Residents from suburbs in eastern Auckland that will be the focus of a 20 year urban renewal project say it should have been started years ago.
As part of the first phase of the project, the Government will build 150 new state houses and upgrade existing ones in Panmure, Pt England and Glen Innes.
The Government has pledged an initial investment of $52 million.
The Panmure Business Association says housing in those areas is shocking.
Spokesperson Chris Sutton hopes the next item on the Government's agenda will be infrastructure, particularly near the Panmure roundabout.
She says the industrial area there is also in desperate need of rejuvenation.
