55045 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Housing

55045 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Housing: Did he receive any advice from Kāinga Ora regarding the implications, risks, or consequences of transferring Infrastructure Acceleration Fund money away from stormwater projects and toward the Melling Bridge project, if so, what was the nature of that advice?

Hon Chris Bishop: In March 2025 I received a briefing from Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities advising me of Hutt City Council’s variation request. Kāinga Ora recommended agreeing to the Council’s request on the basis that it supports the IAF’s core purpose of accelerating infrastructure and housing delivery and considered the request for variation to be a reasonable mitigation for Council to stay on track with the programme in the funding agreement.