Sue Henry Housing Lobby Spokesperson

Privatisation of State Housing with PPPs

"Beware of the privatisation of State Housing through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)!"

"Although there have been no specific 'big headlines' from Housing Minister Phil Heatley on State Housing privatisation, the 'dog whistle' has gone out to financiers - ultimately who will not be held accountable to public scrutiny on 26 November 2011," says Sue Henry Spokesperson for the Housing Lobby.

"It was very concerning to read in the Infrastructure 'pull out' in the NZ Herald Tuesday 9 August 2011, "Government treads cautiously on Public Private Partnerships" - that 'New Zealand's leading infrastructure financiers have been sharpening their pencils as the bidding war for the National Government's first public private partnerships enters the final phase'", continued Ms Henry.

"Westpac's David McLean favours widening the use of PPPs for hospitals and also points to considerable opportunities for banks and private construction firms to develop 'social housing'. We are seeing now how successful twenty-story tenement blocks in 'social housing estates' have been in the UK.

This failed model is about to be replicated in New Zealand, and this is the reason why the whole of the Auckland region has been rezoned, with the blessing of 'corporate' charity groups, when we already have now entire 'underclass' suburbs.

Affordable housing is a core function of central government, " concluded Ms Henry.

ENDS

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