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Deal signed for extra 100 homes on Crown land in Auckland

Author
Alicia Burrow,
Publish Date
Wed, 26 Oct 2016, 1:14PM
Minister Nick Smith signing paperwork for the housing development on New North Road (Alicia Burrow).
Minister Nick Smith signing paperwork for the housing development on New North Road (Alicia Burrow).

Deal signed for extra 100 homes on Crown land in Auckland

Author
Alicia Burrow,
Publish Date
Wed, 26 Oct 2016, 1:14PM

Housing Minister Nick Smith has indicated more housing developments will be announced for Auckland before Christmas.

He's just declared 100 houses, with an average price of $573,000, will be built in New North Road, Mt Albert.

The homes will be built by 2018 in Waterview where Crown land has been set aside for special housing.

Dr Smith said the Special Housing Area status granted earlier this year enabled 100 homes on the site, rather than 24 under the old planning rules.

"The key to more affordable housing close to Auckland city is greater density and smart design."

Though he said the one, two and three bedroom homes won't be boxes.

The government's smart development concept of townhouses means you don't have the huge additional costs of lifts, but can still get an intensity of housing, he said.

The Waterview site was previously reserved for a possible railroad with NZTA, and another in Massey, for educational purposes.

Dr Smith said the government, through the Crown Land programme is systematically working through sites previously reserved for other uses.

He said the government has dozens of parcels of land but each of them has to go through a detailed process.

He's optimistic about several more sites that will be able to be announced before Christmas.

But he warns there could be infrastructure and geotech issues that render some land unusable.

Additional reporting by the NZ Herald

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