Kerikeri Retirement Village believes the proposed Kāinga Ora accommodation between Clark Street and King Street in Kerikeri, which the community meeting on 22 February 2023 was told will meet the needs of those currently in Emergency Housing, is not appropriate for the area and will have a significant and detrimental impact on the town’s infrastructure.
The Village has submitted its views to the community survey conducted by Our Kerikeri. In this we expressed concern that the proposed development will have a significant detrimental impact on existing problematic traffic congestion, particularly parking, on Clark Street, King Street and Kerikeri Road.
We have articulated these views to Kāinga Ora.
We have serious misgivings about the impact on local residents, predominantly vulnerable elderly, of the well-documented behavioural issues commonly associated with Social and Emergency Housing in New Zealand.
Also of significant concern to us is Kāinga Ora’s plan to develop the large section at 115 Kerikeri Road for similar housing. Our Retirement Village surrounds three sides of this section. Our concerns about Kāinga Ora’s plans for this property are similar to those we have for the proposed development between Clark Street and King Street.
The Village does support the idea that more ‘affordable’ housing is desperately needed in our community, specifically for the staff of the service infrastructure needed to support the growth of Kerikeri; dentists, doctors, nurses, teachers, etc. Our own staff find it nearly impossible to live locally and many commute a significant distance in order to do the vital work they do.
For this reason we support the development of appropriate affordable housing in our town but only to the extent that it is appropriate for the area, the people who need to live there, and can be supported by existing or imminent infrastructure.
