Auckland floods: Almost 30 state houses to be demolished

Kāinga Ora homes in Māngere's Ventura St, Pito Place and Elmdon St are less than 100m from Te Ararata Creek, which regularly floods during bad weather. Photo / LDR

Almost 30 Kāinga Ora state houses in Auckland are set to be demolished because of damage from January’s floods.

The Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods damaged the home or surrounds of more than 590 Kāinga Ora properties.

Whānau living in eight Clover Drive houses in Henderson and 19 homes in Pito Place in Māngere now earmarked for demolition have been asked to move, the government body said.

“After assessing the damage and looking at long-term plans for redevelopment, we have decided repairing many of these homes is not a viable option,” deputy chief executive for Auckland and Northland Caroline Butterworth said.

“We have talked with the customers in those homes and are arranging for them to permanently move into other Kāinga Ora homes.”

The homes may not be the only state houses demolished due to flood damage.

More than half the 590 damaged properties across the city can be lived in while repairs are carried out, but rehousing offers are being made to around 250 customers and their whānau, Butterworth said.

She said there are a few other “small pockets of public housing” where demolition is also being considered because of the extent of the flood damage.

A decision on whether to repair or demolish those homes will be made shortly, Butterworth said.

The homes in Mangere’s Pito Place are in an area already earmarked by Kāinga Ora for future redevelopment so demolishing them now may bring forward those plans, Kāinga Ora said.

“Making these decisions promptly means we can give customers from these homes certainty about rehousing and it gives us the opportunity to work through the best future use of the land,” Butterworth said.

“We’re going to take the time needed to make well-informed decisions, including looking at how we might redevelop to provide improved housing solutions with greater resilience to future flooding events.”

Land left vacant by the removal work will be kept tidy while decisions are made on what should happen long-term, she said.