| 39 T T Kelly Deeks Families come first for Hastings builder In September Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa handed back the last five of 24, fully repaired cyclone- and flood-damaged homes. Hawke’s Bay: Ngāwari Homes “The work we’ve been doing shows the cost of a new 255sqm home is about $140,000. If I go straight to the supplier, I can get the same house for $70,000.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Being about the people not the profit, Ngāwari Homes from Hastings has recently been working in Wairoa on a non-profit basis for Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa, which in September handed back the last five of 24, fully repaired cyclone- and flood-damaged homes. “Family first,” says Ngāwari Homes owner Jack Pritchard. “We’re not doing the job any cheaper, but all of the money that’s available is being used to repair and then upgrade these homes. We’re not taking anything for profit.” With Ngāwari Homes’ new electrical division, Ngāwari Electrical, and its trusted subcontractors, the company was able to complete full repairs and reroofs to four homes in eight weeks. “We control the rate at which we get our subcontractors in,” Jack says. “Our electrical division is in-house, and whenever we call our local plumber in Wairoa, he comes now.” This story has a similar plot to the one of Ngāwari Homes coming into being back in 2020, after the Napier floods. A decade earlier, Jack had been an adult apprentice at the Eastern Institute of Technology, seeking his qualification after many years of working as a builder in order to become a licensed building practitioner. After qualifying, he put his former employer through his qualification, then spent the next eight years as a tutor of EIT’s Certificate in Carpentry. When the call came for help with flood-damaged homes in Maraenui, Jack gathered a group of local young men and they all pitched in. Not long after, Jack was invited to a meeting about the marae restoration programme Te Tū Marae ki Te Matau a Māui project, which focuses on restoring several local marae. He dropped everything else and offered his services, starting Ngāwari Homes in the process. Training was in Jack’s blood by this point, and Ngāwari Homes became a hotbed of young and enthusiastic construction apprentices. No pre-trade or other qualifications were required, just a willingness to learn, and to get up and go to work. Jack signed all his new apprentices up to EIT apprenticeships, and they gained their full qualifications while working on the Te Tū Marae initiative and other local projects. In 2021, Jack started Ngāwari Electrical, gaining efficiencies in his workflow as well as the ability to also offer electrical apprenticeships. Ngāwari Electrical currently has one female apprentice, while Ngāwari Homes has three amongst the lads. Jack is also on the tools and keeping his craftmanship sharp. Ngāwari Homes has been building for other housing companies, and Jack says he is now ready to use the experience his company has gained to deliver his own affordable homes for locals. “Affordable housing is achievable,” he insists. “The work we’ve been doing shows the cost of a new 255sqm home is about $140,000. If I go straight to the supplier, I can get the same house for $70,000.” Currently in Flaxmere, he says homes with no section and very close neighbours are selling for $1 million, when back in the day they couldn’t give away new homes in that area. “$1 million isn’t affordable for anyone.” 022 111 0320 • Project Management • New Homes • Renovations • Decks & Fences No Job too Big or too Small Your local First Windows & Doors manufacturer Contact us today for all your window and door requirements Ph: 06 878 0160 | E: info@twincity.co.nz | 121 Elwood Rd, Hastings
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