The subdivision at the end of Tawhero St will have 35 house sites once its ground level has been raised. Photo / Bevan Conley
The subdivision at the end of Tawhero St will have 35 house sites once its ground level has been raised. Photo / Bevan Conley
Demand for houses in Whanganui continues to grow, with 198 new housing lots agreed to in 2020 and at least 150 more in the pipeline.
That's not surprising with the district's population growing to 48,100, according to economic development agency Whanganui & Partners' latest report to Whanganui District Council.
"Thedistrict's recent growth figures are quite staggering and we do not see residential demand slowing any time soon," the council's planning manager, Hamish Lampp, said.
In the past year, 104 applications were made to subdivide land for housing, and 29 of those were for three or more house lots.
The biggest was for 35 house lots at the end of Tawhero St in Gonville, where Waikanae business Goodman Contractors is doing the earthwork for the Magnolia Subdivision.
It is contracted to ID Loader, who is contracted to GJ Gardner Homes.
Site supervisor Anthony King has had five people working to raise the ground level by 1.5m above the water table. It will need the addition of 60,000cubic metres of sand from adjoining land.
Building could begin as early as mid-2021, King said.
There's no sign of planned subdivision action yet in Hereford St. Photo / Bevan Conley
Other major subdivisions have 28 house lots at the end of Hereford St in Springvale, 27 north of Fitzherbert Ave and 19 off Savage Cres in Aramoho.
From 2020's subdivisions, a total of 198 new house lots will be created. This follows a total of 200 created in 2019.
Building consents are likely to follow, and these are also trending upward. This year 143 consents were issued for new houses, the highest number ever, Lampp said.
Back in 2015, only 57 consents were issued, for houses worth $28.3 million. The total value of 2020's consents is nearly three times, that at $77.2 million.
Rural land is also being subdivided into lifestyle blocks at No 2 Line, Richardsons Rd and west of Mosston Rd.
"These are not located in our higher productive rural areas and therefore are an efficient land-use outcome," Lampp said.
New building happening within the city includes large buildings divided into apartments and higher-density housing, such as duplexes and terraced houses.
"These housing types are increasing accommodation choices and are more land-efficient, providing a more compact and sustainable city," Lampp said.
Houses in town will be closer to local amenities, and their residents will be more likely to use public transport, walk or cycle to get around.
Up against all this pressure for development, the council is starting an urban growth strategy this year. It will aim to strike the right balance between developing outward and upward, while maintaining a prosperous community and protecting the environments that people value.
"Urban consolidation will be a key focus, exploring measures that enable more intensification of underutilised city areas, a case of up not out," Lampp said.
