The decision by Kainga Ora and Ruapehu District Council to withdraw from the TeiTei Drive development is a major set-back for our local community says Ngāti Rangi Pou Ārahi, Helen Leahy.

“It is a basic human right to live in adequate housing. We have too many families across our region in dire housing need; in emergency housing; couch-surfing, living in sheds; families forced to live together in over-crowded conditions.

“Ngāti Rangi has set a vision for its people to vibrantly exist in 1000 years. The concept of a 100 day plan to address decades of state neglect is shortsighted in comparison. We know that housing directly relates to all aspects of wellbeing for a whānau.

The Council’s own portal, Pūwhenua ki Ruapehu, describes some of the complexity of the local housing market. The portal states the quality of housing in Raetihi was, in many cases, thought to be poor with substandard insulation and heating; while in Ohakune,

“There are houses on the market but they aren’t affordable. In the past three years it’s changed. Almost 70% of our houses are absentee owners. If we didn’t have them we’d be dead because they pay the rates. But for the locals, because there’s pressure from the tourists, the price goes up. So affordability is a problem, not for some people, but for the real people. The first home buyers, the residents”.

As a result of the poor state of housing, our most vulnerable, our babies and our elderly, are over-represented in hospitalisation rates in the region. Respiratory illness and infectious disease thrives in homes that are not healthy to live in.

“Asthma is huge. Mainly children. Because the homes aren’t healthy. They’re not insulated properly. But it’s well known that in this region asthma is one of the highest, in the Waimarino area”.

“Nga Waihua o Paerangi is aware of over thirty local whānau that are in dire need of safe, warm and healthy homes. The announcement today, axing the project to build 44 new houses in our region, is a major setback for Ngāti Rangi and the wider community.

“This decision, along with the rushed legislative passage to quash Te Aka Whai Ora – an agency that has supported Ngāti Rangi with opportunities to directly support our community (Whiria Nga Hua) – is devastating. We reflect on the hundreds of hours spent in community engagement, in design and development meetings, in cultural and environmental planning, in working together with our whānau to respond to their aspirations. We will be writing to respective Ministers to let them know of the adverse impacts that their 100 Day Plan is already having within our community”.

“In order to see the change we need, we are dedicated to growing and nurturing the potential of our uri and our communities to vibrantly exist 1000 years from now. That doesn’t stop, no matter what else is going on”.

NGĀTI RANGI PRINCIPLES

Ko te Kāhui Maunga te mātāpuna o te ora

We understand that the Kāhui Maunga is the source of our origin and well-being of Ngāti Rangi

Me karioi te noho

We understand that we, as Ngāti Rangi, are here forever

Kia mana ai ngā kōrero tuku iho

We understand that the teachings of our tupuna are upheld

Ko te anga whakamua ki āpōpō

We understand that decisions must be future focused

Background

TeiTei Drive was a project to build 44 homes in a mixed housing development, which includes 14 homes for workers to rent long-term, 15 affordable homes and 15 public homes.

Ruapehu District Council partnered with Kāinga Ora and Ngāti Rangi to enable the development of residentially-zoned vacant land at Teitei Drive in Ohakune.

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