North Canterbury public housing supply set to grow
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Kāinga Ora is redeveloping some of its properties in Kaiapoi and Rangiora to meet a growing demand for social housing in the Waimakariri district.
A recent report prepared for the Waimakariri and Hurunui District Councils highlighted a lack of adequate emergency and transitional housing and the difficulties of getting on Kāinga Ora’s waiting list.
Kāinga Ora Canterbury regional director Liz Krause said increasing the number of homes on sites in Kaiapoi and Rangiora meant more people could stay in their local area, close to transport options, schools, shops and other amenities.
‘‘When planning for new homes to be built, we carefully consider the designs so they work well and provide the best outcomes for the people and whānau who will live there, as well as the wider community.’’
Since the Canterbury earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, Kāinga Ora has built 73 new homes in the Waimakariri district.
New projects were under way Kaiapoi and Rangiora to meet the growing demand.
Two large sites in Princess Place and Williams St in Kaiapoi were being redeveloped, with seven large, older houses being replaced with 21 warm and dry homes.
The redevelopment of five sites in Church, Lindon and Tyler streets in Rangiora will lead to another 22 new homes built.
‘‘The brand new homes will replace older homes and be far better suited to the modern lifestyles of our customers,’’ Krause said.
‘‘All of these new homes will come with their own off-street parking and 15 will meet full universal design standards, meaning they can be adapted to be accessible for people of all abilities, at any stage of life.’’
Demolition of the existing buildings, site preparations and construction have begun for some properties, while the majority of the homes are expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year.
‘‘As we progress these redevelopments, we will keep neighbours, the local community and key stakeholders informed with updates on progress,’’ Krause said.
‘‘We’re really looking forward to construction starting and delivering these brand new homes to the Waimakariri community.’’
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️