Flaxmere is set to expand further.
A 450-home development on its outskirts has been granted consent, in a project related to a Treaty of Waitangi settlement.
The hapū-led development will see a 28ha section of land on the fringe of the Hastings suburb (off Stock Rd and near the Hawke’s Bay Expressway) being turned into hundreds of homes.
An orchard and vineyard currently occupy some of the land, which will need to be removed, as well as plenty of vacant space.
Site works are expected to begin by the end of this year.
The development, known as the Wairatahi Project, was one of the last projects to be fast-tracked under the Government’s Covid-19 recovery fast-track consent scheme.
The development met the criteria to go through the fast-tracking consent process as it had potential to create jobs and increase housing supply.
On Wednesday, an expert consenting panel returned its decision and granted resource consents for the project, including approval to build around 450 homes.
Tamatea Pōkai Whenua (formerly the Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust) is leading the project.
That trust manages the assets from a Treaty of Waitangi claim with Heretaunga Tamatea, which represents a large number of hapū around the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay area.
Their 2018 settlement package was worth $105 million.
The trust made a significant purchase in 2020 for 22ha of land at 238 Stock Rd, which is the site of the big housing project, along with some surrounding properties.
TPW chairman Pōhatu Paku said the project would provide plenty of benefits including a boost to the economy and much-needed housing.
“This is a major milestone for our hapū settlement entity and we are ecstatic that consent has been approved by the Government’s fast-track process which will create many jobs during construction and increase housing supply by up to 450 warm homes,” he said.
“This is one of the largest Māori-led residential developments on the East Coast and a lot of mahi (work) has been put into the design which will realise the full potential of our whenua.”
TPW chief executive Darryn Russell said “we are ultimately creating a new community” and extensive planning had gone into how to protect and enhance the environment, such as restoration and protection of the Irongate Stream.
“The development is not just for our members and their whānau but for all people and the fast-track decision is timely based on what our region is facing since the cyclone destroyed many homes across our rohe.”
The development is likely to have a small neighbourhood centre, community gardens, playground, park, and a walkway network including along the Irongate Stream.
Housing will range from townhouses to standalone houses.
A consent document noted the current site included a mix of vegetation “predominantly exotic pasture, weed species, exotic shelter belts, amenity plantings, orchards, and vineyards”.
The decision comes amid a housing crisis in Hawke’s Bay compounded by Cyclone Gabrielle, which destroyed or damaged many homes in the region.
The news also comes on the same week Flaxmere’s only supermarket, New World, is closing its doors. The suburb on the outskirts of Hastings currently has a population of about 11,000 people.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.