NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Developers home in on quiet rural haven

By Wayne Thompson
NZ Herald·
27 Apr, 2008 05:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

KEY POINTS:

Pokeno - a forgotten village since a highway bypass 10 years ago - is being reinvented by developers as a live, work and play town of the future.

Big plans for the rural rest stop, known for its bacon and big icecreams, could lead to its present 1100 residents being joined by 6000 more within 20 years.

Franklin District Council's growth plan has latched on to Pokeno's sleeping potential as a business and residential centre at the southern foot of the Bombay Hills that is handy tocustomers and jobs in Auckland and Waikato.

It is 50km by road and 60km by rail from downtown Auckland, and nudges the Auckland-Waikato Expressway and State Highway 2.

The council has taken an unusual step in forming a partnership with the Pokeno Landowners Consortium to design the new town.

It is a move which council chief executive Sally Davis said shifts the financial burden of beefing up water and sewerage services from ratepayers to developers.

It would also enable the council to work with the community and developers to come up with the best plan.

For example, at a workshop, community representatives were split into five groups, each producing a design for the future of the village's centre.

A common wish was to feature elements of the village's past - the train station, and the Queen's Redoubt - the site of the first military headquarters for the Waikato phase of the 1860s New Zealand Wars.

Revival of the main street as a leafy shopping attraction, with apartments above the shops, is also urged.

Sally Davis said the extra 6000 residents should be seen in the context of the district's growth rate of 1000 new residents a year or 400 new households spread among towns and hamlets.

"This will be slow change over a couple of decades, resulting in a country town and we expect its growth will result from both natural expansion and new growth from neighbouring Auckland and Waikato."

The partnership is working on a structure plan that lays out fresh areas for different types of land use and guides how it will fit with the existing settlement and be serviced.

An application to the council to change the District Plan to allow for development is expected in November.

Consortium member Kerry Dines, an Auckland civil engineering contractor and developer, said the demand for business sites and resulting job opportunities would drive the rate of housing settlement.

"We have had approaches from timber, rural service and construction sectors looking for cheaper land than Auckland can offer.

"It's an ideal business location, on the distribution network for the upper North Island and only 16 to 17 minutes to Manukau city centre.

"I think people who settle here will be a mixture of those nearing the end of working lives and families wanting a more rural setting and for their kids to grow up away from the pressures of the Auckland area."

He said the proposed 5200 extra residents would need about 1700 to 1800 houses.

A density of 10 people a hectare would allow for larger lots of 1200 to 1500sq m but mainly sections of 600 to 700sq m.

"Growth is a good thing but it has to be done properly," said Todd McIntosh, a developer who has lived in Pokeno all his life and built 30 houses there over five years.

"The capacity of the sewerage system will dictate how much development is sustainable."

Pokeno is likely to be connected to the Pukekohe Wastewater Treatment Plant.

TOWN DIVIDED OVER GROWTH PLEA

Pokeno residents are divided over whether increasing the size of their town is a good idea.

Trish Rankin (right), who has turned a former mohair factory shop intoone similar to a country generalstore, said Pokeno needed growth so it could support amenities such as a supermarket.

"We moved from Hillsborough in Auckland eight years ago and absolutely love the rural lifestyle. Growth is going to happen anyway, so it's much better for it to be done in a controlled way."

But Helen Clotworthy, of Pokeno Bacon, said she would oppose industrial zoning next to her home.

"It would change the whole reason of why we've loved living in Pokeno for 30 years - the country lifestyle."

Pokeno homes are advertised at $350,000 to nearly $400,000 for for three bedrooms in tidy condition on a good-sized section. The price for not so tidy onesdrops to about $300,000.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Mark Lundy's media silence raises concerns over freedom of speech

12 Jun 06:49 AM
New Zealand

Search continues for New Plymouth woman missing for two nights

12 Jun 06:27 AM
New ZealandUpdated

Water cut to 150 Auckland homes after contractor damages main

12 Jun 06:14 AM

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Five stunning coastal golf courses to play around the British Isles
Travel

Five stunning coastal golf courses to play around the British Isles

12 Jun 07:00 AM
Mark Lundy's media silence raises concerns over freedom of speech
New Zealand

Mark Lundy's media silence raises concerns over freedom of speech

12 Jun 06:49 AM
Search continues for New Plymouth woman missing for two nights
New Zealand

Search continues for New Plymouth woman missing for two nights

12 Jun 06:27 AM
 Water cut to 150 Auckland homes after contractor damages main
New Zealand

Water cut to 150 Auckland homes after contractor damages main

12 Jun 06:14 AM
These mushroom, lemon and egg tarts are wrapped in crispy filo
Viva - Food & Drink

These mushroom, lemon and egg tarts are wrapped in crispy filo

12 Jun 06:00 AM

Latest from New Zealand

Mark Lundy's media silence raises concerns over freedom of speech

Mark Lundy's media silence raises concerns over freedom of speech

12 Jun 06:49 AM

Mark Lundy is banned from speaking to the media or posting on social media.

Search continues for New Plymouth woman missing for two nights

Search continues for New Plymouth woman missing for two nights

12 Jun 06:27 AM
 Water cut to 150 Auckland homes after contractor damages main

Water cut to 150 Auckland homes after contractor damages main

12 Jun 06:14 AM
'Darkness on her life': Meter reader traumatised by kidnapping ordeal

'Darkness on her life': Meter reader traumatised by kidnapping ordeal

12 Jun 05:53 AM
The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE
sponsored

The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search