The one-bedroom apartments on the corner of Malfroy Rd and Ranolf St haven't changed much in the past three months. Photo / Kelly Makiha
The one-bedroom apartments on the corner of Malfroy Rd and Ranolf St haven't changed much in the past three months. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Little appears to have changed at a Rotorua Kāinga Ora development since container-like homes landed three months ago, but the housing agency says work is about to ramp up and is on track for completion this year.
But others said they were “snazzy” and looked forward to seeing what they looked like when they were finished, after roofs, stairs, balconies and gardens were added.
What the container homes looked like in April and an artist's impression of what they will look like when finished. Photo / Andrew Warner
From the road the homes appear largely unchanged since April but Kāinga Ora has assured residents the project is still a goer and is not one of the 110 developments that have had the brakes put on since a Government shake-up.
Kāinga Ora had previously said it still intended to deliver more than 300 new homes between now and mid-2026, given Rotorua’s “priority” status.
Annamaria Downes, who lives in a property behind the container-like homes, said she wondered what the hold-up had been as she had seen nothing visible happen there in the past three months.
In her opinion: “They [workers] comes down every now and then and fart-arse around a bit but nothing much has happened. I’ve seen other houses built (around Rotorua) ... and they started after these.”
Bay of Plenty regional director of Kāinga Ora Darren Toy. Photo / Andrew Warner
Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy said more significant work for the Malfroy Rd and Ranolf St development was currently happening off-site with the manufacture of components such as stairs, balconies, roof coverings and external screens.
He said progress continued on-site with work on drainage, landscaping, service connections, and installing flashings between the storeys.
Its contractor had workers on site, but not always for full days, Toy said.
“While progress isn’t as fast as I would like to see, site work is progressing and when the components currently being manufactured off-site are delivered there will be more trades working full days to complete these apartments by the end of the year.”
An impression of how a home in the three two-storeyed blocks on the Ranolf St and Malfroy Rd site will look. Image / Supplied
Once finished, the steel units stacked two storeys high will be three sets of four one-bedroom units - 12 homes in total.
Toy previously said the homes in each set would be joined by a roof and a communal stairwell and would have screening to one side of the balconies for privacy. There will be no rear balconies that face existing neighbours. Guttering and downpipes are to be installed before being connected to services.
Toy previously refuted claims by residents the homes were containers.
“These are not containers. Because they are made from steel they may appear alike, but that’s where the similarities stop."
He said they met all New Zealand building and healthy home standards and were fully insulated with double glazing and insulated walls.
“While they currently look very different to the traditional wooden framing we see in New Zealand, they will become stylish modern homes that complement the other new homes in the area,” Toy said.
Plumbing company rapt to get work
Among trades starting to trickle on to the site is long-standing Rotorua plumbing company Atkinson and Donaldson Plumbing.
Owner Cameron Payne said he was rapt for eight to 10 staff members, including six plumbers, to get a solid contract during the next few months.
“It’s good that locals are doing it because there’s a shit-load of out-of-towners [tradies] coming here.”
He said the tough economic times were hitting his fellow tradies.
“It’s good to have certainty for the next couple of months because most tradies are slowing down, which is making it hard out there for everyone.”
Payne said his team had been in and out of the site during the past month but work would start to get busier now as they worked on the stormwater drains and then they would help with connecting the properties.
He said while locals had their opinions on what they looked like now from the roadside, they were “quite nice inside”.
“They are all built to New Zealand standards, doubled glazed and insulated with dishwashers and fridges. They’re like a ready-to-go start-your-car-type house.
“When they put the roofs on they will look a lot nicer and once the trees start growing in a couple years they will start to fit in more.”
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
