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Pensioner Housing

Thursday 2 April 2009, 2:47PM

By Whakatane District Council

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WHAKATANE

Whakatane District Council is considering selling/divesting its pensioner housing properties as part of a review of its range of activities and the need to focus on Council’s core business. During this process pensioner housing is one of the activities identified as where there are specialised organisations that may deliver community housing more efficiently than the Council.

The Mayor of Whakatane, Colin Holmes says divesting the pensioner portfolio could release over $5 million (rateable value of portfolio is $5.5 million-June 2008 valuation) at a time when considerable capital investment is required for other activities in the draft LTCCP.

He said the Council has a funding problem that is partly associated with the current unstable economic environment and the Council’s difficulty in funding its.

‘Among the key drivers for this and other proposals to divest some assets coming through the draft LTCCP is the challenge to fund a large number of critical projects to renew and upgrade our core infrastructural assets. Affordability is perhaps the foremost key issue for the Council and by releasing capital and reinvesting in capital projects, we can better support the community into the future,’ Mr Holmes said.

He said the capital invested in the pensioner housing stock could be released and used to fund capital works programmes that are critical for the future development of the District.

The Council will consider any steps available to it to ensure the continued delivery of pensioner housing services in the District.

The Council will adopt the draft Plan on 4 May 2009 and open public consultation for one month from 5 May 2009. Submissions close on 8 June 2009, so it is important that people get a copy of the Plan and make their submissions.

A summary of the plan will be sent to every house in the District during May and people can also access it through the Council’s website at www.whakatane.govt.nz.