The two-storey timber-framed barracks at Linton Military Camp are basic, at best. “They are probably overdue to be brought up to modern standards,” says one soldier who recently served there.

Ground infrastructure and boilers are beyond asset life, resulting in power failures, water leaks and hot water outages. “The standard of accommodation is one small factor that affects the morale of soldiers serving. While they can make do with very old buildings, providing newer facilities is a part of showing soldiers that their service is valued.”

The housing for personnel with families is equally bad, he tells Newsroom. “A young, single soldier may tolerate a far lower standard when living by themself but it’s a different story when you have your wife and kids staying there with you,” he says. “Although they’re frequently doing small renovations the Defence houses are very old and run down. They frequently have mould and dampness problems.”

Now, barracks accommodation at the 2000-person camp near Palmerston North is being lined up as potentially the first project in the new government’s flagship commitment to new infrastructure financing models.

Parliament’s foreign affairs and defence select committee, chaired by National’s Tim van de Molen, has just conducted its annual review of the Defence Force.

“We discussed the need for greater investment in the defence estate’s ageing infrastructure,” the committee reports. “Asset maintenance and equipment failure is an ongoing concern for the NZ Defence Force. This is exacerbated by a lack of resources and a declining workforce. Significant attention and a strategic approach will be required to turn this around.”

MPs had heard from the Chief of Defence, Air Marshall Kevin Short. “The defence estate, which we operate from and train from, continues to deteriorate,” he told them. “We do have problems with the standard of accommodation.”

The Returned and Services Association, as well as the No Duff Charitable Trust, have been highlighting the problem of cold, damp defence barracks and houses. Low-paid soldiers and sailors are obliged to live in them, and must pay rents calculated by a set discount on market rates.