Our Land Programme

This key tool assists Kāinga Ora to enable housing where the market is not, and helps us to deliver on government priorities for urban development.

To achieve this we partner with local councils, iwi and other infrastructure partners, in an effort to assist the market to deliver the quantity and type of housing we need to make housing more affordable.

How does it work?

The programme enables Kāinga Ora to borrow up to $2 billion for land purchases and development costs to facilitate the delivery of affordable and marketing housing.

The Programme is intended to undertake projects right across the motu in different urban settings, ranging from Greenfield areas on the outer of existing urban boundaries through to town centre Brownfield projects.

The standard delivery model for the Programme involves Kāinga Ora strategically acquiring land in its raw form and then making it ‘build ready’ - undertaking earthworks, civil works and often parcelling the land into smaller parcels to be sold, or ‘superlots’. Once sold, Kāinga Ora partners with private developers in the delivery of housing and amenity outcomes.

How do we choose the land we buy?

The Kāinga Ora Land Programme is driven by agreed principles and priorities and takes a place-based approach, with the goal to bring the right response to the right place.

We have a robust, transparent process in place for decisions around large scale purchases of land. We consider the unique circumstances and needs of different regions and sub regions (and if these are not being met by the private market), as well as the cultural significance of the whenua to Māori, and if there are active delivery partners in the region that Kāinga Ora can work with to deliver housing.

We have a skilled and experienced team who look for suitable properties and land that we can purchase that aligns with the needs of an area. We may also be approached by real estate agents or private owners unprompted.

Most often Kāinga Ora land purchases are made off-market, i.e. through a private sale. However, every now and then we will have to participate in the open market for suitable land. Our offers to venders have been developed following due diligence we carry out.

Kāinga Ora Strategic Land Purchases

• Ferncliffe Farm in Tauriko West, Tauranga: Kāinga Ora invests in Tauranga
• 28 Adelaide Road in Mount Cook, Central Wellington: More homes on the horizon for Wellington
• Quaifes Road, Christchurch: Boosting the supply of affordable housing in Christchurch