Glen Innes ‘war zone’

52 comments on “Glen Innes ‘war zone’ ”

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1. xtasy 1

   6 March 2014 at 10:34 am

   Yes, it is all on, and for those that do not like to get their details from personal user data gathering Facebook, maybe use this link to GPJA for the same info on the protest tonight:

   http://www.gpja.org.nz/

   For various reasons I cannot attend, but I feel sympathy for the affected and express my support for their long, enduring and committed fight against Housing New Zealand’s endless lies and the forced evictions that definitely take place.

   Others get pressured to move into often unsuitable alternative housing, which is more cramped and will expose people to more social frictions and health issues.

   Housing NZ should be ashamed of what they are doing, they do not even consider freezing temperatures in homes a reason enough to get that considered as a reason for being given greater priority for support with housing needs!

   Housing NZ changed their website, which now offers even less real information to tenants and those needing state housing, and which is an expert piece of misleading people into believing Housing NZ really cares. By the way, there are changes taking effect in April, that mean, it will be MSD and WINZ that will decide on people’s housing need (as if they had not enough work to do already):

   http://www.hnzc.co.nz/info-for-tenants/changes-for-you-on-14-april-2014

   Wait for the “Dr Bratt approach” there too!!!

   By the way, I was put on the waiting list in 2007, and NEVER got real offers for any suitable housing from them! As a single person there was no housing for me, they said, as they had too few one bedroom places. Also two or three years ago they changed the priority treatment, so only category A applicants (with “high priority” need) were being given “priority” for state housing support. All others on category B and C have either dropped off the waiting lists now, or are forced off the list, and the last ones will eventually be wiped off by some new criteria to be introduced some time soon.

   High priority basically means you have situations like immediate need, due to having no home, having an unsuitable accommodation with no running water, with no power, with no protection from weather and the likes, but many living in boarding houses or caravans are now considered “suitably housed”! I raised the issue I live in an expensive, unaffordable (yet just below market average rental price) type of flat, that in winter has only 10 degrees inside temperatures in the night, mornings and evenings (due to no insulation and poor heating).

   That (cold temperatures) was NOT an aspect to consider they told me, and I got it in writing. Otherwise they referred me back to WINZ with their capped accommodation supplement “support”!

   NO mention of these issues here on their website:
   http://www.hnzc.co.nz/about-us/addressing-housing-demand

   All there is for us to read is “self promotion” and “corporate style propaganda”!

   FU*K HOUSING NEW ZEALAND, THE BIGGEST LIE ABOUT “SOCIAL HOUSING” THERE IS! New Zealand no longer has true social housing policies. The negligence of social housing started under previous governments, continued under Labour, and has reached unseen levels under this government!!!
2. Tiger Mountain 2

   6 March 2014 at 10:42 am

   give the keyboard a miss for a couple of hours!
   http://gpjanz.wordpress.com/2014/03/04/protest-planned-gi-eviction-thurs-6pm/
3. Tracey 3

   6 March 2014 at 10:43 am

   as soon as fletchers moved into the st johns quarry with the new 600k per house and up price tag, the writing was on the wall for glen innes. the developers will expand toward the sea views.

   farras nearby…. you know the demographic has changed and more change afoot.
4. AB 4

   6 March 2014 at 11:16 am

   Ethnic cleansing
5. John 5

   6 March 2014 at 11:17 am

   It’s insane having a family living in a million dollar plus property, when with the same money, HNZ could house two or three families in brand new houses.
   • bad12 5.1

     6 March 2014 at 11:38 am

     John, it is Insane for you to publish such a comment when you know full fucking well that there are NO plans to replace the 12,000 homes Nick Smith plans to rip apart,

     Only those planning on adding to the Auckland house price inflation spiral by buying up even more properties to use as rental income would view what Nick Smith and this National Government are doing to the States housing stock as anything but Insanity…
   • risildowgtn 5.2

     6 March 2014 at 11:53 am

     hahah fool
     again provide evidence of where these brand new houses you speak of?

     it IS ETHNIC cleansing…
6. Tracey 6

   6 March 2014 at 11:23 am

   is that what is happening john?
   • John 6.1

     6 March 2014 at 11:34 am

     Housing NZ have a large number of run down houses that are worth a fortune because they are on large sections.

     It’s a criminal waste of taxpayers money having such a huge value tied up in providing housing for such a small number of people when the same money can provide better houses for more people.
     • bad12 6.1.1

       6 March 2014 at 11:42 am

       So John,you would be quite happy for the State to use compulsion to buy out and bulldoze the homes of you and your neighbors so as to erect tower blocks of apartments because more people can be housed this way???…
       • John 6.1.1.1

         6 March 2014 at 12:21 pm

         Where is the government forcing home owners to sell to put up tower blocks?

         If I rent a house, my landlord can move me out given the appropriate notice, for any reason they want, or for not reason – they own the house.

         No one has a lifetime right to live a rented house no matter who the landlord is.

         It’s insanity having HNZ houses worth a million dollars and getting virtually no return, when the same money could house three families.
     • Molly 6.1.2

       6 March 2014 at 11:53 am

       The initial state housing developments understood – unlike the current government – that housing comes hand-in-hand with community. Strong communities require less resources and financial help than others.

       Savage Crescent in Palmerston North is almost modern in it’s concept and design, and planners that follow its criteria now are called innovators.

       And you fail to address why these are “million dollar properties”. Not because of some improved value added to them, but a systematic failure of government to address the increasing unaffordability of housing in any real way for the last three decades. Essentially they have created/encouraged the reason that gives them the supposed justification for removal.

       Redevelopment is not the issue here – the main point is that these people (and communities) are not being offered a home back in this area, despite all rhetoric that suggests so.

       If you see nothing wrong with this, you might have to think about it a bit longer.
     • risildowgtn 6.1.3

       6 March 2014 at 11:54 am

       Where are these new houses you cont dribble out your hole?
       • John 6.1.3.1

         6 March 2014 at 12:14 pm

         Thousands of new HNZ homes for Auckland, 700 new HNZ houses for Christchurch.

         See
         http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=

         [lprent: And this has what to do with this post?

         A. The post is on Glen Innes and the people who live there.
         B. The article you linked to was about Auckland (a rather bigger area).
         C. You haven’t established why the two are related. As far as I can see the only relationship was Sowry’s first name.
         D. I’m starting to suspect that you are a diversion troll trying shift the topic of a post. I ban people for that obnoxious habit.

         Please read the policy. ]
         • xtasy 6.1.3.1.1

           6 March 2014 at 12:28 pm

           Extract from that NZ Herald article:

           “For example, in Christchurch, the other centre of great housing need, we are planning to spend $1 billion in the next 10 years and build 700 new homes by the end of 2015 – an ambitious target by any measure

           In Auckland we plan to add thousands of new homes to our housing portfolio over the next 10 years. We’ll do this in two ways: firstly by building new homes, and secondly by working in partnership with other housing providers to build thousands of new homes on our land.”

           So, thousands of new HNZ homes for Auckland??? This is just simply taking over some projected construction that has not even taken place, and selling it as “achievements”, is it? And I have first hand knowledge, how cheap, low quality three or four level blocks of flats are to be the “new homes” for many Housing NZ “customers” in Auckland (and other centres) in future. Some of the land they hold will be sold to developers, only replacing a fraction of the existing stock, and then selling the rest they have built to the market, to make profits on. I have seen some of the “boxes” Housing NZ has built or done up in GI and other places, and some are like battery hen cages for humans.

           As for Christchurch, thousands of Housing NZ homes need replacing, so 700 (most not even built yet) is a drop in the ocean!

           In the meantime the “ocean” is creeping into the larger Christchurch city area, flooding extensive suburban areas, that are now at higher risk of flooding due to geological changes following many earthquakes. They do not even have considered the latest IPCC report on climate change and projections for much faster sea level rises, so many sites will not be able to be built on.

           This government is relying on “expert” advice that is shoddy and short sighted, same as buying new trains from China, that have asbestos in paint cover!

           Run by incompetent and self serving idiots and jerks, and voted in by too many dumbed down people, fed propaganda and trash by the MSM, that is the sad state of affairs of NZ Inc!
7. bad12 7

   6 March 2014 at 11:31 am

   Every picture tells a story don’t it, that last picture you borrowed off of Metro Karol, depicts exactly what it is, a War Zone,

   The tenants in what is obviously a State House next door can be in no doubt about the fate that awaits them, the destruction they are forced to view every day simply screams at them, ”YOUR NEXT”,

   People must be made to understand, this IS NOT a redevelopment of the States Housing stock, there are NO replacements planned for the 12,000 homes Nick Smith and National plan to sell from under the feet of the lowest income, sickest members of New Zealand society,

   As you have pointed out in this Post and as i have pointed out in a number of comments here at the Standard, the ripping apart of the States Housing Portfolio is an asset sale that matches if not dwarfs the individual sell off of any of the States Electricity Generators,

   The math is simply, Smith has a plan, flick off every property in the HousingNZ estate worth $700,000 which is most of the stock in Auckland, 12,000 properties worth $700,000 each to pay for the annual 1.8 billion dollar hole in Government revenue every year since 2009, tax cuts for the haves paid for with the sale of 12,000 of the homes of the poor,

   While asset sales involving power generators has little apparent human consequences,(until the rising price of electricity forces even more disconnections), the consequences for the 12,000 individuals or families forced to find accommodation in the private market will as the dismantling of the HousingNZ estate continues become apparent,

   This IS an asset sale of major proportions, it IS also a wealth transfer from the poorest of our society to the vote rich middle class who will fall all over themselves to cater for the extra 12,000 individuals and families who will still need housing after the destruction of their homes is complete,

   This WILL create more inflation in the Auckland housing market as that middle class compete with those wishing to buy a home to get their hands upon more rental properties,

   House prices will be further forced up by the ransacking of the HousingNZ estate as that monied middle class compete for rentals against those wishing to own a family home, along with the house price inflation will come rent inflation,

   There WILL NOT be any savings made by the Government from trashing the Housing belonging to the poorest in society, the costs of housing the poor will simply be transferred from the budget of HousingNZ to the budget of WINZ,

   The cost of extra payment of the Accommodation Supplement and Special benefits paid out from WINZ to those forced into an enviroment of private landlords ‘rack-renting’ in a spiral of inflation will far outweigh any costs shown in the HousingNZ budget,

   An excellent post Karol, i cannot remember seeing one picture in the past year that has filled me with sadness and anger as much as the forlorn picture of the State House, lights on, emanating warmth and security, next to the property deliberately and needlessly Vandalized by the current National Government…
8. John 8

   6 March 2014 at 12:08 pm

   If there are “NO replacements”, how do you explain the 500 new houses being built by Housing NZ in Auckland.

   How do you explain over 2000 rooms being added to existing state houses?

   And how do you explain that Housing NZ has been given more money in the last budget than at any time in it’s history ($3b of spending over three years).

   Could it be your long post could be better summed up in just two words – “conspiracy theory”?

   [lprent: see my other notes on your trolling if you wish to carry on commenting. ]
   • framu 8.1

     6 March 2014 at 12:28 pm

     over 10 years john

     the real question is what houses are being built now and in GI

     when i lived in sandringham the pulled down about 8-10 old school HNZ houses in one street – but they replaced them, straight away, with new houses on the same land

     thats good – but is that what is happening in GI?
     • John 8.1.1

       6 March 2014 at 12:39 pm

       This is what’s happening in Glen Innes

       http://www.hnzc.co.nz/housing-development/auckland/northern-glen-innes-redevelopment-1

       It’s stunning that those on the left are arguing we should keep one family in an old run down three bedroom house and keep two families on the waiting list, when the SAME taxpayer money could house ALL THREE families in brand NEW houses.

       It’s a no brainer.
       • framu 8.1.1.1

         6 March 2014 at 1:00 pm

         fucks sake –

         “It’s stunning that those on the left are arguing we should keep one family in an old run down three bedroom house and keep two families on the waiting list, when the SAME taxpayer money could house ALL THREE families in brand NEW houses.”

         whats stunning is that you think thats the argument – its not and never has been

         did the many years of the left arguing for better quality houses for all NZers just not happen in your world?
         • John 8.1.1.1.1

           6 March 2014 at 1:27 pm

           framu says “whats stunning is that you think thats the argument – its not and never has been”

           If you want to keep in a family in a state house worth a million dollars when the same money could house three families, then whether you like it or not, that IS the argument.
           • framu 8.1.1.1.1.1

             6 March 2014 at 2:39 pm

             your the only one saying that

             helps if you actually listen instead of putting words in peoples mouths – stop being thick

             notice how just above you reword things to suit your view of the argument to the point you claim things that arent being said?

             do i have to repeat my self?!

             “when i lived in sandringham the pulled down about 8-10 old school HNZ houses in one street – but they replaced them, straight away, with new houses on the same land. Thats good” – thats many times more new houses than the original 8-10 by the way

             any time you want to apologise your welcome
       • bad12 8.1.1.2

         6 March 2014 at 1:03 pm

         Sure is a no-brainer John, under what bridge do you plan to stash the 40 families that currently have HousingNZ homes in the area to be demolished,

         See the difference in the numbers do you, 156 State Houses to be Vandalized by Smith and National with only a proposal of 117 State houses to be returned,

         As i intimate above, that if Hobsonville is anything to judge by might suddenly become NO new State Houses for the demolished area,

         A large number of State Houses were part of the plan for the Hobsonville redevelopment, pepper-potted as they say among the new build private dwellings, the developers objected to this claiming having State Housing in the area would lower property values,

         Result??? No State Housing in the redevelopment…
         • John 8.1.1.2.1

           6 March 2014 at 1:24 pm

           You conveniently miss the 500 new homes being built,

           And you conveniently forget about the 2600 additional rooms being built on to existing houses.

           Anybody who thinks it’s good use of taxpayers money to have million dollar state houses being rented for low rates effectively disqualifies themselves from any position in charge of taxpayer funds.

           [lprent: Provide a link to supporting information when you want to assert facts. This is your warning about supporting such assertions. I’d suggest that you read the policy.

           I have provided an example comment because it is clear that you have a problem with accuracy. ]
           • lprent 8.1.1.2.1.1

             6 March 2014 at 3:18 pm

             You conveniently miss the 500 new homes being built,
             And you conveniently forget about the 2600 additional rooms being built on to existing houses.

             Since you didn’t provide a link and this post is about the Glen Innes development for housing NZ, my guess is that you have been lying. Of course it could be that you’re too stupid to use the net to find actual information.

             The problem is as always in the details – something that you are clearly not to proficient in working with.

             http://www.hnzc.co.nz/housing-development/auckland/northern-glen-innes-redevelopment-1

             To achieve our goals for the area, we plan to redevelop 156 properties to create at least 260 new houses, including:
             78 owned by Housing New Zealand
             at least 39 other market-based affordable houses
             and, the remainder for private sale.
             The project also involves modernising another 40 state houses in Glen Innes, and exterior upgrades to a further 276 state rental houses across Glen Innes and Panmure.

             Shit – those numbers match anything that you have said.
             • John …

               6 March 2014 at 3:40 pm

               lprent says “Since you didn’t provide a link and this post is about the Glen Innes development for housing NZ, my guess is that you have been lying. Of course it could be that you’re too stupid to use the net to find actual information.”

               You don’t have to be particularly smart to find the information, unless you deliberately don’t want to find it.

               Clue – it’s under the big heading “HOUSING DEVELOPMENT” – the very FIRST thing you can click on, on EVERY page of the Housing NZ site, (which I previously have already linked to).

               Lots of info about development in Ak, Chch, Wellington etc, and this from “Right Size”

               500 new homes, and 2600 additional bedrooms

               http://www.hnzc.co.nz/housing-development/right-size

               [lprent: You do realize that Auckland is a rather large city.

               That most of the houses you appear to be pointing to are many many kilometres from Glen Innes and even around the Tamaki area (ChCh?). And that many of the people in these houses are working and will be required to move far away from their jobs.

               Anyway, I’m tired of this. You obviously need a more pointed lesson in the rules of this site.

               Two week ban for astroturfing this post with irrelevant diversions. You can do that in OpenMike. ]
           • John 8.1.1.2.1.2

             6 March 2014 at 3:50 pm

             lprent says “Provide a link to supporting information when you want to assert facts. This is your warning about supporting such assertions. I’d suggest that you read the policy.”

             That’s funny. I’ve ALREADY provided SEVERAL links, but people make bizarre and false claims without a whisper of complains about links.

             And many here talk about the dismantling of state housing, but when I provide facts to prove that wrong, suddenly I’m the one that’s off topic. Hell – even the lead article must be off topic if that’s the case.

             It looks like you want to censor any facts that disprove of the false accusations.

             [lprent: Ah no you haven’t provided any links that are relevant to this POST that I saw. This POST was about the HNZ stock in Glen Innes and its evicted tenants. Talking about HNZ houses in Christchurch or even other parts of Auckland is irrelevant to this POST unless you can show its relevance.

             That was what you were being warned about. It pays to read my notes before starting to whine. We are always pretty bloody minded about people astroturfing all over one of our authors posts with their own pet topics.

             Doubled the ban to 4 weeks for wasting my time responding to this. Next doubling is to 8 weeks, I really have no particular problem continuing to double up. Your choice… ]
             • John …

               6 March 2014 at 4:48 pm

               Surprise surprise – abuse and censorship for anyone who links to facts that shine a bright light on another hollow beat up.

               What else can you do when so many lefties here so easily get shown up making totally false statements about the housing issue?

               (you’ll be doing ME a favour if you make the ban 8 weeks)
       • Binders full of women 8.1.1.3

         6 March 2014 at 6:21 pm

         agreed, HNZ info I have read says that 3 bdrm homes are not a good fit for many HNZ tenants. More 4s,2s, and 1s. Less 3s.
     • PapaMike 8.1.2

       6 March 2014 at 1:47 pm

       The problem with the numbers of buildings being mooted for both Auckland and Christchurch, and other centres in New Zealand is that there are not nearly enough builders to go round. After the Brisbane floods a huge number went to Queensland and are still there.
       Find the qualified builders – they are like gold dust.
       A Bay of Plenty builder said to me that he was full up, for 18 months at the earliest, with new houses.
       • Populuxe1 8.1.2.1

         6 March 2014 at 3:06 pm

         Well how about training our unemployed instead of bringing hundreds in from overseas?
   • bad12 8.2

     6 March 2014 at 12:53 pm

     John, conspiracy theory??? are you suggesting that Nick Smith has not stated publicly that 20% of the HousingNZ portfolio is to go,

     Are you further suggesting that Smith’s puppet, HousingNZ CEO Sowry, hasn’t publicly stated that any HousingNZ property with a value of 700,000 dollars will be sold,

     If so, i would have to suggest that you are simply TR0LLING and using LIES to do so,

     IF you are suggesting the HousingNZ budget will be used to provide any new housing you are again either lying or deluded, 1 billion dollars a year simply covers the maintenance costs of the States housing stock plus the subsidy passed across from Government to HousingNZ in the form of a book-keeping exercise which reflects the difference between ‘market rents’ and the ‘income related rents’ charged by HousingNz to the poorest members of NZ society,

     IF, John you have proof that this 3 billion dollars you speak of is to build new State housing please provide us all with that proof,

     Smith has publicly stated that the HousingNZ stock will be downsized by 20%, 20% of the current stock is 12,000 homes, to equate this into a conspiracy theory is plainly stupid,

     Do you see the abject Dumbness of defending Smith’s ripping apart of the HousingNZ estate with your applause for 500 proposed rebuilds which if the experience of Hobsonville give us any indication of the truth of such announcements might or just as likely might not be built,

     A 12,000 home loss makes such an announcement ludicrous along with your other little hurrah over the 2000 supposed extra rooms…
9. John 9

   6 March 2014 at 1:48 pm

   bad says “1 billion dollars a year simply covers the maintenance costs of the States housing stock”

   Nonsense. The HNZ costs for maintenance AND upgrades in 12/13 year was $190m.

   bad says “IF, John you have proof that this 3 billion dollars you speak of is to build new State housing please provide us all with that proof,”

   From 2013 budget
   “A record $2.9 billion investment by Housing New Zealand over three years. This includes:

   $1.6 billion on new housing developments and repairs to Canterbury properties.
Project 324, which will put 2,000 extra bedrooms on existing houses.
500 new infill two-bedroom homes on existing land.
Completing around 46,000 home insulations.
Major earthquake upgrades and repairs, including the repair of 5,000 state houses in Canterbury and the building of 700 new ones."


   So that’s 700 new houses in Chch, 500 in Ak, and 2000 new rooms (effectively 1000x 2 b/r houses, or 666x 3 b/r houses) in Ak.

   [lprent: The post is on a particular area of Auckland. What does ChCh have to do with it. ]
   • bad12 9.1

     6 March 2014 at 3:41 pm

     You are still arguing from a position of Bullshit John, less 20% of the current HousingNZ housing stock which totals some 60+ thousand homes is a reduction of 12,000 of these homes,

     The best case scenario you put forward is that a bare 10% of these homes will be replaced,

     Further to that is your claim surrounding the addition of new bedrooms to existing State Housing stock, probably what you see by your little piece of mental gymnastics a master stroke of mathematical genius, in truth an utter piece of Bullshit,

     The 2000 rooms to be attached to the selected HousingNZ homes simply reflect the size of many Pacific and Maori families being unable to be accommodated in what are at present mainly 2 and 3 bedroom houses,

     So, this is obviously an addition to current houses which are being used to house current families which have grown to a size that the accommodation cannot now cater for, your equation of this to a supply of any amount of ‘new’ two bedroom housing if i may be so rude to point out is, Simply Fucking Dumb,

     Or do you perhaps propose that on the addition of a new bedroom to these properties another familiy simply be pushed in on top of the current tenants…
   • framu 9.2

     6 March 2014 at 3:51 pm

     “A record $2.9 billion investment by Housing New Zealand over three years. This includes:”

     so its not 3B of new development then is it – that was the question

     ahem – “bad says “IF, John you have proof that this 3 billion dollars you speak of is to build new State housing please provide us all with that proof,””

     im starting to think you dont do that reading thing
     • bad12 9.2.1

       6 March 2014 at 4:21 pm

       i would suggest framu, ‘John’ simply entered the thread with an intent to vandalize it, albeit the attempt contained slightly more information than the usual ‘wing-nuts’ put forward but not any more intelligence than the average garden slug could muster,

       Lprent has fixed ‘it’…
       • framu 9.2.1.1

         7 March 2014 at 8:00 am

         oh im well aware of that 🙂

         shouldnt feed trools of course – but you know that thing cats do with mice?
10. Enough is Enough 10

    6 March 2014 at 3:46 pm

    GI is a very interesting case study for how fucked up society is.

    West Tamaki Road divides GI from Glendowie. And for not much reason other than the colour of skin if you are one side of West Tamaki Road your house is worth 20-30% more than the equivalent house on the other side of the road. It is remarkable.

    If you are on one side you go to Glendowie College, on the other you go to Tamaki College. (unless you go to that filthy elitist catholic shithole in the middle Sacred Heart College.

    This government want to toss the poor side out bulldoze the streets and make it all one blue voting paradice.
11. risildowgtn 11

    6 March 2014 at 3:48 pm

    I was in Levin other day and the nats have sold so many HNZ properties to private landlords.

    They aint replacing any of those they sell or have sold…… so john youre fuill of crap
    • bad12 11.1

      6 March 2014 at 4:46 pm

      Risildowgtn, and Nick Smith is equally full of crap with His reasons for this part of the asset sale which is the ripping apart of the HousingNZ portfolio with 12,000 homes in His little plan to be sold of as unwanted,

      Levin is a nice place and big enough to have most of the facilities of a bigger place, as industry has withered in the past 30 years of the neo-liberal experiment, Levin used to be the home of a thriving clothing and footwear industry,there could be a case made which i acknowledge and reject that there is less of a need for the State to have a large stock of houses in Levin and many other of the larger towns that have suffered the same fate,

      Where the greatest need now is of course, in the cities,its where the work is which is another obvious,However, for Smith or anyone else to simply dismiss the State Housing in Levin as ‘unwanted’ is a knee-jerk stupidity,

      There are 100’s if not 1000’s of tenants occupying HousingNZ homes in Wellington at present who for whatever reason, age, infirmity, who will never work again, for those who could work there is a gross shortage of HousingNZ homes in Wellington,

      HousingNZ has a quarterly ‘magazine’ sent out to all tenants, So, tenancies in a place like Levin could easily be advertised to those who are unlikely to ever be in the workforce again and would be willing to shift to a place like Levin thus freeing up Wellington tenancies for those able to work,

      Smith of course is either willfully or genetically too stupid to see that there is no such thing as an unwanted or un-needed home…
    • John 11.2

      6 March 2014 at 5:29 pm

      At any time HNZ has 3000 EMPTY houses.

      The whole issue they have is getting the right sized houses in the right places.

      In Auckland, they don’t have enough large houses, and they don’t have enough small houses.

      In places like Glen Innes, they have very highly valued (but run down) three bedroom houses on giant sections. They could provide two or three brand new houses for the same cost.

      lprent thinks that Glen Innes should be ringfenced and has nothing to do housing elsewhere in Auckland.

      When the Glen Innes situation is keeping other families out of homes, that’s obviously bunkum.

      Giving a million dollar plus resource to just one family, when the same money could provide new homes for three families, would have Savage rolling in his grave.
      • bad12 11.2.1

        6 March 2014 at 6:55 pm

        Why is it you cannot understand the truth you yourself have provided John, your own figures show that the ethnic cleansing of Glen Innes will provide between HousingNZ and NGO providers of social housing 40 less houses than what are currently enjoyed by the current State tenants,

        How then can you make any claim except by being a Fucking Liar that this is in any way a positive outcome for those tenants of the State,

        i have provided an answer to your previous outrageous Lies about the total HousingNZ asset sell off which of course as we expect from ‘wing-nuts’ you simply disregard and sail on with your attempts to vandalize this particular Post,

        Only Nick Smith or an equally Stupid individual would continue to comment here in the face of having been banned for a number of weeks,

        Expect Lprent to come along later and provide you with a certificate of merit for being persistently stupid and a compulsive Liar all afternoon even when banned from commenting…
      • Murray Olsen 11.2.2

        7 March 2014 at 4:08 am

        Savage would be rolling in his grave to see thriving communities being broken up for the profits of a few Tory developers. He would be rolling in his grave that housing began to become something to make money off and the process was accelerated by the first ACT government, calling itself Labour. Savage would be rolling in his grave as the working class community of GI, or those parts of it with a sea view, were ethnically cleansed by a regime headed by a speculator who had been sheltered by a state house in his youth. There are many reasons that Savage would be rolling in his grave, but John, like most of the greedy, has no notion what any of them might be.
12. xtasy 12

    7 March 2014 at 8:05 pm

    So, may I ask, how many turned out for the protest action?

    Was it a dozen or two?

    I went to one some time ago, and I was SHOCKED about the apathy of people, and the lack of solidarity in NZ Inc.!

    Michael Joseph Savage would turn in his grave 24/7 if he would see what has become of this country, I am 100 percent certain!

    Divide and rule, and we have just that, and the idealists believe in good values and goals, but they are abandoned by selfish, divisive people, who do not feel they belong together, and the true spirit of Aotearoa NZ is long DEAD!

    Welcome more migrants, who are mostly having individual aspirations, who want to “better” themselves, and I met so many of them, but who do not at all identify with this country and its history.

    What a sad country this has become, it is a country devoid of spirit, and it is just a shallow superficial remnant of what it claims to be.
    • karol 12.1

      7 March 2014 at 8:22 pm

      About 100 (as stated on their Facebook page) – the problem for such a demo is that for most of us, it was at a difficult time. Many are just leaving work, and it’s not that easy to get to from the other side of Auckland. A weekend demo would be a good idea.

      Actually we need a nation wide day of action on state housing.
      • xtasy 12.1.1

        7 March 2014 at 8:47 pm

        I had some contact with Waitemata Unite, and that was discussed at one stage, but that talk of “national day of action” may sound great, without true coordination and resolute efforts, without having heaps of affected actually front up and take a stand, it is a LOST CAUSE.

        The latter is the main problem, as most affected are SCARED, they depend on housing from Housing NZ, and Housing NZ know this, so they do not dare to bite the hand that “feeds” them, which I know many people of being the situation they are in.

        The biggest enemy are the people themselves, not daring to stand up and that is the whole issue for the whole of welfare, housing, employment and all other major issues. This country is now run on intimidation, corruption and hostility created by the ruling forces between groups of population. It is to put it simply “divide and rule”, and as long as people do not realise this, succumb to this, and do not join ranks with whatever neighbours, no matter what background, this society is “stuffed”.
        • karol 12.1.1.1

          7 March 2014 at 8:56 pm

          There is a TPPA demo in Auckland on March 29 – that’s a good issue to mobilise around. I will be going to that. It’s easier for me to get to demos if there’s a few weeks notice.
          • xtasy 12.1.1.1.1

            7 March 2014 at 9:11 pm

            I agree, some sound notice and good organisation (I know GPAJ are behind this) does certainly “help”. What worried me before is that some activist groups do not necessarily work together all that well.

            And what we see now with the media attacks, it must tell each of us all, to join forces, no matter what, to put the major disagreements aside, as otherwise we will make it too easy for the Nats to hammer the progress this country needs, and to bring all Neanderthal men and women to the booths again, giving them a 3rd term. (Sorry Mr and Mrs Neanderthal, if there are any left, for any offences caused).

            Thanks, karol, you are a good soul!
13. Brendon Harre 13

    8 March 2014 at 6:29 am

    Glen Innes is just one battleground. How is the wider war going?

    All is not fine in our fair cities. We have a problem of housing affordability. Something has gone wrong, the marketplace doesn’t work. With housing if interest rates go down, incomes go up, we move from single to double income families, we provide more government subsidies, WFF, accommodation supplements then house prices go up. All the gains are captured by the property owning class and the property less working class loses out. Inequality rises and a whole host of social problems get worse. This problem is called economic rent and is related to inelastic supply of housing. How we build new houses.

    This problem is not seen in other markets, kids clothing down at your local department store hasn’t been going up in price because family incomes have risen. Although you could question if the weekly grocery shop from our duopoly owned supermarkets has a somewhat similar effect.

    What to do about it? Well a good discussion is had here
    http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2014/03/nzs-english-ramps-up-housing-supply-side-attack/

    And here
    http://transportblog.co.nz/2014/02/27/bill-english-on-intensification-vs-sprawl/#comment-100140

    Definitely follow the link to the Chris Harris paper about how Labour was on the right track in the 30’s and 40’s.

    But then think about the Central government ideological football this created as discussed by Goosoid and myself here.
    http://transportblog.co.nz/2014/02/27/bill-english-on-intensification-vs-sprawl/#comment-100212

    These are big questions. They are about what sort of cities we want to live in. How to affordably build them. How to reduce inequality.
    • karol 13.1

      8 March 2014 at 8:19 am

      Thanks, Brendon. Yes, these are important issues that need to be foregrounded again and again this year. This Chris Harris paper.
      • Brendon Harre 13.1.1

        8 March 2014 at 8:39 am

        Thanks Karol I think I am probably more centrist than many here. My preference would be for our Regional councils/Super councils to be put in charge of building our cities. Rather than have a repeat of Labour massive building programs followed by National government undermining the same.

        Having said that. It is democratic decision and that is best achieved by a informed public. So happy to keep raising the issue. : )

Links to post

1. GPJA #493 (part 2 of 2): Best on the web – NZ & World (7/3/14) | GPJA's Blog: posted on 7 March 2014 at 6:47 pm

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