Development follows $70.4 million swoop for a 95.3-hectare greenfield site
Kāinga Ora has announced a new housing development in Tauranga after acquiring Ferncliffe Farm, a 95.3-hectare greenfield site in the priority-growth area of the city’s Tauriko West.
The $70.4 million purchase of the site is the first acquisition under the newly created Kāinga Ora Land Programme, which aims to lead strategic land acquisitions to enable housing and thriving communities in areas of need.
Kāinga Ora general manager urban planning and design Katja Lietz said the latest acquisition will bring much-needed housing options to the area, with the urban development agency aiming to build around 1,000 new homes.
“There is high demand for not only market homes, but also affordable and public housing in Tauranga,” Lietz said. “A site this large, developed by Kāinga Ora and its partners, can provide this mix of housing, meeting the needs of a broad cross-section of the community.”
Read more: Favored $1 billion house development fund set in motion
Tauriko West is one of five priority development areas in the Western Bay of Plenty under the urban growth partnership with SmartGrowth, a collaboration of local government, tangata whenua, and central government to grow the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region market.
SmartGrowth chair Peter Winder said the Kāinga Ora acquisition aligns with the partnership’s strategy.
“SmartGrowth provides a unified vision, direction, and voice for the future of the Western Bay of Plenty as we help develop a great place to live, learn, work, and play,” Winder said. “The strategy identifies opportunities for building our community while ensuring a balanced approach to growth management. Kāinga Ora is a trusted partner for SmartGrowth, and the purchase of Ferncliffe Farm is a strategic move for the partnership, unlocking development and increasing housing supply, especially at the more affordable end of the market.”
Lietz said Kāinga Ora will also team up with community groups and local firms to help grow the local construction sector. With the extensive planning, earthworks, and land development requirements, the urban development agency expects to begin construction in three to four years.
She added: “Our aim is to accelerate timeframes for housing delivery as much as possible at both Ferncliffe Farm and neighbouring land through collaboration and proactive planning. Once complete, we are confident Ferncliffe will be a thriving community that will bring huge benefits to this vibrant and fast-growing city.”
Aside from Kāinga Ora, the New Zealand government also recently announced that it will fund housing infrastructure in five Auckland suburbs through the Housing Acceleration Fund, expected to add up to 1,260 additional homes on top of the 2,500 additional homes that have already been supported by government funding.
Housing minister Megan Woods said the government will spend $282 million on large-scale projects (LSPs) in Mount Roskill, Mangere, Tāmaki, Oranga, and Northcote.
“We’re stepping in with funding for these areas to fix decades of under-investment in infrastructure that will have wider benefits for the communities, including improved sewerage, and flood prevention,” she said. “This is a key part of the government’s plan to address the housing crisis by increasing supply through our strategically located LSPs in areas where people want to live.”
