Kainga Ora Rejects Anti-Competitive Behavior Claims Regarding Papakura Housing Project

State housing providers have rejected allegations of anti-competitive conduct related to a proposed housing development in South Auckland and have refused to take immediate action.

Kainga Ora is Being sued by property developer WintonWinton wanted to build more than 4,000 homes and three retirement villages in Papakura and asked Kaingaola to use its special powers under the Urban Development Act to expedite the project. .

Winton claimed Kainga Ora said he was “too busy” to process the private sector application.

He also accused state institutions of overpaying for land and cutting off the private sector.

Kainga Ora denied those claims. General of Urban Planning and Design Katja Lietz, her manager, said the agency remains focused on building new homes to meet the immediate needs of all New Zealanders.

“Apart from our public housing programme, our role in urban development is to increase housing stock for all Kiwis and bring more people closer to work, transportation, education and other amenities. Our goal is to provide a variety of housing options that enable people to own a home.

“Our urban development work is focused on creating thriving communities that benefit all New Zealanders and generally go far beyond what the private market can or is willing to do. .”

She said that through the provisions of the Urban Development Act 2020, Kainga Ora will be able to develop what it might have otherwise struggled to do due to challenges such as the need for cooperation between multiple parties and financial constraints. I said it helps me move forward.

Reetz said Kainga Ora must have confidence that proceeding under the law is appropriate for development.

She said the information Winton provided to the agency regarding Sanfield did not provide this confidence.

“We have worked with Winton on a number of large-scale developments worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and have seriously considered Sanfield’s proposal.

“However, there must always be a good reason to deviate from the usual planning and consent requirements, and the information Winton provided did not confirm that.”

Kainga-Ola said she was surprised Winton had not briefed Auckland City Hall, Waka Kotahi, or the adjacent Ardmore Airport about the proposed development.

Auckland City Council has publicly expressed concern about the risk of flooding at the site, which it wanted to address, and users of Ardmore Airport were concerned about the risk of being sensitive to aircraft noise.

Winton also rejected an offer from Kainga Ora to attend a joint meeting with the Auckland Council to discuss Sanfield’s proposal, Lietz said.

Kainga Ora also rejects Winton’s claim to purchase the land.

Lietz said Winton understood that the highest bidder for Ferncliffe Farm in Taurico West, Tauranga, which Winton also wanted to buy, was not an agency, but that the bid was accepted because it had guaranteed pre-development payments. It is said that

“Ferncliffe was purchased to address Tauranga’s need for affordable housing beyond what the market has provided.”

When Winton called for legal action in October, he said the government should do all it can to encourage the private sector to build more housing as the housing crisis escalates.

“No wonder Winton considers this an anti-competitive practice, especially when Kainga Ora repeatedly outperforms the private sector,” Bishop said.