Stanley Park development - FAQs

We know we have a housing issue in South Waikato. Our Reserves Management Plan, the document that guides our open space planning requires that Council considers the need to acquire land for reserves or to sell land. Housing is set out as one of the specific reasons that Council will consider selling open space. Stanley Park is a large park, but it is currently not well used and doesn’t have any additional facilities. In the north Tokoroa area there are five other nearby parks, that support our level of service of 9ha of open space per 1,000 residents. Stanley Park was also chosen over other nearby reserves such as Benella Reserve due to factors such as lack of space, topography, access and proximity to underground services. This is a case where we have identified that we can better use our assets to support better outcomes for our communities.

While it is true that building on top of existing services can be problematic and potentially expensive, this must be viewed against the alternative scenario where there are no existing services local to the site. In such a situation it would be necessary to install long lengths of new pipe to connect with services remote from the site. It is likely that the level of cost and disruption to the wider community, through digging up roads and footpaths would far exceed the relatively simple process of diverting the services within the confines of the Reserve. In this situation therefore it is actually an advantage that these services already exist at Stanley Park.

As part of the initial due diligence the Options Assessment Report on Stanley Park inlcuded a site specific:

• Desktop Geotechnical Report from CMW Geosciences
• Engineering and Infrastructure report from CKL
• Stanley Park – Potential Residential Subdivision Access Feasibility Assessment also by CKL

All of these reports covered and reviewed elements of:

• Local stormwater reticulation
• Local wastewater reticulation
• Local water supply and;
• Utility services

The feasibility budgets for the subdivision included sums for the realignment of the waste and storm water.

Council received a grant from the Government to support the delivery of the housing project and the inclusive playground project. In July 2021, Council acquired 20 and 22 Manaia Street as an opportunity to facilitate better access into Stanley Park.

Council committed $250,000 in the Long Term Plan 2021-31 for the inclusive playground project. This funding will no longer be used for Stanley Park due to the Government grant received.

Council purchased #20 and #22 Manaia Street in July 2021 to facilitate access to Stanley Park and the proposed development. Purchasing the properties also provided a strategic opportunity to potentially facilitate enhanced development at Stanley Park. A Government grant means that most of this project, including the purchase price of these properties will not cost residents and ratepayers. It is anticipated that there will be revenue returned to Council as part of this development. Council intends to use that revenue to support future projects.

Almost nothing. Government funding covers most of the costs of this proposal, including both the development and the playground. Staff time is a cost that is not covered by the Government grant. It is anticipated that there will be revenue returned to Council as part of this development. Council intends to use that revenue to support future projects.

We have engaged an expert to assist with engagement, planning and resource consenting. We will also be working with a land rights analyst expert at revocation applications under the Reserves Act. These costs are covered by the Government grant.

Late January to late February 2024
Public consultation on partial revocation

By end-March 2024
Analysis and Council decision

By mid- to late-April
Formal application to partially revoke a portion of Stanley Park to DOC (Department of Conservation) (IF resolved for revocation by Council).

From late-April onwards
DOC processing, gazette notice, transfer of title (IF approved*)

From July 2024 onwards
Subdivision detailed design progressed

November 2024 to July 2025
Earthworks for the playground and subdivision

October 2025 to January 2026
Construction of playground

October 2025 to September 2026
Construction of housing

* IF not approved, no further progress on the housing development project. Accessible playground will still continue.

Yes, Council resolved to start work on the partial revocation of Stanley Park in November 2023. Because the Park is a classified recreation reserve under the Reserves Act, part of that process that is required involves engaging with partners, stakeholders and neighbours to the Park. This work has already started. Stakeholder meetings have been held to ascertain need and hear thoughts and listen to any concerns or questions the community and or stakeholders may have. Stakeholder and neighbours and indeed anyone interested has the opportunity to make a formal submission on the partial reserve revocation. Forty four submissions were received and three people spoke to their submission at Hearings held on 14 March 2024.

On 21 November 2023, Council resolved to start a partial reserve revocation process for Stanley Park so that homes can be developed on the Park. To do that, Council must consult with its community and process a revocation application to the Department of Conservation (DOC). At this stage we are letting people know that this is happening and why and how to get involved. A formal process providing a chance to submit took place from Late January to late February.

Hearings and Deliberations occured on Thursday 14 March 2024.

Council will make a decision on Wednesday 24 April to progress an application to the Department of Conservation for partial reserve revocation or not.

The playground design and build process will go ahead regardless of revocation or not.

Council has initiated direct contact with neighbours, including owner occupied, tenants and absentee ratepayers. A by-invite drop-in BBQ session held at the Park was planned for late November. However, this was postponed due to rain and instead an information session was held at the Tokoroa Little Theatre on 7 December 2023. This was the first step to understanding and addressing concerns raised. Our contact with neighbours has also offered Zoom meetings or phone calls to address concerns, especially for absentee ratepayers who don’t live nearby.

A further engagement session occured in late January at the Park to discuss the formal consutlation content and encourage submissions.

You can object to the reserve revocation. If the revocation doesn’t go through, the housing development can’t proceed. Council will be formally consulting on the reserve revocation status in late January (likely starting Friday 26 January 2004) to late February. There are several gates to go through.

1, Decision to consult with community about revocation – DONE.

2, Following consultation, Council must resolve to proceed with public consultation as part of the revocation process – DONE.

3, Following consultation, staff will prepare a report for Council that includes the community feedback, submissions, pros and cons) and this will be discussed by Council at the Hearings and Deliberations - DONE.

4. Council meeting on Thursday 27 March - to proceed with an application for the revocation or not – YET TO COME

4, IF Council applies for revocation, the decision to revoke or not lies with the Department of Conservation – YET TO COME.

The playground can – and will, go ahead either way.

Yes. The project page on our website and the media statements are to keep everyone informed, not just the neighbouring properties that we are doing more targeted engagement with (and direct mail/mail drops).

An inclusive playground at Stanley Park would increase playability and use of the area of the Park retained, we don’t need the whole Park to do this.

Research shows that the South Waikato District has more people with disabilities than anywhere else in the Waikato region, with 55% of young people and 63% of adults in South Waikato district identifying as having a disability – highest percentage in the Waikato region. [Accessibility and Inclusion in South Waikato – Sport Waikato]

Census 2018 statistics also reveal 9.1% of people in the South Waikato District have one or more activity limitations.

A replacement playground is needed for the northern side of Tokoroa, with the loss of the former playground on Kauri Street, when that land was sold by Scouts NZ. An inclusive playground would be the first of its kind in our district.

Inclusive playgrounds are designed so children of all abilities and ages can play together and have fun with their friends and whānau. Research shows that inclusive play environments can foster social interaction and empathy among children with and without disabilities and can promote understanding and acceptance.

We will involve people who have lived experience with a disability and their whānau in the community in the playground design to ensure it meets their needs.

One in ten children in New Zealand have some form of disability. They want to have fun with their mates. Often their options for fun are limited.

Yes, that project will go ahead regardless of the outcome of public consultation on the revocation and indeed the Department of Conservation’s final decision as to approve the revocation or not. That decision rests with DOC.

If the housing development doesn’t go ahead, it is likely that the playground won’t go in the same place, but closer to the Manaia St properties that Council has purchased.

Council has contracted playground design specialist Creo to help with this work. This company has constructed accessible playgrounds for other communities. While we have contracted Creo to help with initial concepts; the final design and construction work will go to tender at the appropriate time. We will also be working with community groups to help with this, such as Riding for the Disabled, South Waikato Achievement Trust, Te Whatu Ora Disability Support Services. We would also like to involve local school children too. We anticipate that this helping with the design will be the fun part for the community and we’re looking forward to your involvement.

Safety and ease of access for all users will be an important consideration in the detailed design. This may or may not include a fence.

Our district needs more homes. There is potential for around 19 housing units to be developed on Stanley Park. The focus would be on two and three-bedroom homes. As of September 2023, there were 132 applicants on the Ministry of Social Development’s Housing Register for the South Waikato. Most people on the register need smaller homes.

We have already been in contact with national housing providers including Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities and Habitat for Humanity.

Roughly half of the 19 homes will be set aside for affordable housing for those who are not on the Housing Register, who also can’t afford to buy or rent on the private market but still require assistance to obtain a home. It is intended that these homes will remain affordable. Rather than being resold at market rates, there are many ways that this can be achieved.

There is potential for around 19 housing units. While it is too early to say exactly what they would look like, they will be two- to-three-bedroom, modern homes built using good design principles and controls that ensure the housing developed is of good quality and meets the needs of the communities we serve. All the new homes will be Homestar rated, meaning that they will be warm, dry and safe. They will not be higher than two-storey.

There will need to be a boundary fence between the new development and the existing homes. It would make sense to put one style of fence up around the development that would also act as the back garden fence of existing properties. However, this is up to the housing developer during design stage. Further consultation with the owners of neighbouring properties will likely occur.

We don’t know yet. Council has a Road Naming Policy that we will need to adhere to.

We looked at several reserves. We identified Stanley Park as ideal due to location for the northern side of town, access to existing Council services, topography and the fact that the reserve is underutilised. Elizabeth Drive is a nice flat reserve, however it already has a playground and is better used due to its accessibility from the street.

Council has an overall Level of Service of open spaces across the district of 9ha of open space per 1,000 residents. We also take into consideration accessibility, quality and level of use. We are slightly below this level overall in Tokoroa, however in the north Tokoroa area, where Stanley Park is, we have several parks that provide similar experiences, such as Benella, Ireland, Papanui and Cobham reserves.

As part of our level of service for open space, we need to invest in new open spaces in the south of Tokoroa area to meet our overall level of service for open space, and we will do this as new subdivisions are developed. In north Tokoroa where Stanley Park is we have several parks that provide similar experiences.

Council is proceeding with this project to provide social and affordable homes in Tokoroa. The development partner will use the Housing Register is used to identify people in need who are then matched to the homes with criteria based on needs such as proximity to schools, medical care, public transport etc.

That will be determined by the development partner. Council is not involved in the housing development, other than providing the land (by sale) if the revocation is successful and approving the resource consent. Council will advocate for social procurement.

No, Council will sell the land and a housing developer will develop them. The housing developer will hire their own builders.

Affordable housing is defined as housing for low to moderate income households and priced so that the household can meet its housing and other essential basic living costs. An affordable home can be anything between public (or social) housing and the private market. Some of the mechanisms used to deliver affordable homes can include Rent-to-Buy programmes, Lease-Hold Land or Shared Equity. The housing developer will develop options when they are further down the track. This will include how to maintain the homes as affordable over time.

Yes, in response to our housing issues, Council was already considering the possibility of a housing development at this site. When the opportunity to purchase the two properties on Manaia Street for a possible access road arose, we decided to purchase the land. If ultimately Council decided not to proceed, we would simply sell the land again. It is normal and indeed prudent practice for Council to make decisions about future growth and development of our towns. To aid this Council buys land that has strategic value for new areas for development or other purposes. We don’t tend to talk about it, or publicise that Council is interested in properties, because it tends to drive the price up. It’s not about being untransparent or secretive, it simply makes good commercial sense and protects ratepayers.

Yes, now that Council owns these two properties, our contractor mows and weed sprays them, as they maintain other Council property. The cost to mow these properties is estimated to $230 per month. These properties are not currently tenanted.

If the revocation goes ahead, Council will sell the revoked part of the Park to a social and affordable housing developer.

No. Council and town planning experts believe it is the best option for the land. But it is not a done deal. There are four gates to go through.

1, Decision to consult with community about revocation – DONE.

2, Following consultation, Council must resolve to proceed with public consultation as part of the revocation process – UNDERWAY.

3, Following consultation, staff will prepare a report for Council that includes the community feedback, submissions, pros and cons). Council will then decide if they will proceed with an application for the revocation – YET TO COME

4, IF Council applies for revocation, the decision to revoke or not lies with the Department of Conservation – YET TO COME.

Detailed design has not yet been done, so we can’t answer this. Some or all the trees may be removed to make way for the development. Some of the trees may also have outgrown the location. Likely, as part of the development more size and appropriate trees could be planted to create a different environment.

No, under the District Plan, Council must plan for growth. Homes will comply with District Plan residential heights.

Property value is largely market driven by supply and demand. In Tokoroa we are short on houses and high on demand. This would generally mean that house prices will stay the same or increase.

This can’t be changed now. The Government funding is for an inclusive playground and housing at this particular site. While Council is always willing to discuss concepts that benefit our communities such as community gardens, decisions around providing Council land to do so will require careful consideration as to best location, size requirements, ease of access, effect on existing community use of land/facilities, security, depth of community interest and involvement, parking, ground maintenance responsibilities, and so forth. Any Council support would be as a facilitator only.

Matarawa Park is one of the higher used reserves. While this is a large park, it is traversed by powerlines which is not ideal. In addition in ground services stop in the street alongside. There would be considerable costs involved in laying the nexecessary infrastructure.

Most developments in the pipeline will supply mostly market housing. Developments such as East School and Clyde Street will contribute to affordable, progressive ownership models and social housing but will still not provide sufficient housing to meet needs.

There are 75 individuals and 72 families in the South Waikato requiring a total of 261 bedrooms, according to MHUD’s Housing Register (December 2023).

This does not include market demand for rental properties. There are only nine rental properties available in Tokoroa on Trade Me today, fourteen in the whole of the South Waikato (36 bedrooms in total acropss the region).

According to Core Logic Data, there are 100 vacant residential sections in Tokoroa, totalling 9.7 Ha. Council owns nine of these sections which make up 8,241m² of the total. Not all of Council's residential sections lend themselves to development due to their location or current use.

The development of these vacant sections should be encouraged. Unfortunately, the development of a few sections will not satisfy the demand for housing in Tokoroa, with 75 individuals and 72 families from the South Waikato requiring a total of 261 bedrooms, according to MHUD’s Housing Register (December 2023).

There are pro and cons to single site developments vs small subdivisions:

Pros:

• easily achievable for first time developers
• activates currently vacant land
• existing infrastructure should support a single dwelling.

Cons:

• 90% of the sections in Tokoroa are in private control. These owners may not be able to afford, have the skills/ confidence or desire to build homes on their section.
• If the sections are owned by property speculators, they may just be waiting for capital gain and might not be motivated to build.
• If the land is owned by investors, building homes may not provide rental return as they may cost more than its finished market value at this time.
• If infrastructure and earthworks are required, there are economies of scale through larger subdivisions. Economies of scale can also be achieved with producing multiple houses at the same times, in close proximity. Trades can maximise the efficient use of their time through minimising travel or through an overarching project management strategy in these cases.
• Sections that are vacant due to house fires or homes being demolished, can be contaminated with asbestos and other products, due to the age the housing stock in Tokoroa. It can be expensive to bring these sections back up to an acceptable NES standard.
• The single vacant sections could require special consents if medium density construction is to take place on them, which can hurt the financially viability.

We do not know how many homeless people there are in the South Waikato. What we do know is as at September 2023, there were 132 households (including single adults) on the Ministry of Social Development’s Housing Register for South Waikato. Most of these will already have housing, but it may not be suitable for a number of reasons.

The Ministry of Social Development is responsible for managing eligibility for social housing and managing the Social Housing Register. People will be matched from the Social Housing Register with suitable houses, considering their individual needs.

Social housing is housing provided by the government or other non-profit community organisations, for people on low incomes or with particular needs.

Affordable housing is defined as housing for low to moderate income households and priced so that the household can meet its housing and other essential basic living costs.

An affordable home is anything between public (or social) housing and the private market. Some of the mechanisms used to deliver affordable homes can include Rent-to-Buy programmes, Lease-Hold Land or Shared Equity.

The developers will create homes rather than just houses, so that the people living in them take pride in them and love living there. The homes will be developed to high standards, with an appealing, modern look, will be fully insulated and built to Homestar V5 Transitional Standard.