NZ regional hotspots where population will boom

Infometrics report puts Hobsonville in first position

New Zealand's top hotspots 2013-23
• Hobsonville 254 per cent (12,390 people)
• South west Christchurch 105 per cent (122,790 people)
• Central Christchurch 83 per cent (4270 people)
• Papamoa 74 per cent (5190 people)

Population growth hotspots have been identified throughout New Zealand in a new report that shows Hobsonville in Auckland is about to "take off" with 254 per cent growth in just a decade.

Infometrics' latest Regional Hotspots 2016 report, shows the country's top future population growth areas between 2013 and 2023, revealing some obvious and less obvious areas.

Hobsonville's population will accelerate 254 per cent as new housing supply expands, with next year's Waterview Connection opening, the Northwestern Motorway upgrade and the 2011 completion of the Upper Harbour Highway, Infometrics said. About 8000 dwellings are planned in that area to Auckland's north-west, of which about 7400 are in the Hobsonville Point development.

New Zealand's second-fastest growing region will be south-west Christchurch, up 105 per cent in the decade; followed by central Christchurch (83 per cent) and Papamoa, up 74 per cent.

Earthquakes had amplified the rate of development around Christchurch's city fringe urban areas, Infometrics said, noting a drift to the west and south, particularly Rolleston, West Melton, Wigram, Prebbleton, Lincoln and Halswell.

Three other top Auckland hotspots were identified: Beachlands-Drury, Orewa and Central Auckland.

Statistics NZ released data this week showing New Zealand's annual net gain of migrants hit another record high in October, rising to 70,300, surpassing the previous peak of 70,000 set in September. Annual migrant arrivals were 126,100, a new record, beating the record 125,600 set in the September year. Annual migrant departures were 55,800, from 55,700 in September, it said.

Infometrics said New Zealand population growth was at its highest level since the mid-1970s.

"Almost all of New Zealand has had a bit of a 'hotspot' feeling to it this year. The spread of the housing market's boom from Auckland through the halo regions and then across much of the rest of the country has clearly demonstrated one of the consequences of strong population growth, particularly if the supply of new housing is unable to respond quickly enough to the lift in demand," the Infometrics report said.

Population growth has a big effect on business.

"The fact that there are potentially more customers coming in the door for businesses in a town such as Waiuku gives those firms a distinct advantage over companies trying to operate in an area with static or shrinking population," Infometrics said.

The hotspots were concentrated around the country's main metropolitan centres, "reflecting the highly urbanised nature of New Zealand's population and the greater density of potential new markets offered by these growth areas".

Limiting Auckland to just four hotspots seemed a little unfair "when the entire region is creaking under the weight of rapid population growth" but those four were standouts, Infometrics said.

Read the full report from Infometrics