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John Bisset
Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean said the leasing of the Tekapo military camp could be a short-term solution to the shortage of worker accommodation in the Mackenzie District.
A worker accommodation shortage has been affecting the ability of businesses in the Mackenzie District to employ seasonal workers for years now, but National MP for Waitaki Jacqui Dean has found an original short-term solution.
Dean said the housing shortage was getting to a critical stage, so every option should be considered.
“We have a military camp on our doorstep. It is underutilised a lot of the time and I think it’s worth looking at some kind of short- to medium-term lease agreement that was beneficial to all parties.
“If you don’t try, you don’t know, do you?” Dean said.
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The Tekapo military camp was 7km from Tekapo and a 23-minute drive from Lake Tekapo.
On a long-term basis, the problem has already been addressed by local authorities and business groups in the region, she said.
When looking for causes for the shortage, the National MP said the “outstanding natural landscape” of the region has put pressure on land use in the past.
“None of this is insurmountable, it just makes it more difficult.”
In the area around Lake Tekapo/Takapō, the housing stock has been repurposed, she said.
Bejon Haswell/Stuff
Dean said the shortage of worker accommodation has reached a “nearly critical” stage.
“Local employers are finding that much of the existing housing stock which used to be available for worker accommodation is now being utilised in another way.”
Dean said houses in Takapō have been repurposed as Airbnb.
The shortage has reached a point at which, the MP said, she has decided to contact the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Tourism and the Minister for Economic Development.
“After a tough couple years with the Covid-19 border closure, visitors are now coming back in good numbers, but businesses can’t meet demand because they’re short-staffed.
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“There are people with families who want to work and live in Tekapo and Twizel. The jobs are there but there are not enough homes to house them.”
But the short-term solution proposed by Dean might not be suitable.
A New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson said the camp had capacity for 360 beds.
“Activities undertaken at the Camp would preclude third party accommodation use, for reasons including security and 24-hour military activities.
“On average the camp facilities have a booking in place in excess of 240 days per year,” they said.
The shortage of accommodation for seasonal workers has been a major issue for the region in the past year, with business groups calling for more residential development.
A restaurant in Lake Tekapo had to turn down job applications because there were not enough houses for staff members.
TLV restaurant manager Karan Kapahi said the problem surfaces as soon as the high season started, a few months ago.
john bisset/Stuff
A New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson said using the Tekapo military camp as a short-term solution would not be a feasible option.
Kapahi has been living in Tekapo for three and a half years now and changed four different houses during this time.
He shared a house with five other TLV staff members of the restaurant, paying $240 weekly for a room, he said.
“At the moment we are trying to hire couples so that they can share a room instead of having two rooms,” Kapahi said.
At the moment, the restaurant could not operate on a seven days basis, as there were not “enough places for staff to stay”.
Just this week, Kapahi said he had turned down 10 applications from Working Holiday Visa makers.
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