
The Queenstown Lakes District Council unanimously endorsed the work of the Mayoral Housing Taskforce yesterday, and agreed to continue working towards its proposed solutions to the district's housing issues.
Last week, the taskforce released its 32-page report along with a series of recommendations to achieve its goal of ensuring the district's workforce would all be able to own or occupy a home, at a cost within their means, by 2048.
It set an initial community affordable homes target, with secure tenure, of 1000 by 2028.
One way of achieving that was through a Secure Home scheme, which separated the land and house so lower-income households could afford to buy a home while renting the land it was sited on, in perpetuity, for a "nominal'' amount.
It was believed to be a New Zealand first.
At yesterday's meeting, Mayor Jim Boult, who is on the taskforce, said his only regret was the council did not patent the idea.
"I've had a lot of other mayors ringing me saying they're going to rip off our ideas.''
Cr Tony Hill applauded the taskforce's efforts.
"In such a short time, to achieve this is absolutely fantastic.''
But Cr Scott Stevens said it was imperative the report's recommendations were actioned.
"It's no good just sitting on a report. It needs to actually happen.''
Yesterday's report to the council recommended six-monthly reviews to ensure targets were met and for a new Housing Strategy to be developed.
Included in the recommendations was for the council and the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust to review the form and structure of the trust to enable the council to confirm it was the preferred partner in affordable housing management and delivery and the preferred entity to receive SHA, or other, contributions by February next year; to investigate and establish an information sharing database and partnership between the council, housing trust and central government agencies to ensure full access to household income support options for the district's residents by next March; and develop a new Queenstown Lakes housing strategy in collaboration with the private sector, the housing trust, and central government agencies by June.