The 80.5ha of land at Riverhead where the new community was planned but has now been rejected. Photo / supplied
Auckland councillors’ knock-back of an 80.5ha north-west Auckland land rezoning has raised alarm in the development community.
Early last month, the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee rejected the plan change application for the large land holding beside Riverhead where 1500 to 1800 new homes were planned.
The Riverhead Landowner Group - Fletcher Residential, The Neil Group and Matvin Group - wanted the land zoned for housing and a new town centre.
But that’s been defeated, despite deputy mayor Desley Simpson voting against that rejection.
In a motion moved on May 4 by Mayor Wayne Brown and seconded by committee chairman Richard Hills, the vote was to reject rezoning due to 8ha of the site being subject to flooding, as well as a lack of public transport connections.
But some developers said they were worried by that decision, one saying it could be part of a new pattern to enforce the council’s already-planned strategy to strangle greenfields development and only allow development within existing urban areas.
“We can build the bus stops and put the bus routes down the roads, but we can’t make the buses go there,” the developer said.
The councillors said approving the plan change would result in higher residential intensification in an area not supported by the regional policy statement approach to quality compact urban form.
The land was not in and around centres, along identified corridors or close to public transport, social facilities and employment opportunities, the decision from the meeting said.
“Developers can’t put buses in. There are reasons within this rejection they might start to use for everything,” said another developer who didn’t want to be named because he said he wasn’t connected to the Riverhead proposal.
“But the fear is that they’ll throw everything out,” he said.
Fletcher, Neil and Matvin held an open day two years ago, promoting their plan change, putting forward reasons why the land was right for development.
“The plan change area sits alongside the established community of Riverhead and is close to a number of existing amenities and attractions. It covers approximately 80ha of land and is currently zoned Future Urban Zone in the Auckland Unitary Plan. This zoning indicates Auckland Council’s intention for the land to become urbanised and for Riverhead to grow,” they said.
In December 2021, the developer met the Riverhead Residents Association in the Citizen Hall to hear concerns about traffic, the need to provide a variety of new homes, the need for a new school and the need for a new supermarket.
The developers said they planned a retirement village, local centre, new homes in medium-density and higher density and a neighbourhood park. Images within their presentation showed homes up to four levels high.
Matvin were planning the new retirement village.
Matvin said Riverhead offered a vibrant location for the second Botanic Retirement Living complex.
“The Botanic Riverhead will reflect the exemplary design and environmental outcomes demonstrated at The Botanic Silverdale, currently under construction. It is anticipated that construction will begin on The Botanic Riverhead in the 2022/23 construction season,” the plans added.
An independent panel previously approved fast-tracked consent for that 422-unit retirement village and 90-bed hospital at Riverhead after concerns from authorities were mostly allayed.
Objections from Crown and territorial agencies over roading, water, safety, stormwater and flooding issues from the proposed Botanic Riverhead were mainly resolved by agreement between the developer and opposing parties, further reports and assessments.
Matvin Group, a developer with $1 billion of work on and committed, plans the village, geriatric hospital, childcare centre, and a café.
Its application was made under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020. Convener Judge Laurie Newhook formed a panel which approved the consent.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Auckland Transport and Auckland Council previously opposed it, citing safety and unfinished roading upgrades as among the reasons it should be rejected.
In early 2021, the Overseas Investment Office said consent had been granted for Fletcher Residential to buy 20ha of Riverhead from a vendor whose name was suppressed (and for an amount also suppressed).
The consent came the same month as the business sold a controversial site in Māngere for $30m after an agreement with the Government to buy the disputed Ihumātao land.
Riverhead became a new focus for the subsidiary headed by Steve Evans.
“Fletcher Residential develops residential land and builds new dwellings. The land being acquired is about 20ha of rural land in Riverhead northwest of Auckland,” the OIO said in allowing the purchase through.
Fletcher intended to rezone farmland for urban use to respond to the fast-growing Auckland population and features of the location, the office said.
“The construction of houses is likely to occur between five and eight years sooner with the investment due to the earlier rezoning. This is likely to advance the Government’s goal of delivering more housing, quicker,” the office said.
As one of this country’s largest home builders, the company had made many investments which benefited New Zealand, it noted. Fletcher Building’s NZX listing also enabled New Zealanders to participate in the business, it said.
Asked about last month’s council rejection, a Fletcher spokeswoman had no comment.
This month, developers complained about a move to squeeze most new Auckland housing into existing suburbs in the next 27 years but Auckland Council said climate change, protecting the natural environment and a Government push were prompting it.
Graeme Causer, chief executive of land for Fulton Hogan, said on June 6 that multi-billion dollar residential plans could be jeopardised by a rule change to squeeze most new housing into existing suburbs, instead of building on greenfield sites or those not previously developed.
He is worried about his own company’s plans at Milldale, Silverdale and Drury.
He spoke for Future Auckland, which is a “concerned collective” of businesses and lobbyists.
The collective included Stonewood Homes, Jennian Homes, Cabra Land & Property Development, Signature Homes, the NZ Initiative, Neil Group, Woods, Universal, Hunter, Generation Homes, JG Civil, Sensation Development, and Highmark Homes.
It also included Hibiscus Contractors, Laura Homes, Renewal Construction, Jalcon Homes, Fowler Homes, JVJ Homes, Kiwinest, Platinum Homes, Dines, WLY Homes, Modner Environments, North Bright Homes, Mr. Build Homes, Alba Homes, Millstone Residential, Brandmad, Malco, RAL Homes and HHC Homes.
But nothing is yet decided by the council which has invited submissions on the scheme, open till early next month.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, having won many awards, and covered property extensively here and overseas.
'Developers are a good target for a council under financial pressure.' - Steve Evans