Omg
After ongoing problems with getting houses built, and then finding buyers for them, the Government gave KiwiBuild a makeover.
The target to build 100,000 houses in ten years was dropped, and a new Housing Minister, Megan Woods, was appointed.
However a risk register released to National's Judith Collins showed there were still 12 areas flagged as high risk.
They include a lack of resourcing to establish the programme effectively, losing control of the KiwiBuild 'story', poorly conceived investment decisions, perceptions funding is not being used fairly or transparently and failing to deliver expected outcomes and benefits.
That created the potential for legal challenges and a loss in confidence and trust from ministers and other key stakeholders, said the risk report.
It also lists a number of initiatives being done to manage those risks, including weekly meetings with ministers, a new approach to the work programme, looking at using contractors to fill staffing gaps and handling key data better.
Housing Minister Megan Woods told the House as part of the reset a number of risks and challenges were "identified and addressed".
They included building in areas with little demand, residency requirements putting some buyers off, the difficulty some people had raising a deposit and problems with developer underwrites.
The risk register, she said, was to list "high risk issues that could happen without adequate systems in place to mitigate them".
Ms Collins wanted to know why managing conflicts of interest was flagged.
Again, Ms Woods said that was about a "possible" risk and the register showed it was "being managed".
Legal challenges, including disputes and judicial reviews, relating to handling conflicts of interest and the procurement process were listed as possible risks.
The cause was not having the "capability or capacity" to keep the application and assessment process separate and a "lack of perceived separation between stakeholders and decision-makers".
"Does she agree with her ministry that Kiwibuild may have opened itself to potential legal ramifications due to any unfair processes?" asked Ms Collins.
The minister replied that like any public entity spending public money, KiwiBuild needed to have a "clearly spelt out risk register" that set out the risks and mitigations.
"This is no different than any other departmental risk register - so no I do not agree with her."
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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60.1% Yes, supporting people is important!
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23.4% No, individuals should take responsibility
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16.5% ... It is complicated
A Neighbourly Riddle! Don’t Overthink It… Or Do?😜
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this?
Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.
We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?
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9.7% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
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43.2% I want to be able to choose.
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47.1% Against. I want to deal with people.
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