May 08, 2013
Papakainga no substitute for national housing plan
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the focus on papakainga is ignoring the real problems with Māori housing.
This month’s budget will include $12 million over four years for infrastructure like water, electricity and roading that is needed for housing developments on multiply-owned Māori land.
Mr Peters says papakainga housing is a good idea if it is near where people work.
"A lot of papakainga housing land is far too far away from the workplace. A lot of it is on the East Coast or in the far north where there are no jobs. Frankly we should be looking at a national housing plan rather than thinking that hope lies with this sort of programme. On occasion it's suitable, but a lot of the time if you go to the East Coast and elsewhere, you've got the land, you've got the house but no jobs so how's this going to work," he says.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd