21 June 2017

Media Release:

Christchurch City Council helps National government facilitate the biggest privatisation of state assets in New Zealand history

In a particular shameful act the Christchurch City Council is helping the National government facilitate the biggest privatisation in Zealand history – our $18 billion of state house assets.

The council’s Otautahi Community Housing Trust is putting in a bid for 2,500 Christchurch state houses which the government wants to sell for $700 million. The money for the bid will come from a big corporate, Morrison and Co, which is keen to make handsome profits from state subsidies for tenants and the land grab that goes with redeveloping state house areas.

This is a betrayal of existing state house tenants and those of our children and grandchildren who will in future need access to state housing. Only the government has the resources and capacity to build the substantial number of homes desperately needed in Christchurch.

The council should stand up and fight the government on behalf of all of us rather than cave in to social vandalism.

The government and council have a fight on their hands in what will be the biggest issue in Christchurch in the upcoming election.

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