March 30, 2020

NZ Urban Development news from the media | 24 September | NZTA backs down from light rail, looks at spending millions elsewhere

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Hi *|FNAME|*, Please find below Urban Development News from the media from the week of 24 September 2019.

Provided by Rockhopper

NZTA backs down from light rail, looks at spending millions elsewhere

The Labour-led Government has been forced into another humiliating rail backdown during its "year of delivery", conceding that most of the $463 million set aside by the NZ Transport Agency to spend on the Auckland light rail project will now be spent on other projects, including roads.

Transport Minister Phil Twyford admitted on Tuesday that the NZTA was now looking at other ways of spending $313 million of the $463 million it had planned to spend on light rail, after the project hit serious delays.

The reversal has come about because construction on the light rail – which will run from Auckland's central business district to Mt Roskill, a distance of 8 kilometres by car – has been delayed until at least 2021. In the lead up to the 2017 election, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised that this section of the light rail track, which would later continue out to Auckland airport, would be built in just four years.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115885818/nzta-backs-down-from-light-rail-looks-at-spending-millions-elsewhere

Kāinga Ora to deliver world-class public housing

Public housing tenants can expect world-class public housing services through the new government provider, Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities. The bill to establish the new entity was read for the final time tonight, allowing for it to be established on 1 October 2019.

“Kāinga Ora will be a world-class public landlord, providing good quality, warm, dry and healthy rental housing.

“Their attention will be on building up New Zealand’s stock of public housing, and maintaining and improving the quality of existing properties, with a strong focus on promoting the wellbeing of current and future generations."

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/k%C4%81inga-ora-deliver-world-class-public-housing

First stage of almost 500 new homes hit market in Richmond

A new suburb is taking shape in Richmond West as developers gear up to have a commercial centre and 482 residential lots completed in about seven years.

Stage one of the 14-stage The Meadows development was released last week with 39 lots going on sale at the site. Stages two and four, with a combined total of 56 lots, are due to be released in early November.

Richmond West Development Company Ltd is the owner, developer and marketer of the site. The Meadows follows the company's 71-lot adjacent development called The Fields.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/115926936/first-stage-of-almost-500-new-homes-hit-market-in-richmond