Beach town Mangawhai to get another 380 houses with The Rise development

Mangawhai is renown for its beach at Mangawhai Heads, where the harbour also flows out to the sea. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The rapidly growing Northland coastal town of Mangawhai, just north of Auckland, is set to continue booming with the approval of a 380-house development.

Kaipara District Council has given final sign-off for the private plan change Cove Road North Precinct, also known as The Rise, after an Environment Court appeal was settled through negotiation.

Mangawhai residents are happy greater protections for Mangawhai Harbour have been included but still have concerns about the cumulative impact of numerous subdivisions in the area, said society Mangawhai Matters chairman Doug Lloyd.

The seaside community’s permanent population has more than doubled in the last 10 years, from 3600 in 2014 to 7500 in 2024, according to Infometrics.

The Rise private plan change is for a 57ha block on the corner of Cove Rd and Mangawhai Heads Rd, which will be rezoned rural to residential. Developer The Rise Limited first applied for the plan change in November 2022.

About 70 submissions and further submissions were received, with a hearing held by independent commissioners in March this year.

The commissioners approved the proposed development but Mangawhai Matters appealed to the Environment Court, asking for better protection for the fragile Mangawhai Estuary and Harbour.

The developer agreed to incorporate stricter erosion and sediment controls, to ensure water quality is protected.

The council gave final approval to the private plan change at its October 30 meeting, with the changes set to be incorporated into the Operative Kaipara district plan from November 26.

Throughout the process, Mayor Craig Jepson removed himself from the room during discussions, saying he had a conflict of interest. The council’s Members’ Interests Register shows the Jepson Family Trust owns shares in a property on Cove Rd.

Lloyd said Mangawhai Matters is pleased the development now has more checks and balances in place to control run-off, stopping it flowing into the estuary.

The Rise development will see up to 380 homes built on the corner of Cove Rd and Mangawhai Heads Rd, in Mangawhai Heads.

The project itself is unique as the developer only owns a portion of the land, with the rest owned by lifestyle block owners, he said.

However, Lloyd said the greatest concern for Mangawhai residents is the sheer volume of developments coming up, with numerous private plan changes being approved.

The council agreed to a major development of up to 1200 new homes in Mangawhai Central in 2022, next to the recently opened Mangawhai Central retail area. It was bought by wealth management company Alvarium NZ in May.

The council also approved a private plan change for the 600-home Mangawhai Hills Development in August, although Mangawhai Matters has also appealed this decision, because of the need for stricter run-off controls.

Lloyd said another major development on Black Swamp Rd is also anticipated.

“We have doubled in population in the last 10 years - we can’t keep doing it with the infrastructure that we’ve got ... We’ve probably got another 2000 homes coming on the market.”

He hoped infrastructure concerns would be addressed in the council’s upcoming district plan process.

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.