Housing Minister Phil Twyford says it's "fantastic" that a Chinese pensioner is able to keep her vegetable garden after Housing New Zealand had threatened to dismantle it due to an "illegal" bamboo stake structure.
Xya Han has been toiling away at her garden plot for the last decade, but last month Housing New Zealand told the Auckland pensioner the garden stakes used to support her backyard crops are banned under tenancy rules.
The tenancy manager demanded their removal and in a statement, Housing New Zealand told 1 NEWS the "super structure" had been deemed unsafe and inappropriate.
However, Housing New Zealand has now backed down, stating they will be not be demanding the structure be taken down, a move supported by the Housing Minister today.
A David versus Goliath battle between a Chinese pensioner and the housing corporation began last month over garden stakes.
"I think it was a bit of overkill. This has been a really useful reminder to Housing New Zealand that the relationship with tenants needs to be flexible, common-sense – we want state house tenants to be growing vegetables in their garden," he said.
Mr Twyford says Mrs Han is obviously fantastic at growing vegetables, and his new approach as minister is about encouraging Housing New Zealand to be flexible and compassionate in its approach to tenancies.
He welcomed the news that the garden will remain intact as "fantastic" and says that "common sense has won the day."
"We will not be taking any further action," a Housing New Zealand spokesperson said to Mrs Han's son-in-law Simon Mann.
"We apologise for any stress this incident has caused".
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