Region not just novelty

Aucklanders have been pushed to breaking point as far as getting on the property ladder is concerned. PHOTO/FILE

MY STEPSON and his partner have been spending -- perhaps enduring -- weekends of house-hunting in Wellington.

I say enduring because the typical Sunday session of going around open homes is an intense exercise in the capital city. Parking becomes difficult, even on a basic suburban street, because so many people want to view the houses. In some cases, people have to queue to view a home.

Now we hear that a vast tract of farmland near Porirua could be opened up to meet the demands of housebuyers. In a few years' time, Churton Park will join up with Tawa, as the last of the farmland of my childhood is subdivided into suburbia.

I contrast this as my neighbour and I in Featherston do some spontaneous do-gooding in boarding up some broken windows and doors of derelict houses close to us.

Kids have been using them as hangouts, and I have no doubt across Featherston there are perfectly robust, serviceable houses lying vacant among weeds, except for the occasional visit from youngsters with cigarettes and a six-pack of Codys.

Why is it that Wellingtonians are queuing to view houses that are nearly unaffordable but Wairarapa towns seem to only hold novelty value?

We are definitely having distinct success with convincing Aucklanders that the country life is worth having, but that's because Aucklanders have been pushed to breaking point as far as getting on the property ladder is concerned.

It seems that Wellington city has yet to reach that limit. For Wellington, it still seems that Wairarapa is simply a powerful farming locality with the cuteness factor of boutique shops, wine, olives and crafts.

If Wellingtonians are enduring queues to view open homes then we need to be pushing and marketing those desperate, and possibly disillusioned, buyers our way.

Being our own identity is all very well, but you can decay in your uniqueness. We need to be satellite towns, not isolated communities.