First homes of 1300-house subdivison to be ready by Easter
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Families could be moving into Rangiora’s newest subdivision in March.
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon and Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods checked the progress of the Bellgrove subdivision in east Rangiora on Tuesday.
Mike Greer Homes North Canterbury director Mike Flutey told those gathered he expected to be breaking dirt on 15 homes in the next six weeks.
"We are hoping to have the roof and windows on the first homes by Christmas and we should see the first residents moving in by March or April."
The subdivision was fast-tracked under the government’s Covid legislation, before receiving $5.7 million from Kāinga Ora’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund in October last year.
The 98-hectare site is expected to deliver 1300 new homes, with around half expected to be sold for less than the government’s $750,000 affordable housing cap.
Gordon said the new subdivision was badly needed, with Waimakariri’s population expected to grow from 70,000 to 100,000 by 2050.
"We have all been impressed to see the progress and the quality of the work.
"It is great to hear that sections will be available to build on this side of Christmas."
Woods and Gordon saw some of the infrastructure, including a stormwater retention pond and upgrades to Kippenberger Ave, up close during the visit.
"New Zealand simply does not have enough housing for it to be affordable and available to everyone who needs a home," Woods said.
"Programmes like the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund are deliberately targeted to grow affordable housing supply and see land get the critical infrastructure that will lay the foundations for development."
Bellgrove Rangiora project manager and director Paul McGowan said the stormwater had been built to withstand a one-in-200 year flood event.
He said 65% of the sections had been pre-sold, mostly to building firms.
The infrastructure was completed by Rangiora-based contractors, with Dormer Construction completing the earthworks and drainage, and BG Contracting the roading and services.
BG Contracting owner Stephen Rattray said 50 people were employed on the site between the two companies.
"I live here and it is a great story to hear with Rangiora getting ahead again and with some scale."
Flutey said enquiries for house and land packages had returned to pre-Covid levels, which was unusually high in the lead up to a general election.
He expected houses to sell from $589,000, for two bedroom units on a small section, up to homes of well over $1m.
"We have the ability to sell well over 50% of the homes for under the $750,000 price cap, but that depends on what the buyer wants."
Flutey said the homes were designed with floor levels of 400mm to 500mm of freeboard above the flood level.
"In a one-in-200 year flood event there should be no flooding through the houses."
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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Without a bridle or a saddle, across a thing, I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?
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Kalle
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
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