Kaipara mayor and Mangawhai resident Craig Jepson says while the area gets busy at peak times, he can still find space to walk on the beach by himself. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Kaipara mayor and Mangawhai resident Craig Jepson says while the area gets busy at peak times, he can still find space to walk on the beach by himself. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Mangawhai locals worry the relaxed, coastal vibes of the area will be lost as the town continues to rapidly grow with Aucklanders moving north.
Kaipara District Council has adopted a private plan change for the 600-home Mangawhai Hills Development, although the window for appeal is still open.
It comes on top of a private plan change on Cove Rd North, called The Rise, allowing up to 380 homes north of Mangawhai Heads. The council adopted this in June but it has since been appealed to the Environment Court.
Another major development, Mangawhai Central, was signed off in 2022 to allow up to 1200 new homes, next to the recently opened Mangawhai Central retail area. It was bought by wealth management company Alvarium NZ in May.
Infometrics estimated Mangawhai’s population in 2023 as 7430, with the population growing 7.1% a year in the five years to 2023, far higher than the national growth rate of 1.3%.
The approved developments could see another 5900 people move into Mangawhai and there is a risk the developments could spoil its appeal, said Doug Lloyd from local society Mangawhai Matters.
“Once they come online it will definitely make a huge impact, that is when people will start saying ‘I can’t go there because I can’t get to the beach’.”
The Mangawhai Heads Beach car park is often full at peak times, but a bus service offers an alternative.
Lloyd said the jewels of Mangawhai - the estuary boat ramp and Mangawhai Heads Beach - are already packed and hard to get a car park at, even on weekdays.
The summer holidays are “bedlam” with many locals staying put in their houses for three weeks, he said.
“We can’t stop growth but we want the development to fit in with Mangawhai.”
Mangawhai Matters has appealed The Rise development and would like some changes to Mangawhai Hills to protect the estuary from sediment run-off, Lloyd said.
Mangawhai Hills director Patrick Fontein said his development is about providing high-quality, larger size sections, with the development also including stormwater retention ponds, native bush, walking trails and local shops.
The Mangawhai Hills development, pictured in blue, will include 600 houses, stormwater retention ponds, walking tracks, local shops and a high school.
There will be enough solar panels to generate more electricity than the development needs, while drinking water will be collected and wastewater treated on-site, he said.
“We’re going very hard on the environmental side ... That’s a major point of difference, not only in Mangawhai, but in New Zealand.”
Fontein said Mangawhai was a logical place for development as north Auckland areas like Matakana and Ōmaha became full.
While he agreed Mangawhai Heads Beach car park was full at peak times, he said there were other ways to enjoy the beach, such as using a free bus put on by council.
Fontein said for other amenities to increase in Mangawhai, locals should not be scared of population growth.
Mangawhai Hills was providing land for a new secondary school, Mangawhai Hills College, which would open in January 2025 even if the development was appealed, he said.
“It’s only because there are people there that we have the means to provide for a high school - we’re bringing better quality services to the area.”
The Mangawhai Heads shopping centre on Molesworth Drive is congested at peak times but more shops are coming. Photo / NZME
Fontein believed there would be the opportunity for a new medical centre in Mangawhai as the population grows and more viability for restaurants, such as The Dune and No 8 Mangawhai which recently closed.
“It’s really sad that they struggled with not enough people and had to close. With more people, we provide opportunities.”
Fontein said some earthworks on Mangawhai Hills could start even if the private plan change was appealed, and he hoped sections would be available for sale by the end of 2025.
Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson thought the Mangawhai Hills development was forward-thinking, but he did not want to say too much about the project while it was still open to appeal.
The Mangawhai resident agreed the town is under strain from growth, with congestion at busy times at the boat ramp, Mangawhai Heads Beach car park and Molesworth Drive shopping area.
“We have real challenges with infrastructure and amenity, and this is in contrast with the smaller towns in our district that need more people.”
However, Jepson said he could still go for a beach walk by himself at Mangawhai when it was not busy.
“Lots of people want to come here - we need to make sure that it retains the specialness that everyone loves about the place.”
The council wants to incentivise development in some of its smaller towns, like Paparoa, and its upcoming district plan will look at these sorts of issues, he said.
The district plan should be open for comments before the end of the year, Jepson said.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
