Housing Minister Megan Woods says a planned KiwiBuild development in central Queenstown will provide ''the right houses, in the right place, at the right price''.
Ms Woods formally announced the partnership between the Government and Ngai Tahu Property during a visit to the former Wakatipu High School site yesterday.
Ngai Tahu Property is planning a 350-unit development on the site, 105 of which will be apartments and terraced housing under the KiwiBuild scheme.
''When we launched the reset we talked about building the right houses in the right place at the right price, and this development certainly fits that bill.''
A Wanaka KiwiBuild project was cited as part of the problem when the troubled housing programme was reset last month, with little demand for houses considered overpriced.
Ms Woods said that was unlikely to be an issue in Queenstown.
''We know there is huge demand here in Queenstown for affordable homes - three-bedroom family homes for $650,000 is a huge difference from what is currently on the market.''
Ngai Tahu Property chief executive David Kennedy said having the final agreement with the Crown was a significant milestone.
''Our contractors from Ryal Bush Demolition are working hard to clear the site so we can begin the first stage as soon as we gain consent,'' he said.
''We are proud that we are on track to divert more than 90% of the demolition waste from landfill by the time this phase of work completes.''
Ngai Tahu was seeking input from people about the apartments, and urged people to visit its website to give feedback.
The first apartments were expected to be ready by the end of 2022.
Housing project
- 350 units
- 105 KiwiBuild apartments and terraced housing
- $650,000 price tag
- Apartments expected to be finished by 2022
