Clutha partnership helps address local accommodation shortages

A partnership between Clutha District Council (CDC) and Otago Corrections Facility (OCF) is helping address local housing shortages and providing men in the prison with valuable employable skills and qualifications.

The initiative has men in the prison’s Carpentry industry skills training building 10 self-contained, single bed cabins which will then be transported and installed at Taylor Park in Milton.

Mayor Bryan Cadogan says the accommodation initiative recognises the ongoing accommodation pressures in the district.

“Clutha has had an accommodation crisis for some years now,” he says. “This is having an impact on the available workforce in our community. This initiative is focused on addressing these pressures and, in particular, providing short term accommodation options for temporary workers and for workers moving to the area and looking for more permanent housing. Council is proud of their instrumental role in seeking innovative solutions, like this partnership with Otago Corrections Facility.”

Each 18sqm, single person unit is standalone with kitchen and bathroom facilities and a small deck area.

Assistant Prison Director, Renee Clarkson says the opportunity to build the cabins is greatly appreciated by men in the prison’s carpentry industry training, who are very proud of comments they have had about the high quality of the finished product.

“Industry training in the prison covers a range of skills from basic carpentry, building items like predator traps and toys for the Dunedin Santa Parade, to joinery where the men build furniture for various community organisations, “she says.

“This is the first time we have taken on a project of this scale which enables the men to utilise such a wide range of building skills and benefit business and workers in the local community.

“Through this project, the men are gaining skills, experience and qualifications, which are useful in everyday life, and also in high demand in the community. Employment is a key to maintaining a pro-social life and there are significant labour market shortages construction industry - with employers looking for reliable, trained, keen workers. So, this is a great option for these men. Some men who were working on the project have recently left prison and into employment in the Industry.”

Instructor Mark O’Kane, a licenced builder himself has been an instructor in the prison for nine years, says through the project the men are gaining their BCITO – Level 3 Carpentry, Low level Scaffolding qualifications and their Site Safe Passport Building Construction; where they learning how to keep safe on site, understand basic health & safety responsibilities, and Improve H&S awareness of everyone on site.

Mark says there are currently five men working on the initial programme of work, for 10 cabins.

Two cabins have been completed so far, and a further two nearing completion. Each cabin takes around 12 weeks of fulltime work to complete.

Mayor Bryan Cadogan says the pride the men have shown in building these units and the invaluable skills they are gaining has made this a very special collaboration.

“We thank the team at OCF for the quality and attention to detail they have taken so that we have an end product that is stunning while still being durable, practical, and will be able to be replicated around our district enabling some relief to our critical accommodation shortage,” he says.