Southern Taupō is set to expand even further with the Taupō District Council looking to develop at least another 6ha of residential-zoned land. Photo / Dan Hutchinson
Southern Taupō is set to expand even further with the Taupō District Council looking to develop at least another 6ha of residential-zoned land. Photo / Dan Hutchinson
The entry-level housing and rental market in Taupō is in dire straits, according to a new draft housing strategy released by Taupō District Council.
Damp, overcrowded houses are common in the district, but even that is a luxury many can’t access, says the council’s strategy, which it has been working on for 18 months.
Solutions include zoning some areas for more dense residential development, freeing up Māori-owned land for housing, provision for elderly housing, and encouraging heating and insulation upgrades for older houses.
The council also wants to take a more active role in facilitating social housing and affordable housing.
“The Taupō district’s population has grown by 18 per cent since 2013, and for a range of reasons housing supply has not kept up with this growth. The district is now faced with a situation where suitable housing is not accessible for everyone, particularly those on lower incomes,” the strategy reads.
Taupō district councillor Anna Park said it was seeking feedback from the community and once the strategy has been adopted, it will be used as a guiding document for council staff and elected members when making future decisions that affect housing in the district.
Taupō district councillor Anna Park. Photo / Supplied
“Housing is at the heart of a safe, secure, and vibrant community.
“In partnership with our community, we want to be part of the solution to the housing crisis we face in this district. We know there has been a housing shortage for some time and that’s why, for the last 18 months, we’ve been working on a housing strategy to help address some of the issues we’re facing.”
In the short term, the strategy proposes using its own land holdings in the East Urban Lands to provide affordable housing, and it would also look at residential areas that could be suitable for “housing intensification”.
In the long term it would look to purchase more land or redevelop housing in Taupō, Tūrangi and Mangakino “to enable the delivery of affordable homes, affordable rental properties and housing for the elderly”.
It would work closely with Kāinga Ora and community housing providers to facilitate the development of affordable and social housing in the district, including on council-owned land.
It would work with developers, and seek voluntary agreements, “to limit the constraint of covenants in private developments that unduly limit housing affordability and choice”.
“This could be an agreed set of principles for covenants that will not restrict height, density, rentability, and further development of sites, such as through infill,” the strategy reads.
It would also “identify large vacant land parcels in the residential zone in Tūrangi and work with landowners to facilitate positive housing outcomes”.
Consultation on the draft Housing Strategy began on June 19 and will run until 4.30pm on July 17.
For more information or to have a say on the strategy people can go to www.taupo.govt.nz/haveyoursay, get in touch with the customer service team on 07 376 0899 or email info@taupo.govt.nz.
This is a Public Interest Journalism funded role through NZ On Air
