna living in hotels for over two years. They will grow up thinking that is normal. We want to get houses out to whānau,” Wehi said.
“The site opening shows how by working together we can overcome challenges to deliver for whānau in our communities,” Henare said.
Toitū Tairāwhiti secured up to $4 million in funding from the Kānoa Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit (RDU) Regional Strategic Partnership Fund to assist with construction. Toitū Tairāwhiti also co-funded the remaining $4m to bring the project to life.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, Toitū Tairāwhiti recognised ongoing supply chain issues could hinder their housing delivery targets. Toitū Tairāwhiti decided to enter a joint venture with BuiltSmart to establish a Toitū Tairāwhiti BuiltSmart facility in Tūranga,” Minister Henare said.
In Te Tairāwhiti, 24 houses have already been completed, and opening this new facility should enable those numbers to grow.
“We are here today to realise the next stage of the dream which is Māori housing aspiration, and to come here and open a facility that will supercharge addressing the housing needs here in Tairāwhiti. I am proud to support this kaupapa,” Henare said.
Associate Housing Minister Peeni Henare. Photo / NZME
“This is exactly what we were saying through our Māori housing strategy — by Māori, for Māori, with local solutions that match the area’s needs. Toitū Tairāwhiti have done a great job to bring all those aspirations into one space and for us to support it. So, I am really excited to see what is produced from this kaupapa.
“The Government is committed to the vision that all whānau have - safe, healthy, affordable homes with secure tenure across the whole housing continuum.
“I want to say to all the whānau desperate for housing in Tairāwhiti that we are on this journey. We will continue to support Māori housing aspirations, and I look forward to coming back and seeing whānau homed,” Henare said.
BuiltSmart managing director Phil Leather said it had been a long journey, but the company had been supportive of the kaupapa since the day Willie Te Aho arrived in Huntly and wanted to purchase houses.
“What Toitū Tairāwhiti has done has just been fantastic. I read the stories about some of the people who get homes through this, and it’s just heart-breaking to know of whānau who were living in housing without running water, or just lean-tos,” he said.
“We are more than happy to support them and come along for the ride.
“I want to thank everyone for working together - I thought this would be impossible, but now, here we are.”
The complex in Aerodrome Road is the first BuiltSmart facility outside of Huntly.
■ A pōwhiri was performed by students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Uri A Maui, Horouta Wānanga, Whatatutu School, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hawaiki Hou, Manutuke School, Gisborne Girls’ High, and Campion College to welcome the ministers and other officials to the opening of the facility.
