Flaxmere: A housing solution that failed
Mistakes were made in the development of Flaxmere that should never be repeated in urban development, says former Hastings mayor Jim O’Connor.
Mr O’Connor said the mistakes had resulted in parts of Flaxmere becoming a ghetto.
“Flaxmere was meant to be the solution to the future of Hastings. It’s been a failure. Nearly everyone is living on the backdoor of others. It was cheap-cost housing that was built. That was never intended, but it happened,” he said.
Initially, quality houses were built. But after a few years that theme deteriorated to the point where two dwellings were being built on a section designed just for one.
Mr O’Connor said the Hastings District Council should not repeat the past when it formulated its urban development strategy.
That advice has been backed by consultancy Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner. The Auckland-based firm has told the council it is widely considered that Flaxmere is a less than satisfactory solution for continued urban development.
This is the second in a series on future housing expansion in the Hastings district, by Herald-Tribune reporter Mike Tod.
Around 10.5 per cent of the suburb’s population is unemployed compared with 4.2 per cent of Havelock North’s and 8.3 per cent of Napier.
Beca said the development of Hastings had been achieved largely in recent years by peripheral expansion to Flaxmere where it was perceived housing could occur indefinitely without compromising highly productive soil, therefore taking pressure of prime land elsewhere on the fringe of Hastings.
But recent studies had shown the land Flaxmere was built on had some of the best grape-growing potential in the world. Its stoney soils and hot, dry climate were ideal for viticulture.
Beca said rapid development of low-cost housing at Flaxmere during the 1970s to the mid-1980s had now stopped. The suburb’s housing market was stagnant.
The average house price in Flaxmere was $70,365 co pared with $92,755 in Hastings and $145,387 in Havelock North.
“Major criticism directed toward the promotion of Flaxmere as a principle growth corridor relate to the lag time required for the establishment of an adequate social and commercial infrastructure and the socio-economic that have arisen as a result of directing all growth within a particular market sector to a defined area with little attempt to create a mix of socio-economic groups,” Beca said.
Despite the unattractiveness of Flaxmere, Beca has recommended large-scale housing subdivision be allowed next to it.
The consultancy says the Irongate/York area two kilometres to the south should be developed. It could yield 320 house sites, but it is expected only 200 would be required during the next 75 years.
The soils in the area vary from stoney gravels and silt-covered gravels to relatively fertile cropping land. None of the block is presently cropped and has mainly been in pasture.
Consultation with the Wine Institute of New Zealand had confirmed the Irongate/York area offered little potential for premium grape production.
Beca said that while Hastings city was still heavily reliant upon the rural hinterland for its economic well-being, it was also clear that it had grown into a substantial urban centre in its own right. The city was beginning to exhibit some of the cosmopolitan features evident in larger urban centres elsewhere in New Zealand.
Photo caption – Mr O’Connor…don’t repeat past mistakes.
Report: More schools may be required
More schools could be needed in Hastings and Havelock North during the next 25 years, says consultancy Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner.
Beca has told the Hastings District Council that urban expansion at Brookvale and Lyndhurst was likely to result in a need for more school space. This would be achieved by expanding present schools or building more.
“Investigations reveal that many schools in the district are currently operating well below capacity. It is also apparent that the population is continuing to age and the number of school-age children is on the whole expected to continue to decline despite a minor upsurge over the next few years,” Beca said.
“Hence it is unlikely that significant capacity problems will emerge at most schools, at last for the foreseeable future. Having said this, it is apparent that major potential growth arms such as Lyndhurst and Brookvale are likely to require additional primary and high school capacity.”
Ministry of Education spokeswoman Catherine Gibson said urban development was being taken into consideration as part of the review of the Hastings education resources.
“All aspects of demographic projections are being taken into account, with profile: having been obtained from Statistics New Zealand,” she said.
Public transport in Hastings ‘inadequate’
The public transport system in Hastings district is inadequate, according to consultancy Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner.
Beca told the council those most disadvantaged by the present system were the elderly and solo-parent households.
“With an ageing population and increasing numbers of solo-parent families, the need for improved transport infrastructure will become more acute,” it said.
Beca has also told the council that during the next 25 years roads will have to be upgraded to cope with steady traffic growth.
Traffic noise in the inner-city should be looked at too. It appeared to be a problem already and could be constraining the rate of residential development in this area.
“A study examining inner-city roading hierarchies, traffic flows and projected growth in the district has recently been commissioned and it is expected that the results of this analysis will have relevance to the urban development strategy and to the preparation of a new district plan,” Beca said.
The Auckland-based firm says it appears Hastings would not require any further commercial or industrial land development during the next 25 years.
The aquifer would be able to cope with increased water demand and there would not be a burden on wastewater treatment operations. The supply of power to new areas would not be a problem either, it concluded.
Survey Map – The Irongate Rd-York Rd area on the south-eastern side of Flaxmere which is one of the areas for urban expansion recommended by consultants. It would be enclosed by the present boundary of the suburb and the route of the proposed motorway extension to Pakipaki.
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