The ground will be ‘broken’ for Hastings’ newest and most visionary housing development next week, following a blessing
ceremony on Friday [10am, corner of Tarbet St and Boston Cres].
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga announced this week that it was about to start on the construction of its innovative 120-home
housing project.
The blessing of the new project is one of four major events on in Flaxmere this week, with Hastings District Council
drawing them all together under the banner of Fabulous Flaxmere: three BIG days. The other three (all in Flaxmere Park)
are the opening of the newly revamped playground at Flaxmere Park on Thursday (3.30pm), the Matariki Whanau Festival on
Friday (5pm), and the inaugural Flaxmere parkrun on Saturday (8am).
The housing project takes a fresh look at enabling families into home ownership; incorporating innovation by creating
communities not just homes. Pathways to home ownership include supported rent, rent to buy, supported ownership, full
ownership and co-operative ownership.
‘’Waingakau represents the fulfillment of a long-held aspiration put in place by our kaumatua and kuia 30 years ago,’’
said Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga board chairman Mike Paku.
“Sporting New Zealand’s first co-operative community and world’s first indigenous co-housing community, Waingakau is
leading the way in rebuilding nurturing communities that put people first.
‘’Te Taiwhenua wishes to recognise the support and collaborative partnership it has developed with Hastings District
Council in developing a new housing model that meets the needs of whanau,’’ he said.
The need for quality, affordable housing is a focus of Council, said Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst. Council had been
actively supporting the Waingakau development over the 18 months leading up to the start on construction.
“There is an enormous need for housing in our district . . . I am incredibly excited to see this project getting to this
stage. This is a wonderful opportunity to offer affordable quality housing to a cross-
section of our community. I applaud the vision and the transformational change to our community’s lives this project to
bring,” Mrs Hazlehurst said.
“Housing is one of our Council’s key strategic priorities and we are working closely with our iwi partners and central
government on many projects like this which will address our housing issues.”
Mr Paku said that in Zurich, Switzerland, a quarter of all new housing had been built by co-operatives since 2000. “Our
premise is about working together to build a community that values guardianship of the land and of our people, brought
about through kindness, relationships, unity and togetherness.”
The blessing on Friday will be held at 10am on the corner of Tarbet St and Boston Cres in Flaxmere, followed by a
reception at Kimi Ora Community School.