Dr Victor Luca

It will not be news to anyone that Whakatāne has a serious housing shortage, and especially housing for seniors. Over the past few years a number of Grey Power members have been forced to move to Papamoa and other areas where there are retirement villages.

About 500 properties in Whakatāne are owned by Housing NZ, also known as Kāinga Ora. Those are the typical weatherboard houses on large sections that you see around the place.

They were built in the early days of the town when Government had established and was supporting the Whakatāne Board Mill.

In some areas of town, Kāinga Ora owns entire streets.

During the previous Labour Government’s term, Kāinga Ora had a plan to replace each of those 500 homes with three new homes.

That would have added 1000 homes to the housing stock.

For various reasons the current Government put an end to that KO build programme was terminated.

Whakatāne is very short of, and for housing development and a retirement village appears to be nowhere in sight.

The housing development around the Julian’s Berry Farm site (Huna Road) was to accommodate 175 residences and appears to have been wiped off the table has have a few other options.

A Beacon article published on October 2, 2019 and entitled ‘Ten Hectares for Retirement Village’ suggested that the development of a retirement village in the area known as Ōpihi was all but locked in.

The article had a picture of then Mayor Tony Bonne standing on the site and looking very pleased with himself.

There has been a substantial amount of subsequent Beacon reporting since that time, and especially in the first six months of 2026, suggesting that the project is not travelling well.

The Ōpihi site, pictured above, is located across the river at 77 Bunyan Road. The site has also been referred to as the “100 acre block” (Lot 2 DP 32234). Locals may also know the area as Piripai.

The block has had many owners over the past 100 years, with Whakatāne District Council being the most recent having purchased the block from the Whakatāne Board Mills Ltd in two parts in 1956 and 1968.

The block is immediately adjacent to the well-known urupā (cemetery) immediately to the east.

Keith Melville used to be a Beacon reporter and has been one of the Beacon contributors that has written on the subject of the potential Ōpihi development that has struggled to be realised.

Keith has taken a significant interest in the project and has attended public hearings and studied the site’s history.

He will speak to Grey Power members on the important Ōpihi development on Wednesday, June 17, starting at 10am. The venue will be the Knox Presbyterian Church hall on Domain Road. As usual all are welcome.