Waitomo District Council is considering selling a section of land in Te Kūiti to enable more housing development in the district (image above).

Chief Executive Ben Smit says the potential sale is a great opportunity to start to address the district’s housing shortage, as identified in the housing strategy that has recently been completed for the Waitomo District.

“A continued shortage of housing has been a consistently identified problem within the Waitomo District, and in order to address this, Council has agreed to look at options for residential development of the property it owns on the western side of Eketone Street.”

The property was purchased by Council from the Crown (Lands and Survey Department) in 1982. The property has previously been subdivided to allow for the creation of road to provide access to the subdivision that is now known as Robin Azariah Place.

The property is located in the Residential Zone and a portion of the site is located in Hazard Area B of the Operative Waitomo District Plan (ODP). The Hazard Area notation means that buildings located in this area would require a resource consent before a building can be constructed on site.

Before a decision is made on the future development of this land, Council is wanting to engage with the community on three potential options:

Option 1        Do nothing – leave the property as is.

Option 2        Council subdivide three sections along the front of Eketone Street and leave sufficient room so an accessway can be created to allow for access to the land behind.

Option 3        Enable the whole site to be developed for residential purposes.

If Option 2 or Option 3 is pursued, Council will likely be able to undertake additional stormwater management that would likely mitigate flooding risks to existing and new properties near the development site and for properties near Bosco Cafe along the State Highway. The stormwater improvements could also enhance the bottom of Brook Park potentially allowing for new walkways, cycleways and to create a stormwater pond that will become a feature of the development.

If you have any feedback on any of the proposed options, please email your comments to [email protected] or in writing to Waitomo District Council Customer Services Centre – 160 Rora Street, Te Kūiti 3941. Please note that we will receive feedback up until 5.00pm on 26 March 2024.

Council will also hold a public drop in session to discuss the project on 26 March 2024 from 2.30pm – 5pm at the Les Munro Centre in Te Kūiti.

Council will consider this feedback when making its decision before the middle of this year.