Eighteen months after purchasing land at Ihumātao, the Government has no idea when people will move into houses or if houses will actually be built on the site at all, National’s Housing spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

“Speaking at select committee this morning, Housing Minister Megan Woods refused to put a timeline on the progress of work at Ihumātao and wouldn’t even commit to houses being built there at all.

“She said questions as to whether houses will be built was “getting ahead” of the process.

“Eighteen months ago the Government caved to protestors and dipped into “Land for Housing” funding in order to purchase the land at Ihumātao, but has only just appointed two Government representatives to the Steering Committee.

“Willie Jackson says the Steering Committee’s work will take five years. Based on progress to date, that seems optimistic. The Steering Committee’s membership has not even been finalised 18 months after the land was purchased.

“If no homes are ever built at Ihumātao it raises questions about the use of Kāinga Ora funds to solve a political problem, especially given the Auditor General found the initial deal was “unlawful” last year.

“This has been an utter debacle from start to finish. There are 27,000 Kiwi families on the state house waiting list right now and the Government is sitting on a $30 million site twiddling their thumbs instead of pushing ahead with 480 homes.”