The first two relocatable houses for use by people who were displaced from their homes by the April floods have now been installed at the Whakatāne Holiday Park. A total of ten portacom homes — six two-bedroom and four one-bedroom units — will be installed, arriving at a rate of two a week through until mid-September.

Whakatāne Mayor Tony Bonne and East Coast MP the Hon. Anne Tolley were on site to witness the first two-bedroom units being lowered onto their foundations on Friday, 18 August 2017. Service connections and the necessary access requirements are now being installed, and the units are expected to be ready for occupation in the beginning of September.

The ‘Temporary House Park’ is being developed at a cost of $1.6 million, with the Whakatāne District Council investing $900,000 to purchase the ten units and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment contributing $700,000 to cover infrastructure and relocation costs. The temporary housing provided will be available for flood-affected residents for up to a year and will then be used for tourism accommodation purposes.