On Thursday 1 July, I held a public meeting to discuss the future of a second access road in Wainuiomata. I want to thank everyone that attended.

A copy of the presentation that I gave can be found here.

I reckon it’s time for a proper discussion on building a second access road into Wainuiomata.

When I first became an MP in late 2014, it was possible to buy a house in Wainuiomata or in Naenae for under $300,000. The average price for a house in Lower Hutt in September 2014 was $370,000. Now the average is $968,000, an increase of $600,000 in under seven years.

Lower Hutt faces a housing crisis with the average house in Lower Hutt approaching $1 million. The social housing waiting list is at record levels and the government is spending millions every quarter housing people in motels.

Wainuiomata North has been talked about as the next big housing area in the Hutt for years and was identified in Council documents as long ago as 1976. The last attempt to open it up was in 2013. I have seen estimates that around 2,500 new homes could go on the land.

Let’s get on with it by opening up the land and building a second access. There are a variety of route options for the new road, including a connection to Whites Line East, which would link up with the Cross Valley Link.

What we need to do is get on with the planning, and start right now. The government has made $3.8 billion available to build infrastructure to unlock land for housing. The Hutt Council should be angling for a slice of that money for some of the infrastructure for the new housing in Wainuiomata North, and the new road.

A new road would increase resilience, unlock land for housing, bring more amenities to Wainuiomata, and better connect Wainuiomata to the rest of the city, including through public transport. Let’s get on with it.