Questions raised about the future of Napier’s Carnell St ‘star flats’

The Carnell St "Star Flats" in Napier are set to be demolished. Photo / Warren Buckland

Residents of Kāinga Ora’s Carnell St flats in Napier are in the process of being rehomed, but questions have been raised on future of the buildings and the reason they can’t be remodelled, reused or sold.

One resident, Mark (who chose not to give his surname) told Hawke’s Bay Today that surveying and planning had been quite apparent recently, but many of the now vacant flats had been left alone without any oversight, care or maintenance in the interim.

“We’ve known for a while that they’ve been planning on doing something, but while the planning has been going on there hasn’t really been any other sort of work or maintenance happening on the buildings,” he said.

The buildings were designed and built as part of a wider rollout of so-called “star flats” in the 1950′s and 60′s, owing to their butterfly rooves and cross-like shape when seen from above.

Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern previously told HOME magazine in 2017 that she liked the “star flats” in Freeman’s Bay, Auckland, due to their aesthetic nature and the fact they represented the first time New Zealand had social housing designed for a whole family to live in.

Mark said the residents of the Carnell St flats received a letter in January saying the buildings were going to be demolished, which came as a surprise to him as he was expecting the flats to be sold or renovated.

Many other blocks, including the ones in Freemans Bay, have since left the state housing portfolio and been sold to private owners. Kāinga Ora also completed renovations on its star flat blocks at Maitland St in Dunedin in 2021.

Now, when somebody moved out of the Carnell St Flats, “they have basically just screwed a piece of plywood to the front door,” Mark said.

Roxanne Cribb (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga), Kāinga Ora’s acting regional director East North Island – homes and communities, told Hawke’s Bay Today in a statement the main reason for the proposed demolition of the Carnell St flats was due to them being considered both leaky and earthquake prone.

“The 70-year-old apartment buildings in Carnell St, Napier were in need of upgrading. As part of scoping what was required, early in 2021 they were checked for resistance to earthquakes. The assessment came back showing that while they were at a level that was okay to live in for the short-medium term, they were considered earthquake prone as well as leaky buildings.”

She said renovating and strengthening the building was deemed uneconomical.

“Due to the style of the buildings, Kāinga Ora investigated a range of options to strengthen the apartments but all options came back as uneconomic and not able to bring the buildings up to the necessary standards.”

She confirmed it was “likely” that the buildings would be demolished, and the site would be redeveloped to provide newer homes.

Cribb also said almost half of Kāinga Ora’s clients in the buildings had now been rehomed, and that new homes would be found for those remaining before the end of the year.

“Our team is keeping an eye on the empty apartments and once the buildings are cleared they will be secured and if necessary, security engaged.”

Similar buildings in Karamu Rd, Hastings were also confirmed as earthquake prone and leaking, and will be demolished soon. Stripping of asbestos from the building has begun and demolition of the concrete structure is due to start mid-April.

The adjoining Pattison Rd blocks would also be demolished due to their poor condition.

“Kāinga Ora is still considering how both the Karamu Rd and Carnell St sites will be optimised to address the urgent need for more public housing in Hawke’s Bay. Design teams will be looking at initial options in the next few months,” Cribb said.

“We will be talking to the community and asking for feedback about early plans for redevelopment throughout 2023.”