Social housing plan for Stanley Park in Tokoroa gets the nod

Friday, 26 April 2024

Stanley Park in Tokoroa will be developed into social housing if DOC decides to remove its status as a park.

Tokoroa’s controversial Stanley Park social housing project is one step closer to reality after the district council voted to proceed with the next steps in its proposal.

South Waikato district councillors voted 8-3 to go ahead with a formal application to the Department of Conservation (DOC) for a partial revocation of Stanley Park’s reserve status at a council meeting this week.

If the application to DOC is successful, it will allow the council to subdivide the land and sell it to a developer to build 19 homes, an new inclusive playground, toilet block and car park on the remainder of Stanley Park.

A site map of the proposed Stanley Park social housing development in Tokoroa.

According to the Ministry of Social Development Housing Register (December 2023), social housing is in high demand with 75 individuals and 72 families from the South Waikato requiring a total of 261 bedrooms.

Despite the majority of submissions being against the proposal, many councillors felt the need for more social housing in the district took priority.

While there was unanimous praise for the way council staff had run the public consultation process, councillor Kerry Purdy said once parks were gone “we can’t get them back”.

South Waikato district councillors, from left, Sandra Wallace, Hans Nelis, Rebekah Garner and Thomas Lee discuss the Stanley Park housing proposal.

She said she had to support those who opposed the project in their submissions, with those people saying they were concerned the toilet block could be a target for vandalism, that surrounding property values would fall, and there would be increased criminal activity.

Deputy mayor Hamish Daine said no new social housing had been built in Tokoroa since 1989.

“Here’s our chance to pull some levers … to create a better environment for our people in need rather than living in a camp-ground here in Tokoroa.

“It will lift the area, it will be the newest development on the block … the homes will be of a very high standard.”

Councillors Marie Farrell and Thomas Lee said there were other agencies delivering social housing in Tokoroa and that funding could be better spent on the “core business” of council.

Councillor Maria Te Kanawa said many submitters assumed the people moving into the homes would be “gang members, low lives or undesirables”, which was “simply not true”.

“They are our people … some have never had the opportunity to live in a warm dry home.

“They don’t want to aggravate their neighbours, they just want a warm, dry and safe place to live,” she said.

Councillor Sandra Wallace said the park was not well used and there were many more green spaces available in Tokoroa.

Mayor Gary Petley said he was pleased councillors had a social conscience and it was a proposal they should embrace.

Council staff said it could take DOC up to six months to revoke the park’s reserve status but that would allow them time to confirm a developer and consult with locals about what they wanted to see in the playground.

Staff said they hoped construction of the new properties would be complete by September 2027.

They said a new road and footpath would be built to increase the reserve’s street visibility and safety of users and provide improved access to the playground and new homes.

The vote:

For: Gary Petley, Hamish Daine, Bill Machen, Sandra Wallace, Maria Te Kanawa, Hans Nelis, Josiah Teokotai, Rebekah Garner.

Against: Thomas Lee, Kerry Purdy, Marie Farrell.