Housing NZ staff working on the Asquith Ave development project initially raised the prospect of up to 90 units being built on the prime inner-city land.

The “aim high” approach, later reduced to 70 units and finally to 40, was outlined in documents obtained by Mt Albert Inc under the Official Information Act after an application to the state agency that took two-and-a-half years to process.

The papers were initially sought by the Asquith Community Group in September 2014, but the request was rejected, leading to an appeal to the Ombudsman. That was only resolved this year when HNZ finally agreed to hand over selected documents, declining to advance the full file because of the volume of documents involved.

The partly-redacted papers show the agency was tossing around lots of thoughts in the early planning days – but there was also a clear vision for the 8096sq m site back to 2013, despite little leaking out in discussions with local residents.

In the end, the corporation opted for 40 new homes – 20 of them one-bedroom units, with a further 20 four-bedroom homes to be sold privately. The annoucement was made in March 2016 – two months after the old buildings were demolished.

But local residents have been wondering for the last year if there will ever be a start, let alone an end.

When the final shape of the development was unveiled in March 2016, they were told construction would begin around October last year, with a completion date of the winter of 2018.

However, the project has obviously struck major obstacles and now, more than a year after resource consents were issued by Auckland Council, the land is in the same shape as it was after the demolition of the decaying original units in February 2015.

It seems an extraordinary lag for a project which the released documents show was high priority back in 2013. A briefing paper then disclosed: “The business need is clear: HNZ has committed to delivering 2000 new units by June 2015 and this site presents an opportunity to contribute towards this target.”

So much for grand plans.

The Asquith Community Group was told tenders went out pre-Christmas (months behind original schedule) and in April this year locals were informed: “We are currently evaluating the returns from interested parties. Once this work is completed and, if HNZ is not satisfied with these proposals, then HNZ reserves the right to re-advertise. We are hoping this will not be the case.”

Two months later the group posed questions in Parliament via Mt Albert MP Jacinda Ardern.

When, finally, will the bulldozers move in? When will the project finish? What is the cause of the latest delay?

The answer (given in in June by Housing Minister Amy Adams): “Housing New Zealand advises me that it is currently assessing options for the site and plans are yet to be finalised…. As options around the Asquith Avenue site are still being assessed, Housing New Zealand is not in a position to confirm dates relating to start of construction, sale of private units and move-in date of tenants.”

So that’s five or six years the corporation has been considering its options over Asquith Ave, which must be some sort of record.

What’s causing the delay?

The site, with its volcanic rock, is a difficult one, but perhaps the tight market for contractors is behind the dilly-dallying. Plainly the tender round hasn’t gone to plan; developers with plenty of advance work won’t be interested in trimming their margins to allow HNZ to meet its budgets. If so, does that mean the high-spec development suddenly becomes a lower quality one – or is abandoned altogether?

At the moment, only Housing NZ knows if this is just another hiccup, or a major problem… and they’re not telling.

But when, more than three months ago the corporation was “currently assessing options for the site and plans are yet to be finalised” and nothing but silence since, it does raise eyebrows.

Bruce Morris

Big issues link to full backgrounder

The vast Unitec development will eventually find room for around 3000 new homes, but the Ministry of Education has no plans for a state secondary or primary school on the land.

The ministry believes it can “add capacity” to existing schools to accommodate children living there in the future.

The news – outlined in a response to an Official Information Act request from Mt Albert Inc – will surprise parents and school boards because local rolls are at historic highs.

Gladstone Primary is close to reasonable capacity and has asked the ministry for authority to remove the Unitec land from its present zone – allowing it to avoid a potential future blip from any new housing. Mt Albert Grammar School, meanwhile, is being forced to start some classes early next year because it can’t fit growing student numbers into its current classrooms within a normal school day.

But Katrina Casey, a deputy secretary at the ministry, says in a letter to this website: “I can confirm there are no plans to build any future [state] schools on the land in question.”

The ministry is “dealing with the associated growth in population projections resulting from Unitec’s proposal … by adding capacity to the existing school network”.

Avondale College can cope

She adds: “It is envisaged that primary school-aged students living in the precinct [the development is known as the Wairaka Precinct under the Unitary Plan] will enrol at Waterview Primary School, and that intermediate-aged students will be directed to Avondale Intermediate. The projected increase in the secondary student population will be able to be accommodated within the existing capacity of Avondale College.”

Ms Casey revealed a 2014 feasibility study looked at relocating Western Springs College on to the Unitec land. But the decision was taken to rebuild the school on its existing site.

Mt Albert Grammar principal Pat Drumm told the Herald’s Simon Collins in July that his roll was growing by 100 students a year through a combination of infill housing in the school zone and the school’s growing popularity against private school rivals.

“We are not able to control our growth,” he said. “We could look at reviewing our zone, but our bordering schools such as Avondale College, Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar are also bursting at the seams. It needs a holistic Auckland-wide strategy.”

But Katrina Casey responded then by saying ministry planning now “does not indicate the need for a new secondary school in the Auckland isthmus”.

“Rather, we expect schools to reduce their out-of-zone enrolments first, then we will add capacity as required,” she said, adding that about a third of the 16,900 students in the isthmus secondary schools came from outside the school zones, including 23 per cent of Mt Albert Grammar students.

Falling out-of-zone rate

However, Mr Drumm said out-of-zone students were now “less than 20 per cent and falling” and he expected the out-of-zone percentage to be in single figures within three years.

The impact of the Wairaka Precinct population will not produce a sudden deluge of students. The final shape of the development may include 3000 terraced units, apartments and townhouses, but it will move in stages over many years.

While the ministry has ruled out any new state schools for the block, it is possible private schools could be built there. Following a suggestion from MARA at the final meeting of the community liaison group for the Wairaka proposal, the draft Integrated Transport Assessment (ITA) prepared by Unitec and Ngati Whatua to support the first development proposal (at the end of Laurel St) contains modelling that provides for a secondary school and a primary school.

Local town planner Craig Magee, who has worked with MARA as the project has developed, noted: “There appears to be conflicting information in terms of whether a school will be provided within the precinct.

“On one hand the Ministry of Education appear to have ruled it out. However as a school has been included in the modelling, it may mean any school in the precinct is private rather than public.”

– Bruce Morris

Go to this page for a backgrounder on the process creating the Wairaka Precinct.

Twenty eight months after fire raged through the old Four Kauri Medical Centre in New North Rd, the graffiti-stained ruins stand as a monument to the apparent indifference of a developer.

The derelict building with boarded-up windows sits on a 1029sq m lump of land that looks more jungle than suburban section.

While the rats no doubt flourish in the knee-deep grass and ruins, two-legged animals have made their own impression. Since the fire on May 28, 2015, young people have turned it into a weekend haunt and  police have been called to deal with street people seeking shelter and a drinking den. Vandals have added their touch to the burnt-out shell.

The hovel sits barely 50m from the intersection of St Lukes Rd and New North Rd – the gateway to Mt Albert.

How could such an eyesore be allowed to remain so long in such a prime position?

Auckland Council visited the property after questions raised by Mt Albert Inc and reported “the building is not in a condition that would warrant council taking action in relation to demolition”.

Which begs the further question: if this building isn’t so bad that it needs to be demolished, what would it take to reach that status?

Albert Eden Local Board deputy chair Glenda Fryer told Mt Albert Inc: “Developers who leave a property in a derelict state of repair are just plain irresponsible, especially at a time when many Aucklanders are in desperate need of new houses and this site is a very good one with excellent public transport, and near good parks and community facilities.

“While council can’t compel a property owner to redevelop their property, a disservice is being done to our community by this particular owner.”

Local people can understand why a developer might want to sit on the land for a couple of years, but consider there was a responsibility to the community soon after the sale to get the property in decent order. Demolishing the building and maintaining the grounds was the least that should have been expected, they feel.

As well, there is a strong sense the council could have done more. After their visit to 728 New North Rd following our questions, the property owners were required to better secure the building to prevent public access.

But that was it, with the council now apparently talking to the owners about pre-development processes, including resource consent and, finally, demolition.

Wayne Pearson (pictured), co-chair of the Mt Albert Residents’ Association (MARA), says the site in its present state doesn’t “give the impression that we want people to have” as they pass through one of the gateways to Mt Albert.

He says MARA is “committed to enhancing our village and would like to see buildings such as this bought up to the same standards, or at the very least demolished.”

The property was sold in September 2015 for $2,625,000 when the 2014 capital value for the land was registered at $1.08m. The buyer was LK Trustee Ltd, which gives its address at the Companies Office as Level 1, 8 Manukau Rd, Newmarket.

The same address is shared with Kool Services Limited, a linked company registered in May 1995, and calls to the directors have not been returned. They have also yet to show their hand to council planners, though there has been some talk of a new boarding house – perhaps not quite the sort of urban development locals would welcome.

Under the Unitary Plan, the block is zoned “Residential – Terrace Housing and Apartment Buildings Zone” – allowing “urban residential living in the form of terrace housing and apartments of between five and seven storeys”, according to the council website.

Whatever happens to the site, local people will want to see the retention of the kauri trees that gave the old medical centre its name. Because the trees are well to the front of the land, there seems no reason they would need to be toppled, but they have no special protection.

– Bruce Morris