Rural lure poses problems

In the first part of a two-part series, ARNOLD PICKMERE examines how a population boom is transforming the character of Franklin.

On a light traffic day Franklin's nearest boundaries are only 30 minutes down the Southern Motorway from downtown Auckland.

As the Auckland region's population grows at almost 40,000 a year - about the same rate as Sydney - a lot of people are noticing that Franklin district has space - and hardly a townhouse or apartment in sight. And that is causing problems.

The most immediate is the expense of providing services for new arrivals to an area characterised by 1600km of mostly narrow country roads not designed for heavy traffic. And a small ratepayer base.

Franklin Mayor Heather Maloney says every new residential property adds to the burden on water supplies and stormwater and wastewater systems. A demand for more sports facilities is also evident.

Franklin rates rose 16.1 per cent last year and are expected to bounce another 7 per cent this year. The council now hopes to use a newly allowable Development Contributions policy to allow the costs of growth to be recovered at the time of new developments and not be paid for by existing ratepayers.

The district population increased 8 per cent from about 42,000 to 53,280 in 2001. Last June it was estimated at 55,500. By 2021 it could be 76,000.

Building permits (2076 last year) are at record levels. Heather Maloney says what the council thought was a healthy allowance for quite substantial new residential housing around Pukekohe has been used up far faster than expected.

The essentially rural district produces about a third of the country's vegetables and also has a lot of dairying and other farming. Some Franklin residents worry about:

* Retaining the important market gardening and agriculture economic backbone of the area.

* Not covering the best soils in the district with housing.

* Retaining Franklin's attractive rural character.

But there are also farmers who would be more than happy to chop up their farms for the financial return.

Talk to almost anyone - planners, local body politicians, Federated Farmers - and they will tell you that country districts on the outskirts of major cities here and abroad are having similar problems.

But Franklin, which is struggling for approval for a new rural plan to help to cope with the influx, is a very clear example.

The causes of the Franklin growth basically seem quite simple. Prices for ordinary housing in the main town of Pukekohe (population 13,110 and rising) are more easily within the reach of the less well off than buying back in Auckland's cities.

You can still get something for $100,000 less than the Real Estate Institute's April median house price of $330,000 for Auckland's five cities.

Increasing numbers of people are commuting to work in Auckland, mostly in cars. But the Auckland train service recently extended to Pukekohe is already attracting about 200 passengers a day.

The Papakura station, which also attracts Franklin residents, often has more than 200 cars parked near it.

Lifestyle blocks outside Auckland's cities had a median price of $475,000 in March, compared with a median New Zealand price for such blocks of $248,000.

Heather Maloney fields arguments from people wanting to subdivide that their farms are either not economic units any more, or that they are now too valuable to farm.

Franklin Federated Farmers president Wendy Clark says a 70ha dairy farm in Karaka now has a capital value of $3,670,000 and costs $8000 a year in rates.

A 118ha farm over the Waikato River at Onewhero has a capital value of $945,000 and $2700 in rates.

Franklin profile

Size: 2190sq km

Location: South of Auckland cities and bounded by extensive coastlines: Tasman Sea, Manukau Harbour, Firth of Thames.

Good land, soil and water resources. Produces about one-third of New Zealand vegetables.

Estimated resident population:

1991 41,769

2001 53,300

2003 55,500

2021 (estimate) 76,000

Local employment:

Agriculture, forestry, fishery 3978

Manufacturing (including steel mill) 3645

Construction 1989

Wholesale trade 1647

Retail trade 2829

Transport and storage 1056

Property and business service 2178

Education 1518

Health and community services 1287

Other 4764

Sources: Statistics NZ, Franklin District Council, Auckland Regional Council

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