We’re calling for the partner organisations involved in the $1.5 billion Porirua Development project to adopt the Porirua Promise, a set of five undertakings we believe will help ensure that everyone in East Porirua benefits from this once-in-a lifetime opportunity.
We helped develop the Porirua Promise following a 2-day learning trip to Auckland in May to get insights into the “do’s and don’ts” of large housing regeneration projects. We presented it to the development partners at a meeting on August 21 and we hope they will adopt it.
Our learning group of 22 was made up of a cross-section of people and groups active in the Porirua East community. We visited five regeneration projects already underway in Auckland to see first-hand how they have affected existing communities – both in good ways and bad.
The people we visited and talked to were extremely generous and open and the trip brought up a huge number of ideas and things to work on.
The learning group has developed the Porirua Promise as an important first step towards making sure that the Porirua regeneration project embraces the best aspects of the Auckland regeneration projects, and avoids those that have been less successful.
Wesley Community Action director, David Hanna, says the Porirua Development project has the potential to offer huge benefits to the Eastern Porirua community, there are also potential downsides, such as the possibility that some of the area’s most vulnerable residents will be displaced as housing prices rise.
“We believe that by adopting the five undertakings in the Porirua Promise, the project partners have a solid foundation on which to base the decisions they make so that everyone in East Porirua benefits from the regeneration project.”
Download a report on the learning trip to Auckland
- Many thanks to Inspiring Communities, HLC, Porirua City Council, the Social Investment Agency and the Todd Foundation for their support for the learning trip on May 22 and 23.