$175m South Auckland retirement village planned

The Manukau Golf Club golf course. Development of a $175m retirement village on the site is scheduled to start in 2017. Photo: Brett Phibbs.

Retirement village owner and operator Metlifecare has a deal to buy part of the Manukau Golf Course from Fletcher Living for a new $175 million village for the elderly.

Alan Edwards, Metlifecare chief executive, said the acquisition of the land was conditional but he hoped to settle on a 5.5ha Great South Rd site in Manurewa.

That is subject to the satisfactory completion of due diligence including feasibility, resource consent of the site being obtained by Metlifecare and subdivision consent to be obtained by vendor Fletcher Living, he said.

The Manukau Golf Club will eventually leave the site once Fletcher builds it a new course at Ardmore.

"Our vision for this village is to see a retirement community established that complements the new residential community to be created by Fletchers on the balance of the golf course land," Edwards said.

Development of the site is scheduled to start in 2017 subject to satisfaction to the conditions, completing detailed design and undertaking earthworks on the site, Edwards said.

"We are looking forward to working with the vendor, Fletcher Living, on this opportunity and providing more retirement living and care options to the local area.

"Our vision for this village is to see a retirement community established that complements the new residential community to be created by Fletchers on the balance of the golf course land," he said.

Fletcher Residential last year got approval to create 479 housing lots or sections in seven stages on the Manukau Golf Course.

The big new scheme by the Fletcher Building business headed by Ken Lotu-Iiga will see the golfing greens filled with housing and many new streets.

The golf club will move to a new Ardmore course which Fletcher will develop as part of the deal, struck after members voted to sell their big site near the Southern Motorway at Manurewa.

Auckland Council approved consent for the huge new housing estate on land already zoned residential even as a golf course.

Many locals opposed the scheme, worried about losing wide peaceful rural-style views over the greens, increased traffic and pressure on services.

Fletcher is allowed to remove 139 generally protected trees, work within the drip line of 36 trees it is retaining and create about 223,600 cubic metres of earthworks across 47ha.

The company will fill within a flood hazard area.

Traffic problems were ruled out, with the council saying the huge subdivision would have no more than minor adverse effects on the surrounding roading environment.

Only minor adverse effects on the water quality and ecology of the Papakura Stream were cited and the effects on coastal bird roosting sites was considered less than minor, subject to a management plan and mitigation measures including the creation of an esplanade reserve along the coastline and restriction of building work to outside the migrant peak coastal bird season.

See the site of the new development here: