The GB Weekly - 2 July 2021

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Friday 2 July 2021

Affordable home takes shape

Taking shape: Rick Scott, left, and Renford Crump build the GB Affordable Housing Trust’s first home. Photo: Jo Richards. JO RICHARDS

The initiative to provide affordable housing in Golden Bay has moved beyond the planning stage and is fast becoming a reality. Construction of the first of what is hoped to be more than 100 dwellings is well underway at Rockville. On site last Friday, chair of the Golden Bay/Mohua Affordable Housing Trust Chris Bennett, who was labouring alongside the crew, was happy to leave some of the technical explanations to his team. Builder Renford Crump, who is working with Rick Scott, Chai Pyle, and foreman Rodney Watson to complete the 60-square-metre house within the next few weeks, points to the installed prefabricated wall panels which he says speed up the process significantly. “It’s a real time-saver. It would take three-anda-half times as long using normal framing. It also means we don’t have to handle fibreglass insulation.” He explains that the Rockville house is a something of a “proof of concept” with the team expecting efficiency gains to be identified with each build. “It’s our first house and so we are learning. A lot of productive improvements will be used.”

S ome of those improvements are manifested in intelligent future-proofed features which ensure five star accessibility, compliance with tightening energy efficiency standards, and low maintenance costs. While Renford is clearly enthusiastic about the technical aspects of the construction, he is also very much in tune with the project’s wider goals. “The impulse of the project is to give homes to people in Golden Bay who really need them – and I’m proud to be part of it.” In the context of the project “affordable” means a total construction cost of around $150,000, a target Chris says is only achievable with the generous contributions from a wide range of businesses. “We’ve had a huge amount of support for the project. It’s only affordable because companies wanted to be part of the solution.” But even if construction costs hit the target, cash is still required to finance the project – and this is where banks are choosing to create a problem, rather than being part of the solution. “They provide commercial loans at 4.5 per cent but won’t loan to us because we don’t fit into their ‘box’,” says Chris. “I find it crazy that I can easily buy a car or boat which

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costs the same as our $150,000 house, but they won’t loan to our house because of a ‘lack of security’.” Chris remains solution-focused, however, and outlines the project’s medium-term plans. “We will finish Rockville in the coming weeks and then will start on the next house in Hamama for which the building consent has been issued,” says Chris. “We’ve submitted the resource consent application for two pensioner flats at 189 Commercial Street on TDC land so they will be next. And we will shortly be submitting the resource consent for building five accessible houses on Reilly Street on land provided by Paul and Gilda Sangster.” He explains how these dwellings will be financed. “The funding for the pensioner flats has been offered as a loan to us by local supporters, and we are actively following up on several potential leads to scale up to obtain commercial financing for the next builds,” says Chris, who is looking for substantial backing. “I’m seeking $20m since that will allow us to do the 100-plus houses we need.” For more information about the Golden Bay Affordable Housing project, visit: https://mygbhousing.info/

RONNIE SHORT

Tourism strategies and technological changes were under discussion at the recent GB Promotion Association AGM. In attendance were several local business owners plus Visitor Centre staff. Cheryl Elsey chaired the proceedings. Cheryl spoke of the changes and challenges experienced since 2011, when the Visitor Centre used photo boards to convey information. It has since moved into the digital age, but even with the advancements of technology, she said, the staff are still busy with visitors wanting face-to-face communication. Despite the lack of international visitors, Kiwis are snapping up the Visitor Guide brochures, of which 60,000 were printed in 2019. Golden Bay maps are also popular: 35,000 were printed this year “and they all go” said Cheryl. Website use is also going well, with eight sections available, including bookings, video clips, The GB Weekly and events occurring in Golden Bay. Cheryl expressed gratitude to DOC “for an interactive TV system and booking station within the centre”. She discussed the impact of natural disasters such as Cyclone Gita and how government funding throughout Covid has helped keep the centre going. “All of Golden Bay was suffering through those times,” said Cheryl. “We have come through, with a lot of businesses reporting good recovery, with good occupancy rates, etc.” Guest speaker Chris Bennett addressed the issue of tourism within Golden Bay, stating, “If you don’t make a plan, you are actually planning to fail – and the plan is, where are we going to be in three to five years’ time? “One third of every dollar in Golden Bay comes from tourism,” said Chris. “But you’re not doing anything to promote tourism long term.” Chris suggested that ways are found to “foster more attractions to get people to come and stay longer.” He proposed that funding could be put toward devising strategies, and advised people to consider what other regions are promoting in their areas. The Heaphy Track, he said, is being “thrashed” by cyclists as Kiwis head to the hills and active ecotourism trends nationwide. Cycling, hiking, kayaking and horse riding are all available here. People cycling the Abel Tasman often carry on through and out of Golden Bay. Continued on page 4

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