Balancing considerable loss of profits for ratepayers against the need to house workers in Central has proven a tricky equation for the Central Otago District Council(CODC), who are hoping residents can help point policy in the right direction.

The council has been attempting, unsuccessfully, to source funding toward affordable housing for the region, which some consider to be “in dire straits” when it comes to housing much-needed staff.

Today they will consider a plan to survey residents in the Cromwell and Vincent wards to see what people think about council’s role in the issue and about potentially foregoing millions of dollars in profits, to provide housing.

In March, Central Otago Affordable Housing Trust chairman, Glen Christiansen, told CODC that rental costs for workers were very high as was the cost of building and the area had “missed the boat already” in addressing the issue.

Glen Christiansen, chairman of the Central Otago Affordable Housing Trust speaks to council via video link at a recent meeting.

The group had identified a ‘secure homes’ model which required land to be gifted then developed and managed in a way that progressively allowed workers a foot in the door of Central Otago’s high- cost residential property market.

In Cromwell about $4M worth of land was needed from the council-owned Gair Avenue development. This could be used by the Trust to leverage funding to secure loans for building houses.

According to a council report, the land was part of a larger parcel that the Cromwell Community Board had anticipated using profits from, to help fund Cromwell Masterplan work.

Council are developing one other parcel of residential land, off Dunstan Road in Alexandra.

This had also been identified as having potential for a similar contribution and the potential loss of profit if both land parcels were gifted could be as much as $16M.

There were no developments planned or likely in the Teviot Valley or Maniototo areas so feedback would be targeted to Cromwell and Vincent ratepayers.

Council staff earlier recommended the land not be given up because of the financial impact on future projects “which may not go ahead or have an additional rates impact”.

With the Trust’s only way forward being reliant on gifted land, elected members wished to ascertain the views of the community before making decisions.

They are expected to today finalise the consultation, which will be distributed via email to ratepayers if approved. Responses would then be collated and presented at the council’s July meeting.