A quarter of the homes in a new development in Petone have been bought by members of Taranaki whānui under a special pre-release offer, and iwi members have also bought many of the remaining homes on the open market.
Brae Watkins, chair of Te Tumu Kāinga – the housing arm of the new Maori Trustee Te Tumu Paeroa – says the 56-home Paetutu terrace development by The Wellington Company includes public river access and public art by master carver Rangi Hetet, which complements the medium-density architecture.
He says it demonstrates how cities and developers working in partnership with Iwi and Māori can achieve benefits for the wider community.
The development’s street name (Te Ara o Paetutu) is the first fully Te Reo street name in Lower Hutt.
The land was offered to Taranaki Whānui as part of first right of refusal in the crown’s land disposal process.
A blessing was held this morning to officially open the site, with the first residents expected to move in soon.
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