Podcasts about kainga ora

Good news for the wool industry. Wasn't such good news in December of last year when Kainga Ora, the country's largest landlord, put out tenders for new carpet and underlay, and specifically said wool suppliers need not apply. So that was in December of 2024 then in January 2025, the agency opened its tender process to wool carpet suppliers, allowing a direct price and offering comparison. Remember when the representative for the wool industry said that wool suppliers, wool carpet suppliers, hadn't even been able to tender? For more than a decade, Kainga Ora had been using nylon and that was that. You weren't even allowed to say, look, actually, we can give you a really good price. It was just thanks, but no thanks. And that was still the policy back in December of last year. in January, Kainga Ora opened itself up to what the wool industry could offer. At the time, chief executive Matt Crockett said Kainga Ora had traditionally used solution-dyed nylon carpet due to the durability and price. But yesterday came the announcement that Kainga Ora will use wool carpet in new state homes as of July. The Government has played a huge part in this decision. Back in December of last year, as I say, Kainga Ora said no. Wool providers were specifically excluded in the call for tenders. That was because it was believed that wool was an extra $2-400 more per home than nylon. But after a directive to about 130 agencies in April that government buildings and government suppliers would use wool where possible, Kainga Ora changed its mind. Said, feel free to make a submission. Feel free to give us a price. And now New Zealand sheep farmers will be providing the carpet for Kainga Ora homes as of July. About 4500 new state houses will be affected, will be expected to be fitted out in the next three years. Now I'm a huge fan of wool. I've been harping on about it for nearly a year now after having wool carpet put into my place. And surely its benefits outweigh the fact that it's slightly more expensive than the nylon – or rather it was. You know the $2-400 was before the wool carpet providers were able to actually come up with a price for Kainga Ora. They may well have sharpened their pencils. We won't know because the total value of the contract is commercially sensitive and can't be disclosed, according to Kainga Ora. So we don't know but you'd imagine that it's at least competitive with the nylon. And when you look at the whole of life of the carpet, you may well see that it's cheaper in the long run, better value in the long run than the nylon. The natural qualities allow wool to dampen sound, absorb pollutants. They contribute to healthier indoor environments by regulating humidity and improving air quality. So in terms of whole of life costs, sustainability, and health benefits, it ticks all the boxes. So yay for the government directive. Yay for New Zealand's sheep farmers. Yay for the durability and environmentally superior qualities of all carpet. It's got to be a win for everyone, doesn't it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm all for the push to have wool carpet used in government buildings but I think it's a mistake putting it in state homes. Kāinga Ora has announced that, from next month, there will be woollen carpets in all new state homes. It's also going to use wool if the carpet in existing homes needs replacing. Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says Kāinga Ora has managed to get a deal that will mean the wool carpet won't cost any more than nylon carpet. Which is interesting because, in December last year, KO said it had done some cost analysis work which showed that it could save roughly 34% using nylon carpet. So the wool carpet people have obviously sharpened their pencils. Nevertheless, is it practical? And my answer to that is no it's not. And will it end up costing us in the long-term? Yes it will, and I'll tell you why. But first, here's why I generally like the government's move to use wool carpet, but why I don't think it's a good idea in Kāinga Ora properties. It makes perfect sense for the Government to be doing what it can to support our farmers who grow wool, who've been pushing it uphill recently. Wool has almost become a burden for farmers because of the returns they've been getting. So good on the Government for going down the wool route, because it has to buy carpet, so why not buy the carpet that does the farmers a favour, while it's at it? Especially, when you consider the amount of money the Government must spend on carpet. I don't have a dollar figure for you, but I was reading a briefing that was written for the incoming government after the last election, which said that the Government has approximately 1 million square metres of office accommodation around the country, costing approximately $330 million a year. That's a lot of potential floorspace for carpet and that's a lot of potential floorspace to get our farmers' wool all over. But here's why I don't think it's a good idea having wool carpet in state homes. Government buildings —such as government department offices and schools— generally have cleaners going through pretty much every day. And so if the DOC office or the local primary school has wool carpet, they get cleaned pretty regularly, don't they? A Kāinga Ora property is different. The only time cleaners get sent into a state house is when someone leaves or is booted out. And this isn't me tarring every state housing tenant with the same brush, because most tenants are probably very good. But we'd be naive to think that every tenant vacuums the carpets every day. We'd be naive to think that every state house tenant is a cleaning freak and will do everything they can to keep stains out of the carpet. I remember when we put wool carpet in —it was when the kids were still quite young— and we did everything we could to stop it getting marks and stains on it, but it still got stains and marks on it. And I've seen nylon carpets in action, and you can't deny that they are brilliant for keeping clean. I've seen red wine spilled on nylon carpet and you can pretty much just wipe it away. That's the kind of carpet that Kāinga Ora should be using. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says a move to require wool carpets in state housing makes financial sense. Nicola Willis has announced a change to Kainga Ora's supplier agreement that will see it re-open its previously nylon-only carpet tender process. From the start of next month, all public entities will also be required to use woollen fibres where practical and appropriate. Willis told Mike Hosking officials have told her it makes sense for Kainga Ora to make this change. She says it's cost-neutral, and it performs well across a number of other dimensions. Nicola Willis says the Reserve Bank should never be exempt from cost-cutting across the public sector. Newly released documents show Adrian Orr's abrupt resignation as Governor came after he was denied the Budget allocation he was seeking. The Finance Minister says the central bank still has the funding it requires to do its statutory duties. She told Hosking the Reserve Bank can't operate as a "gilded palace" – it needs to be fiscally responsible, like all other government departments. Willis says any idea that the Reserve Bank doesn't need to abide by the same funding constraints as other Government agencies is wrong. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A survivor of abuse in state care is heartbroken after her long-held dream of buying a gypsy wagon to travel around in ran into a wall of bureaucracy. As soon as Robyn Dandy received compensation for torture at the Lake Alice child and adolescent unit in the 1970s she bought a wagon, fulfilling a promise she made to her grandson before he died in a house fire. Now, state housing provider Kainga Ora has said the wagon breaks its rules and must go. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

Clearer boundaries around Kāinga Ora tenant behaviour could explain a 600% surge in formal warnings. In the past 10 months, 63 tenancies were terminated because of abusive, threatening, or persistently disruptive behaviour. Nearly 1,500 warnings have been issued in the financial year to date. Chief executive Matt Crockett told Kerre Woodham behaviour isn't worse, rather the previous framework wasn't as sharp. He says clearer boundaries and more follow through now have more people's behaviour changing for the better. The fate of multiple vacant Kāinga Ora sections sitting empty will be confirmed in the next month. Multiple projects are on pause as the state housing agency re-focuses on the Government turnaround plan. This includes selling 900 older homes a year and a new build programme. Crockett told Woodham Kāinga Ora's been reviewing which areas are cost effective and serve populations. He says about 20% of its current land holdings will be sold back to the market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's deputy press secretary Michael Forbes has resigned after allegations he recorded audio of sessions with sex workers, and captured photos of women in compromising positions. But despite complaints being investigated by police in July last year, Luxon was never informed. Should he have been told? Also, there have been 63 Kainga Ora tenancies terminated in the last ten months after complaints of unruly behaviour. But those properties were the homes of 52 children - has enough consideration been given to the welfare of these kids? To answer those questions, Labour's health and Wellington issues spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall and National's Otaki MP Tim Costley joined Nick Mills for Politics Thursday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon says the Government's making its expectations clear when it comes to behaviour in social housing. Kāinga Ora is formally warning seven times as many tenants as it was last financial year. It's evicted 63 tenants in 10 months for disruptive behaviour. The Prime Minister told Mike Hosking the enforcement action is sending a clear message about what is and isn't acceptable. He says it's a privilege to be in a state house funded by the taxpayer, and unruly behaviour isn't okay. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hope there can be a turnaround in unruly Kāinga Ora tenants. A Government crackdown has resulted in 63 tenancy terminations in the past 10 months - up from 11 in the year before. Formal warnings have gone up 600%. Litigation Lawyer Adina Thorn told Mike Hosking the figures are encouraging. She says it looks like under this government, there's been a big step up and a moderate to good response to the behaviour that has been going on in some KO homes across New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

government announced Community Housing Providers would get $140 million to build social housing, plans for hundreds of new Kainga Ora homes remain on ice. Rachel Helyer Donaldson reports.

Kainga Ora doesn't seem to care about dogs being mistreated at their properties or being kept by tenants without proper agreements, according to an Auckland resident who said he's been complaining to the agency about abused animals for years. The Onehunga resident spoke to Lisa Owen.

The number of Kāinga Ora tenancy terminations is being described as a far cry from what's needed. Newstalk ZB can reveal the agency terminated 299 tenancies in the year to March – more than double the 134 in the year before. Much of the increase is from Kāinga Ora taking a stronger line on disruptive tenants and rent arrears. Litigation lawyer Adina Thorn told Mike Hosking Kāinga Ora needs to evict 1,000 to 1,500 tenants by her own calculations. She says nobody wants to live in public housing when they're next people described as the worst of the worst. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions to Ministers JAMIE ARBUCKLE to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon WILLIE JACKSON to the Minister for Maori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti: Have Maori-Crown relations improved since the coalition Government took office? KATIE NIMON to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the fiscal policy response to economic shocks? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister of Education: Is she committed to the purpose of the Education and Training Act 2020 that establishes and regulates an education system that "honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi and supports Maori-Crown relationships"; if so, how? Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Transport: Does he accept evidence that a person struck by a vehicle travelling at 30 km/h has a 90 percent chance of surviving, dropping to only 20 percent if hit at 50 km/h; if so, will he listen to the pleas from school principals, aged care residents, and communities who want to keep safer speeds of 30 km/h? Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN to the Minister for Disability Issues: Does she stand by her statement, "That is why we are prioritising disabled people, their families, and carers"; if so, is she confident that all Government agencies are acting in the best interests of disabled people? TAKUTA FERRIS to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: What assurances can he provide, if any, that his proposed fisheries reforms will not diminish Maori customary gathering rights or the ability of New Zealanders to gather kai moana to feed their whanau? TAMATHA PAUL to the Minister of Housing: Can he guarantee that cutting a net 673 roles at Kainga Ora will not impact any front-line services, including those working with the Ministry of Social Development to place people in public housing? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister of Housing: What reports has he seen on the housing market? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister of Education: What evidence, if any, does she have that supports the removal of the relationship and sexuality education guidelines? MILES ANDERSON to the Associate Minister of Transport: What recent announcements has he made about the Ashburton Bridge? Dr PARMJEET PARMAR to the Minister for Children: What recent announcements has she made regarding a safety-first approach for Oranga Tamariki?

There's industry celebrations over a directive to use Kiwi wool in Government buildings. New builds worth more than $9 million and refurbishments costing over $100,000 must use wool where possible from July, meeting a Coalition deal. In January, housing agency Kainga Ora reversed its price-based decision to not use dearer wool products Campaign for Wool's general manager, Kara Biggs, says she's ecstatic. "It will start to create more and more demand - so growers, manufacturers, brands, they will all reap the financial benefits from this decision today." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wool industry believes New Zealand will enjoy the benefits of the Government's new building directive. From July, all new Crown agency builds costing more than nine-million-dollars, and refurbishments topping 100-thousand, must use New Zealand wool where possible. It follows Kainga Ora reversing its price-based decision to not use more-expensive wool products in January. Associate Minister of Agriculture, Mark Patterson told Andrew Dickens it does change the price, but you're getting a better-quality product. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's industry celebrations over a directive to use Kiwi wool in Government buildings. New builds worth more than $9 million and refurbishments costing over $100,000 must use wool where possible from July, meeting a Coalition deal. In January, housing agency Kainga Ora reversed its price-based decision to not use dearer wool products Campaign for Wool's general manager, Kara Biggs, says she's ecstatic. "It will start to create more and more demand - so growers, manufacturers, brands, they will all reap the financial benefits from this decision today." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new affordable housing solution has just been completed. The Living House, designed by RTA Studio, takes just six weeks to build, costing only $333 thousand. It costs $253,000 less than the Government's average Kainga Ora build, and Architect Rich Naish told Mike Hosking they got frustrated by the failure of successive governments to build truly affordable housing. He says they've designed it to be scalable, optimising it down to the cheapest and simplest build so it can be repeated by individuals or organisations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kainga Ora says four state houses that started to float in Auckland's devastating flooding two years ago will be made livable again because stormwater upgrades in the area will reduce the risk of repeat flooding. Amy Williams reports.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 25th of March, the Government is adjusting the RMA again – will this change be the end of it all? The Prime Minister is back from India and talking Kainga Ora, councils stopping the clock, and our national debt. Australian singer Pete Murray is coming back to New Zealand after 17 years to play some shows, so he came on for a chat. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Small from ABC Business Sales summed up the business loan scheme beautifully on the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning: it was a balls up that was going to, has indeed, and will continue to cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars. Let me take you back to March 2020. Business loans were made available in May – the announcement was made in March for small businesses affected by Covid-19. Businesses were offered up to $20,000, plus $1800 per full time employee. More than 129,000 businesses took out loans worth $2.4 billion. Borrowers had five years to repay the loan, and many would reach that limit from June. It was never going to work. And the worst thing was everybody could see that it was not going to be a boon for the businesses that they thought it was, that it was not going to be a temporary stopgap, that the audits that Grant Robertson said would be put in place to protect the scheme were not going to work. Everybody could see that, everybody that is, but the previous government. “In hindsight if the previous regime could look back, I'm sure they would wind it back and put a few more bells and braces in there because what they're now finding is people basically took the money thinking it was unlikely they were going to pay it back. And sure enough, they haven't paid it back, with little consequences. No security was taken in the way of PG's (personal guarantees) or any GSAs over their businesses, so it was a real free hit for the business owner at the time. “Because there was no security taken, so the houses aren't at risk, no personal guarantee, so they can't get personally bankrupted, all the IRD, from what I've seen or read, can do is put in this default interest rate. Yes, that will keep mounting up and capitalising, and certainly a sole traders position, may just walk away and set up new entity or just ignore it. But I don't think it's realistic for the IRD to go around and just from an administration perspective, there's 120-odd thousand people to chase. It's just not going to happen. So it's just it was a balls up that's going to cost us hundreds of millions of dollars, unfortunately.” Yep, another one. That was Chris Small from ABC Business Sales on the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning. Utter madness. And at the risk of triggering those of us who did not have a good time under the previous administration, we do have to discuss it as the mistakes made then must never be made again. They have to be acknowledged – that it was a balls up. He put it beautifully. There were many of them and we mustn't do them again. I think we can take it as read that high trust models don't work, we tried that experiment, didn't work. Didn't work for the business loans, didn't work for MIQ stays. BusinessDesk wrote back in 2023 that hotels that provided rooms for the government's controversial quarantine system received more than $1 billion. Just $187 million has been recovered by the government from people who had to pay for their MIQ stay, another $26 million is outstanding. So it didn't work there. High trust didn't work when it came to policing. It didn't work when it came to allowing troublesome tenants to stay on in Kainga Ora accommodation. I can't think of a single sector where it actually worked. I remember my accountant saying to me, she had businesses who were taking the loan and saying, oh, we're not going to pay it back. Why should we? There is absolutely no need to – if they're stupid enough to give us the money, we're not going to pay it back. Surely there is a moral authority that if you can, you should. And if you can and you won't, then you must never, ever talk about beneficiaries bludging off the system ever again. Same with student loan defaulters, you have no moral high ground at all. We can't move on. It'd be wonderful to be able to move on, but we can't move on when we are paying and paying and paying for stupid, ill-considered poorly advised decisions. And we're all going to be paying for a very, very long time to come. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mangere-Enviro hub is a Kainga Ora owned site which has been re-purposed from housing to an area with a community garden, composting and tree planting in the heart of South Auckland. Luka Forman went for a visit.

Kainga Ora staff say they're stressed, exhausted, and disheartened by more potential job losses, and being told to stay positive by their leaders isn't helping. RNZ has seen internal messages sent to housing agency staff, urging them to stay positive and avoid thinking like a victim during the ongoing restructuring. Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary of the PSA, spoke with Ingrid Hipkiss.

This weekend marks the official completion of a year-long renovation of an ex-Kainga Ora house by a group of students at One Tree Hill College. 

Questions to Ministers TIM VAN DE MOLEN to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the economy? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? ANDY FOSTER to the Minister for Resources: What recent announcements has he made regarding the minerals sector? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in all of his Ministers? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she agree with the director of the Salvation Army's Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit, who said of their State of the Nation 2025 report, "We can't wish away the increasing levels of poverty and deprivation that this report is highlighting, but we can prioritise addressing the basic needs of people so that our whanau go beyond barely surviving to seeing them thrive"; if so, how does the level of children currently living in benefit-dependent households compare to 2023? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made regarding better transport connections in Christchurch? TAMATHA PAUL to the Minister of Housing: Does he stand by his statement that "We are focused on using every lever at our disposal in the housing market to improve affordability"; if so, how is opting for zero growth of the public housing stock using every lever? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? GREG FLEMING to the Minister of Education: What recent announcements has she made about driving better outcomes for Maori students? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Associate Minister of Housing: Does he stand by his statement that "those people who have a genuine need for a short-term stay in temporary accommodation known as emergency housing have a pathway to do that"; if so, what is his reaction to the finding in the Salvation Army's State of the Nation 2025 report that "there are rising numbers of people who are homeless"? MILES ANDERSON to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about Kainga Ora? Hon PEENI HENARE to the Minister of Health: Does he have confidence in New Zealand's health system?

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 12th of February, Kainga Ora have finally decided enough is enough when it comes to unpaid rent, and are making a move to recoup the losses. How much trouble is NZ Rugby in money wise after starting legal proceedings against their main sponsor Ineos for a seeming breach of contract? Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk whether David Seymour should be sacked on Politics Wednesday. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says Kainga Ora still needs to be reasonable amid a crackdown on rent arrears. The Associate Housing Minister says Kainga Ora's owed $16 million in unpaid rent. Currently around 10% are behind on their rent. The agency says those willing to enter a repayment plan have their debts reduced, but those unwilling could have their tenancy ended. Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka told Mike Hosking those who need support will be helped, but those refusing to pay will face action. Potaka says under the previous government, things got a little bit too loose with not enough being done to reclaim unpaid rent. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 13 November 2024, Kainga Ora boss Matt Crockett tells Ryan Bridge the state housing agency is going to start evicting tenants who don't pay rent. Trade Minister Todd McClay reacts to Donald Trump's announcement of 25% taxes on NZ steel and aluminium. NZ Rugby is suing its major sponsor Ineos, alleging the company breached its six-year sponsorship contract. An economist says we need to start talking about means testing NZ Super. Plus, the Huddle debates whether a mayor should live in the city they're the mayor of. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Goverment has today announced a "turnaround" plan for Kainga Ora which aims to reduce the agency's debt by about $1.8b compared to the pre-election figures. Housing Minister Chris Bishop's plan is to sell off hundreds of state houses, refurbish existing properties and use more affordable materials. It also means there will be no increase to the number of state houses. While the number won't decrease either, there are concerns for what it will mean for Kainga Ora tenants and for the country's state housing stock. Victor Waters has more.

The government unveiled its extensive renovation plan for Kainga Ora. The revamp will see the government sell about 900 state houses a year. It said the money will help off set new construction and also rennovation costs for existing stock. The gut job follows an independent review commissioned by the Government and lead by Sir Bill English that found that Kainga Ora was underperforming and not financially viable without significant savings. Housing Minister Chris Bishop spoke to Lisa Owen.

On today's episode, Labour leader Chris Hipkins will be among politicians welcomed onto the Treaty Grounds today, the government's plan to stop growing its stock of state houses and slash Kainga Ora's debt has come under intense criticism from political opponents, Resource Minister Shane Jones has been attacking banks for cutting back on lending to fossil fuel businesses - calling them "woke", and The electric form of striker Wood has given New Zealand a good name at Forest. Two other All Whites - midfielder Marko Stamenic and defender Tyler Bindon - have signed for the third-placed club and will be available to play next season.

A community housing provider says the government's "turnaround plan" aimed at reducing Kainga Ora's debt will increase homelessness. Wellington-based Dwell Housing Trust chief executive Elizabeth Lester spoke to Corin Dann.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 5th of February, Housing Minister Chris Bishop has a plan to shake up Kainga Ora, and we take a look at what our unemployment rate is likely to show today. A real estate agent is likely be banned from working for five years after refusing to do a Tikanga Māori professional development course – Janet Dickson joined the show to explain her stance. Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell talk Waitangi Day and the bloating of the public service on Politics Wednesday. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's set to sell off high-priced Kainga Ora homes in an effort to bring its books down. It's reviewing state housing stock, focusing on expensive areas. Its new cost-saving plan includes the sale of around 900 homes a year, with the money to go to more low-cost, denser places with greater demand. Housing Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking they want to be more deliberate with their purchasing. He says 50% of people on the register just need a one-bedroom unit, so they don't need to be building lots of three bedrooms. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 4 February 2025, Kainga Ora has got a turnaround plan, and it involves selling off 900 old state houses yearly. KO Chair Simon Moutter tells Ryan Bridge how he's getting the flailing agency's finances under control. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is under pressure from farming groups to explain the Government's emissions reductions plan - and whether it's realistic or will cost the country billions. Wellington QV ratings are out and home values have dropped 25% on average. So does that mean rates will also drop? Plus, Ryan's controversial idea to bring back the crowds to Super Rugby games. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wool sector's prepared for price challenges as Kainga Ora backtracks on a previous ban. The social housing agency will allow wool carpet providers the chance to tender for supply for carpet and underlay in its homes. It's used synthetic carpet for the last decade. Bremworth CEO Greg Smith says the industry can win on durability. He told Mike Hosking their suppliers have seen wool business double in three years, and if they can get the price right, the sector will win more. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Sally Wenley and Selwyn Manning discuss the alcohol laws taking effect today and Kainga Ora's controversial decision to shun wool in state housing.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 4 December 2024, Tingjun Cao has been found guilty of murdering Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao. Labour's Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall is refusing to apologise for accusing Health Commissioner Lester Levy of "cooking the books". Levy is considering defamation action. The science community is outraged after the Government decided that the Marsden Fund will no longer support research in the humanities and social sciences. Plus, the Huddle debates whether Kainga Ora should make a u-turn and consider wool carpets rather than nylon.Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wool sector advocates are disappointed with housing agency Kainga Ora for saying no to pricey wool carpets. A prior directive suggested Kainga Ora should choose wool over synthetic fibres for carpets, but the state landlord has chosen the latter as it's around 34% cheaper. Bremworth Chief Executive Greg Smith told Mike Hosking they were not asked to participate in the procurement process. He says nylon and wool are often comparable in price, and is unsure where Kainga Ora got their numbers from. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man paralysed after a fall, who has been in emergency housing for three years, waiting for a wheel chair friendly state house, is still waiting for a property to be modified. The New Plymouth man, Shane Emeny became a paraplegic 3 and a half years ago after falling from a 5 metre concrete ledge and severing his spinal cord. He's been staying in a modified emergency housing motel room since, but it's difficult to have his 10 year old son to stay in the cramped studio space and fit the gear he also needs - like his standing frame. Shane said there's virtually no suitable accomodation for people with disabilities, with landlords unwilling to make modifications. He's accepted a home offered by Kainga Ora eight months ago but is still waiting for modificaitons to be made through ACC. Shane Emeny spoke to Lisa Owen.

A group of Auckland pensioners claim Kainga Ora has been a party pooper quashing their regular Friday afternoon drinks. For 15 years the group of Ellerslie tenants at the complex, who age from their mid 50s up to 93, have met on a Friday afternoon for a few drinks and a catch up from 4 until 6pm - or 8:30pm if it's a special occasion like a birthday. But Kainga Ora, the landlord of the complex, said it's received complaints from other tenants about alcohol consumption and noise in the common room, and has restricted the hours the tenants can use the room. The doors are now locked at 4pm, Monday to Friday. Kainga Ora said there's a blanket ban across the country on drinking alcohol in its common room facilites. The tenants feel this is unfair, and that Kainga Ora hasn't been willing to compromise, moving straight to a rule change without negotiating an alternative, Reporter Luka Forman was in the common room and spoke to Lisa Owen. 

The government's social housing agency is set to cut 321 jobs, part of the government-ordered down-sizing affecting organisations across the public service. That's on top of previously announced cuts at Kainga Ora, with this second round of restructuring bringing the total to 553. The government said it's made its expectations on performance and efficiency clear. Across the public sector, the job cuts total more than 6500. As Kate Green reports, it all comes as public servants are urged to stop working from home and return to the office.

The PSA says the government's decision to sack hundreds of Kainga Ora workers is another example of misplaced priorities. The union's national secretary Duane Leo spoke to Corin Dann.

The deadline is looming for Auckland Council's buyout of properties damaged in the 2023 Anniversary weekend floods, but so far only half of those affected have signed up. Amy has been talking to a Kainga Ora tenant furious that she was not told her house was on a flood plain, and then she was moved to a house where there'd been a shooting, that she was not told about. Also Amy looks at Mayor Wayne Brown's proposed second harbour crossing, and talks to Kathryn about a globally recognised rock attraction at Muriwai.

An Auckland woman is angry she was not told the house Kainga Ora moved her into after last year's storm had been the scene of a shooting. The state housing agency said they didn't disclose that information because they believed there was no ongoing safety risk, Amy Williams has the story.

Kelly rounds up the news from Rotorua - including a controversial e-bike trial for Kainga Ora tenants and an unusual Mongrol Mob carjacking.

A Kainga Ora tenant says his complaints about abusive neighbours have not been actioned. The state housing agency has terminated fourteen tenancies in the last three months for bad behavior or rent arrears, compared to eight in all of 2023. Cheyne Smith, a Kainga Ora tenant since 2015, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Kainga Ora has put the brakes on a controversial social housing project in Auckland, saying it needs to reassess its strategy and priorities. The development, in the Blockhouse Bay suburb, faced strong opposition from neighbours. Blockhouse Bay community leader Benji Nathan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

One of Kainga Ora's outgoing Board members says she resigned after seeing Sir Bill English's review of Kainga Ora, which she says was ill-informed and contained a large number of factual errors. The state housing agency's chair Simon Moutter announced earlier this week that five board members and the chief executive were leaving. Philippa Howden-Chapman spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Public housing agency Kainga Ora's woes seem set to continue with chief executive Andrew McKenzie stepping down over the government's overhaul. Prime Minister Christoper Luxon spoke to Ingrid Hipikiss.

Amy has been talking to Mangere residents, who say they feel like they are losing part of the community as more and more flood-damaged homes are bulldozed. Kainga Ora says close to ninety state homes hit by last year's Anniversary weekend floods will be demolished.

Kainga Ora is set to tighten its belt after an independent review raised alarms over its financial situation.