16 months in and no houses at Ihumātao

Newsroom reports:

Progress at the disputed land, Ihumātao, remains stalled as the Crown waits for the final members of the governance group to be appointed, writes political editor Jo Moir

Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson had hoped the governance group, Roopu Whakahaere, would be up and running in February but it could now be late May before that happens.

It’s been 16 months since the Government announced the controversial land – home to a long-running occupation – had been purchased by the Crown from Fletcher Building for $30 million.

If it takes 16 months to even agree on membership of a governance group, the chance of there being agreement on any housing at all within the next five years is probably zero.

So the end result is taxpayers have shelled out $30 million of land that will just sit there unused, while we have a housing crisis.