Kāinga Ora spent $678,000 in Whanganui over last financial year

Doug Spick says 175 households had improvements made to their homes last year. Photo / Bevan Conley

Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities spent around $678,000 dollars last financial year in the Whanganui region.

That went into exterior house painting ($282,000), fencing ($65,400), new roofing ($325,000) and driveway safety improvements ($6000) for its homes.

Kāinga Ora's director of maintenance contracting and asset services, Doug Spick, said 175 households had improvements made to their homes.

"Where there are young children under five, the home got a secure play area as part of our driveway safety programme," Spick said.

"These completed jobs provided additional work for trades already involved in some capacity on maintaining our homes in the area."

Spick said Kāinga Ora began a new national maintenance Te Mahi Ngātahi contract last July.

In addition to the usual contract terms and conditions, it also included a focus on an improved customer experience.

"For customers having their home repainted, a new roof, fence or driveway safety improvements, we've improved our communication frequency with them.

"Our Maintenance Partners have co-branded vehicles and clothing so customers know it is our people at the door. Throughout the job customers also receive regular updates on progress."

Safekids Aotearoa Director Mareta Hunt said she supported improvements that made driveways at six Kāinga Ora homes in Whanganui safer for whānau with young tamariki.

Research made it clear that fewer tamariki would be injured in driveways when property and driveway design separated where tamariki might play or walk from areas where vehicles are driven, Hunt said.

"Useful interventions include erecting a gated fence to prevent tamariki accessing the driveway as well as the use of signage and convex mirrors to aid drivers in multi-unit complexes.

"With summer and the traffic light system whānau are spending more time outdoors, so we also encourage all homeowners and tenants to be extra careful around driveways.

"Know where your tamariki are and that they are supervised before you get into your car and remember to always check for kids before you turn the key".