18 | New housing for Kaitāia whānau Te Rarawa first acquired the site in 2016. Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa - Māhuru Trust T T Kim Newth “In this case, it’s about empowering whānau with affordable home ownership. If the motivation is there, we’re keen to get behind them.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa - Māhuru Trust is nearing the end of a long journey, with their exciting whānau housing development at the northern end of Kaitāia preparing to welcome its first residents in early 2026. Located on Donald Road, the new development is opening up home ownership opportunities for Te Rarawa whānau in Kaitāia. A total of 44 homes are being made available for whānau to buy or rent to buy, provided they meet household income criteria and are motivated to purchase their own home. The housing comprises a mix of three- and four-bedrooms homes, including some accessible units. “Everything we do is for the long-term,” explains June McCabe, who chairs Te Waka Pupuri Putea Group, the iwi’s commercial asset holding company pathway. “In this case, it’s about empowering whānau with affordable home ownership. If the motivation is there, we’re keen to get behind them. At Donald Road, we are building a little community within a community with two culde-sacs side by side, creating an environment for harmonious living. “We have support structures and a landscape plan in place. We’re currently discussing options to create some communal areas, too, such as at the top of the site overlooking Kaitāia, to provide a focal point for our homeowners.” As well as supporting whānau housing aspirations, June says the development is bringing employment spinoffs with iwi-owned companies KPH Construction Ltd and Rogers & Rogers Plumbers among those involved in delivering services to fulfil the vision. “We have also employed Te Putahi Projects as our management consultant to oversee and run the project for us. As this is a $33 million build overall, we needed a partner to provide us with that high-level project-management expertise and QS support.” Alongside KPH, the two other local building companies involved are PanelLock and David Reid Homes. Eight timber-framed homes are being built on-site, with the balance built offsite and transported to Donald Rd. “The development is currently 70% to 80% finished,” says June. “Some homes still need to be brought to site. There’s a lot of work going on to complete decking, fencing and landscaping. We need to get all that finished before whānau can move in. All the civil work, roading and footpaths are finished. There’s still some drainage to go in. We’re nearly at the point where Far North Roading (FNR) have done all they can – everybody has worked so well together.” Te Rarawa first acquired the site in 2016, but June says it was a long haul from there to get all the ducks in line with consenting and plan change challenges aplenty along the way. “We’ve also been delayed by some pretty wet weather over the last 15 months.” A key milestone for the project was securing grant funding from the Ministry of Housing and Development. The development location is well-positioned, close to local supermarkets and other amenities. June says Arcline Architects has delivered an array of attractive designs that ensure each home has its own individual character, with landscaping set to further accentuate the varied look and feel. With work on-site advancing well, it’s expected the first residents will move into their new homes early next year. Engineering Northland Since 1952 www.RSEng.co.nz 09 438 3273 Civil Structural Geotech K A W A K A W A E L E C T R I C A L 0274 966 141 kawakawaelectrical@outlook.co.nz Kawakawa Electrical Ltd Providing our community & beyond with all electrical services. Kawakawa Electrical
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