Twenty-nine new homes replace seven in Johnsonville

With 29 new homes plus a community room, children’s playground and BBQ area the development was completed despite construction challenges.

Patrick Dougherty, General Manager for Construction & Innovation at Kāinga Ora says completion of this project is a credit to all the subcontractors involved.

“The teams removed seven old homes on the over 6,000m² development area and undertook a massive amount of civil works needed to prepare the land.

“Construction of the homes used a mix of the more traditional, onsite building methods for the three-, four- and five-bedroom homes; as well as offsite manufacturing for 18 two-bedroom apartments.

Part of the children's playground.

“Unfortunately, towards the end of this project, market conditions impacted the financial stability of the head contractor, resulting in the firm going into liquidation. It was a sad outcome but thankfully Kāinga Ora was able to intervene and continue development of the much-needed homes, ensuring subcontractors were paid and completing the homes just a few months later than originally planned.”

Civil works were completed by Everiss Civil. Steve Long, Director, explains “The site required major civil works, most of which were completed throughout winter months. Thousands of tonnes of material needed to be moved, and sourcing materials for the retaining walls was a challenge. Our team of ten worked hard to get through a number of issues, and we’re proud to be involved in delivering social housing. We wish the very best to the families who will be moving in.”

Kinetic Electrical provided all electrical services, supplying and manufacturing commercial switchboards and assisting with design on electrical disciplines. With a crew of six, the team had sole charge of all the electrical disciplines from fire, security and home fit outs. Owner Jamie Greentree says “The team worked hard to gain efficiencies, were given the opportunity to influence the build programme and dealt with issues quickly. There were many sleepless nights when we weren’t getting paid but once Kāinga Ora stepped in, I had confidence in a positive outcome.

“Overall, it’s been a great development to be involved in. Our apprentices were able to learn a lot and the scale of the job has meant our business has grown with confidence. The homes look great, and we wish the new tenants all the very best in their new homes – we hope they will be happy. We’re certainly proud of the role we’ve played.”    
 
Families will start moving in from mid-September.