Eighteen sections assigned exclusively for community housing at Longview in Lake Hāwea were handed over to the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) yesterday (Friday November 11).

The 18 sections are the first of 58 sections Longview developer Lane Hocking (Universal Developments) will gift to QLCHT as part of the previously negotiated Special Housing Accord agreement.

On hand to accept the titles at Longview were QLCHT trustee Phil Smith and QLCHT executive officer Julie Scott who said the 58 sections was the single largest gift of land from any developer in the district and she was delighted to celebrate the milestone.

Another 10 of the 58 titles are expected to be delivered early next year.

QLCHT’s Phil Smith (left) receives the 18 land titles from developer Lane Hocking onsite at Longview.

Julie said the Longview subdivision was “a real game changer” for the community and especially for those wanting to get into their first home.

“We're looking to take a lot of younger people, and some senior housing, and all sorts of families and bring them out here. This is a great spot [and] we can't wait.”

QLCHT already has building consent lodged for 28 homes and building company Breen is on board to begin construction of the first 18 homes as early as next week, she said.

The houses will range in size from one to four bedrooms, but most will be two or three bedrooms, and will be located throughout the first stage of Longview’s development, off Cemetery Road.

The homes will take roughly 18 months to complete, Julie said, and the first 18 will be offered initially to Upper Clutha locals under the QLCHT’s secure home assisted ownership programme where the QLCHT retains ownership of property which is leased under a 100-year agreement to the household.

The other 10 homes will be offered in other QLCHT programmes, such as rent-to-buy options and government subsidised public housing.

“We have approximately 150 Wānaka-based households on our waiting list currently and we would offer [the homes] first to them,” she said.

Construction of 141 new homes in Longview’s Stage 1A is already well under way.

Hāwea-based Queenstown Lakes District councillor Cody Tucker said he celebrates the QLCHT’s efforts to ensure a diverse range of people, including “those on the fringes of our communities”, are able to secure a home in Hāwea long term.

“I’m proud of Hāwea being a place that has an option for everybody to come and live here,” he said.

Cody said the Longview residential subdivision was a key component to his desire to see Hāwea develop better infrastructure, offer more for businesses, provide jobs for locals, and enrich the local culture by encouraging people to spend more time in Hāwea rather than in a car to Wānaka.

“My main push is trying to give people in Hāwea the ability to live and stay in Hāwea.” 

Longview’s Stage 1A caters for 141 lots and construction of a number of homes has already begun with Universal Developments granting design approval for 68 houses so far, Lane said.

He said gifting the land to the QLCHT was very satisfying but the whole Longview development had been a team effort involving not only the Universal Developments staff and the QLCHT but also QLDC planning staff, Maungatua Contracting, and elected representatives, such as the late Ross McRobie who had “conviction in us and vision early on”.

“So many people have jumped on board, and this is the result of that sort of cooperation.” 

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