New lease of life for Stafford Street flood recovery homes

The former flood recovery homes on Stafford Street are set to play a role in assisting local businesses attract workers to the district and retain them here with the provision of rental accommodation.

At the Buller District Council (BDC) meeting on 25 September, councillors resolved to proceed with the rental of the former flood recovery houses situated at 3 Stafford Street for worker accommodation.

The five houses located on this land were gifted to BDC during the flood recovery phase by Kāinga Ora and managed by the Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) until early June 2024.

The land the houses are located on was originally owned by council, but to obtain funding from Development West Coast (DWC) necessary for installation of vital infrastructure for the houses it was sold to the Buller Resilience Trust (BRT) for $1.

This agreement with DWC means that ownership of the land cannot be transferred back to council before 1 November 2026 without incurring a penalty.

A lease agreement between BDC and BRT allowed for the houses to be located on the Stafford Street site.

To allow the property to be used for purposes other than flood relief, under section 127 of the Resource Management Act 1991 it will be necessary to change one of the conditions of the existing resource consent. The houses meet healthy homes standards.

Buller District Council does not have the ability to retain the houses for future events where accommodation is needed. TAS would be responsible for the provision of temporary accommodation, as there is no need for this currently in Buller.

With housing in high demand across Buller, council has liaised with local business owners to explore options and find solutions to help bring workers into the district.

As part of the process, feedback was sought from residents of 13 neighbouring properties. Five responded, one in support of the proposal and four others who raised various matters of concern.

All the responses were considered by council before a decision was reached. Council extends gratitude to those who participated in this process, and all those who gave feedback will be contacted directly.

BDC currently holds a resource consent for the homes on Stafford Street and will apply to vary one of the conditions to change the permitted use from ‘temporary accommodation for flood-displaced individuals’ to ‘residential accommodation.’

An independent planner will be engaged to assess whether further changes are necessary, ensuring a fair and transparent process.

Group Manager Community Services Krissy Trigg says: “Should the change to the consent conditions be obtained, the houses will be rented out. A few minor issues identified after a recent building inspection will be remedied, then these houses will be ready for their new occupants. We are looking forward to releasing these homes so they can be utilised to their full potential.”

-ENDS-

For further information please contact:
Community Engagement Team 
Buller District Council
Media.Enquiries@bdc.govt.nz