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: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.3% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.7% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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