Angry residents and lobby groups in a small Northland town have started a petition against plans for community housing in the middle of the main shopping area close to a primary school and a watering
hole.

Far North Holdings (FNH) has applied to the Whangārei District Council for resource consent to construct 16 single-bedroom community housing units on a block of land in the heart of Hikurangi Village on King St. The proposed site backs onto a primary school and neighbours the Hikurangi Hotel.

The Hikurangi Business Association is strongly opposed to the site being used for compact housing units, saying it was not in line with the agreed vision for development in this area.

FNH chief executive Andy Nock said at this stage, the company was simply evaluating the site’s suitability for housing. The site is owned by a local who also lives on King St.

In the application for resource consent lodged with WDC, Nock ticked ‘No’ to a question on whether he was requesting that FNH’s application be publicly notified.

According to a report prepared by planning and survey firm Reyburn and Bryant for FNH supporting the resource consent application, the proposed 16 units will be arranged in two, two-storey blocks. Block A will front King St and Block B will be at the rear. Each block will include eight units – four at ground level and four on the first floor.

Once constructed, FNHL will lease the buildings to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development on a long-term agreement of about 25 years to provide community housing to the local community.

“The project will, therefore, facilitate significant positive effects for the local community,” the report said.

But the Hikurangi Business Association said the proposed development was not ideal in the middle of a shopping centre and it would ruin the heritage and character of the historic village.

A petition the association members started on June 19 had garnered 794 signatures by 5.30pm on June 22.

“The Hikurangi Business Association fully supports the prioritised goal as outlined in the Hikurangi Placemaking Plan 2020/21 where the community voiced their priorities for the village moving into the future, and agreed one of the top three priorities for the village was maintaining the historic heritage and character of the community,” the association said in its petition.

As a result, the association said an agreed project was to develop a streetscape vision for the location that promoted and revived the heritage features of the buildings and to develop new/upgraded features in line with the coal mining, farming, and forestry history from the district.

Other concerns have been raised about the proposed location including parking as Hikurangi was already short of car parks for the shopping area and access to amenities in town.

“Hikurangi Business Association says now is the time to act to save this space from residential development. With the resource consent in the council, we don’t have long to have a voice as a community and oppose this development.

“We are not asking you to say no to community housing in Hikurangi, but to say no to community housing on this specific site right in the heart of our village.”

Nock said housing was a key part of Far North Holding’s remit, so its work in this space supported and enabled further development of these types of projects, which were much needed in the district.

“With regards to applying for resource consent, this is part of the company’s due diligence in that it defines and identifies a site’s development potential. There is no point in buying a site that cannot be developed as you may envisage.

“The company would welcome community engagement as it evaluates the appropriateness or otherwise of the design and density proposed,” Nock said.

To sign the petition, go to hikurangi.co.nz.

Imran Ali is a senior journalist who does general news reporting at the Advocate after more than two decades covering courts. He also takes a keen interest in rugby.