First stage of Ngāi Tahu's new Queenstown housing development complete
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:
The first apartment block in Ngāi Tahu Property’s 350-home Queenstown development Te Pā Tāhuna is complete.
The name “Takiwai” was bestowed on the building at a dawn ceremony on Thursday morning.
Ngāi Tahu Property general manager Blair Forgie said the development would help increase the housing supply in Tāhuna Queenstown.
Queenstown is in the midst of a housing crisis that is forcing much-needed workers to leave town or sleep in cars or at backpackers because they cannot find anywhere to live.
The Takiwai building consisted of 27 apartments, of which 10 were sold as part of the KiwiBuild programme, Forgie said.
At the time of sale, the KiwiBuild properties cost no more than $600,000.
The residential apartments sold in the open market were below $800,000.
They were a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.
The median sale price for a house in the Queenstown Lakes District in December was $1.2 million, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand.
All the residential apartments had sold while four live-work apartments that combined residential and non-residential uses were still available and ranged in price from $850,000 to $975,000.
Roading and services infrastructure for the overall Te Pā Tāhuna development was nearing completion and the next stage of the construction was due to begin later this year.
It would have 66 apartments and was expected to be completed mid-2025.
The development is built on the former Wakatipu High School site in Gorge Rd, a short walk from central Queenstown.
Takiwai is a translucent variety of greenstone, olive-green with streaks of white – found at Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) and Te Wai Pounamu.
Takiwai is favoured as a softer type of pounamu as it is easier to make into a finer quality product.
In March 2019, then Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford announced the old high school land would be redeveloped to address help Queenstown’s housing shortage.
In October that year, Minister of Housing Megan Woods announced the development agreement for the Tāhuna Development had been signed off.
The complete development would have more than 350 homes including 100-plus KiwiBuild apartments for first home buyers.
Poll: How important is the ability to book a doctor’s appointment online?
Hi Neighbours
Here at The Doctors we would love to hear how you prefer to book your doctor’s appointments. With busy schedules, different people find different methods easier.
For some, online booking is very convenient, you can make an appointment anytime without needing to wait on the phone. Others still prefer calling the clinic and speaking to a real person, especially if they have specific questions about their visit.
Your feedback helps us understand what works best for our patients and how we can improve access to care.
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37.2% I prefer booking online whenever possible
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23.2% Online booking is helpful but not essential
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36% I prefer calling the clinic
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3.7% I didn’t know online booking was available
A reminder this hunting season
As thousands of hunters are making their plans for autumn – the Roar – recreational firearms groups are urging hunters to always be 100% sure of their targets.
Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority NZ, which chairs the Recreational Firearms Users Group, has begun a public information campaign reminding hunters everywhere of Rule #4 of the Firearms Safety Code: to identify their target beyond all doubt.
Director Communities and Corporate, Mike McIlraith, says there is an estimated 50,000-60,000 New Zealanders involved in big game animal hunting each year, and the Roar is the key event for many hunters each year.
“The Roar is a fantastic time of year for hunters to get out into the hills after a trophy animal but hunting safely and making sure everyone gets home in one piece, still must be the most important goal of every trip,” says Mike McIlraith.
“The consequences of not fully identifying your target beyond all doubt can be catastrophic. Our message to hunters is a really simple one: If you are not sure, then don’t shoot.”
Mike McIlraith says while hunting fatalities are thankfully rare, research has shown that misidentification of the target is the largest firearms related risk to New Zealand deer hunters, and 80% of the time this involves members of the same hunting group.
The Authority says hunters should not feel pressured to take a shot: “Instead, hunters should take the time to analyse their target, wait and see if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how many points does its antlers have? Identifying your target means never firing at sound, shape, colour or movement alone.”
Mike McIlraith says good hunters will slow down, and run through some simple mental checks:
- Can I see the whole animal, or could this be another hunter?
- Where are my hunting companions – could this be them or someone else?
- How much of the animal can you see, if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how - many points does its antlers have?
“Taking a little extra time to identify your target and check the firing zone is the key to safer hunting. No meat or no trophy is better than no mate,” he says.
Poll: Does a savoury scone require cheese on top, or folded inside?
Help settle the great kiwi debate ... cheese on top, or folded inside?
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76.5% Inside!
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23.5% On top!
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