A Hutt City Council's proposal to build housing for the elderly on a local park could set a precedent for the rest of the country.
The council wants to build 60 pensioner units on Walter Mildenhall Park in Naenae - but has to have a new category added to the Reserves Act to allow that to happen.
If the proposal is approved, any reserve land anywhere in the country could be used for social housing.
Parks manager Bruce Hodgins says the council first needs permission from the Department of Conservation (DoC) to change part of the Reserves Act.
He says DoC has taken six months to reply, but has indicated the units could be defined as an appropriate use for a reserve and re-classification is possible.
The Council is calling for public submissions before it seeks DOC's final approval.
