12. Housing New Zealand—Banff Avenue Housing DevelopmentDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Housing and Urban DevelopmentHousing New Zealand—Banff Avenue Housing Development12. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: Has Housing New Zealand performed to his expectations in relation to the Banff Avenue housing development?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development): I have full confidence in Housing New Zealand which I expect to ramp up its building of public housing to help address the national housing crisis. Housing New Zealand has applied to Auckland Council for resource consent to redevelop their property at Banff Avenue. The biggest of the two 1970s buildings on the site is a fire risk and has been empty for some time. Housing New Zealand would like to replace the two buildings with 25 warm dry modern homes including five units for tenants with accessibility needs.David Seymour: How then is it possible that the Minister's own officials at a public meeting in Banff Ave just last Wednesday admitted that they had performed poorly in consulting the community and building a stronger community there and apologised for their performance? Was the Minister even aware of that?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well the organisation had advised me that it first wrote to neighbours in Banff Avenue on 18 January to inform them that the site was being investigated for redevelopment. Neighbours were informed on 10 May that a resource consent had been applied for. A feasibility study into the redevelopment was carried out between last October and April. During this time architects engineers landscape architects traffic engineers and urban planners were engaged to make sure that this development is of top quality.David Seymour: Given the Minister clearly has no idea what is happening on his watch will he accept my invitation to come to the next public meeting at Banff Ave and learn more about his department and how it is performing in this project?Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. No one can begin a question in the way that member did. It was a critical statement—totally false. He began by saying something that no one else has ever begun a question on in this House and he should be stopped from doing so.SPEAKER: The member's absolutely right. The first part of the question was out of order. Because I'm in a generous mood I will allow David Seymour to rephrase his supplementary in a way that is within the Standing Orders.David Seymour: In light of the considerable disenchantment with Housing New Zealand's performance in Banff Ave will the Minister accept my invitation to come to the next public meeting and understand better how his own department has performed in this area so that we may build stronger communities together?SPEAKER: Well I'm going to get the member at some stage to come and get a tutorial on the asking of questions. I'm happy to give it to him but to save the House's time Phil Twyford will answer it.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I'm not going to be part of that member's campaign of stigmatisation of people with mental health issues—pandering to the worst kind of nimbyism and people's prejudices. He should show some leadership in his electorate.Michael Wood: What statements has he seen about future tenants at the Banff Ave Housing New Zealand development?SPEAKER: And I'm going to give the Minister warning—because I think I know what might be coming—that he cannot use patsy questions from the Government to attack an Opposition member.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: One statement that I have seen is from the Mental Health Foundation which has said that it is appalled by what it describes as a stigmatising letter from Epsom MP David Seymour—SPEAKER: OK that's enough. Thank you. The member will sit down.Michael Wood: What efforts does Housing New Zealand make to ensure tenants in their new developments feel welcomed by the local community?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Many Housing New Zealand tenants have been through tough times are elderly or have disabilities which means they need help with their accommodation. That is what State housing is for and for these people a new State house is a much-needed new start in life. Housing New Zealand works hard with local communities to make sure that they are comfortable with a new development and that their new tenants feel welcome. This often involves events like holding neighbourhood BBQs. I'm disappointed that Epsom MP David Seymour is creating a divisive—SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member will resume his seat. He will apologise to the House now for breaching my direct instruction to him two supplementary questions ago and tomorrow the National Party will benefit from an un-named extra supplementary as a result of his deliberate breach.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I apologise.David Seymour: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just wonder if the Leader of the House would like to indulge in his occasional custom of giving the ACT Party an extra supplementary.SPEAKER: I see no movement in that direction.