An impression of what Hamilton’s new pedestrian and cycle bridge might look like, close to the new Waikato Regional Theatre. Image / Brian Squair of Chow:Hill Architects
An impression of what Hamilton’s new pedestrian and cycle bridge might look like, close to the new Waikato Regional Theatre. Image / Brian Squair of Chow:Hill Architects
A major new cash injection for Hamilton’s central city, announced last week, will also help fund the much-talked-about pedestrian and cycling bridge over the Waikato River connecting the CBD to the eastern cycleways.
Minister of Housing Dr Megan Woods announced the city council would receive a $150.6 million grant to fund infrastructure to support new housing in the central city.
The grant will fund a new water reservoir and pump station, the pedestrian and cycling bridge, and investigations into other strategic three waters and transport infrastructure. This will enable up to 4000 homes in the central city and surrounds between now and 2034.
Mayor Paula Southgate said Hamilton desperately needed more housing, but the challenge had been funding core infrastructure to enable more homes to be built faster.
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate. Photo / KeyImagery
“The fact the Government has listened to our pleas and agreed to help pay for this fit-for-purpose infrastructure is fantastic news for Hamilton. We have successfully partnered with central government, iwi and developers previously, so we are delighted to have this funding to deliver on our shared aspirations for our communities,” she says.
“This grant is truly game-changing and supports the council’s vision to transform the central city into a vibrant place where people want to live, work and visit,” the mayor says.
The bid is supported by $129.3m of co-funding from the council, already committed in its 2021-31 Long-Term Plan. Alongside housing, it will support more than 300,000sq m of commercial and retail space and has the potential to unlock more than $2.1 billion in private investment over the next decade.
Strategic growth and district plan committee chairman councillor Ryan Hamilton acknowledged the six local developers who signed agreements with the Government to deliver central-city housing, recognising the considerable benefit their investments will deliver for the city.
Strategic growth and district plan committee chairman councillor Ryan Hamilton. Photo / Supplied
“Council is not the one who builds homes, we can enable and support developers to make this happen. So, the true heroes are these developers who have made significant commitments to our city to get this funding across the line.”
Those developers were Cavendish Ventures Ltd, Stark Property Ltd, Apex Property Group NZ Ltf, Tainui Group Holdings Ltd, Pragma Developments Ltd, and Tristan Paul Jones / Highview Properties Ltd and have committed nearly half the 4000 homes enabled by the funding.
“The commitment these developers have given goes a long way in helping us deliver on our aspirations to build up in the central city. This aligns closely with a number of our key strategies and plans, including our Central City Transformation Plan and Hamilton Urban Growth Strategy, as well as the recently proposed changes to the District Plan that will enable more intensification in our city,” said Hamilton.
“Along with these developers, we’ll be able to transform our central city into a connected and liveable community with all the amenities Hamiltonians need.”
Early planning and design stages of the key projects funded by the grant are already underway.
