NGĀTI WHĀTUA ŌRĀKEI

MEDIA STATEMENT
THURSDAY 3 SEPTEMBER 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Welcome New Housing Agreement

The new Housing Mahi Ngātahi Agreement is good news for all Aucklanders, Auckland hapū Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei said today.

“Today’s agreement will see more social and affordable housing built more quickly to address the Auckland housing issue,” Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust’s deputy chair Ngarimu Blair said of the agreement.

“The agreement outlines our shared commitment to 40% of new houses built under the programme being made available for social and affordable housing.

At the same time, it clarifies how the Government and iwi will engage with one another in relation to surplus Crown land.

Under the Development Protocol agreed as part of the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmakai Collective settlement agreement in 2012, the Crown will first provide iwi with the first opportunity to be the developer before offering it to other private sector developers.

“The importance of these issues to the Crown, to iwi and to all Aucklanders is such that we are very happy to see the application to the High Court about the RFR issue withdrawn."

“Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei looks forward to facilitating the building of houses for our own people and for all Aucklanders, and this agreement will see that happen as quickly as commercially possible,” Mr Blair said.

“We commend Housing Minister Nick Smith for how he has worked with us to resolve this issue which is so important to the integrity and economic value of our Treaty settlement."

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