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Kavinda Herath / Things
Bonisch Consultants Planning Manager Christine McMillan looks at the planned 70 acre residential housing development.
An application will be submitted to make way for the largest residential housing development in Invercargill since the city was established.
Invercargill’s land development firm, Bonisch Consultants, were the project managers for Te Puāwai, a residential development, planned for the 70 ha block of land between Tramway Rd and Center St, flanked by Rockdale Road and Regent Street.
The proposal was to create more than 600 sections in multiple stages and include a shopping center, medical practice, child care center, cafes and a retirement village.
Bonisch Consultants planned to submit a request for a private plan change with the Invercargill City Council to change the area of land for development.
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A 600-lot subdivision is being planned for the outskirts of Invercargill on a 70-hectare block of land between Tramway Rd and Center St.
Bonisch Consultants Managing Director Boyd Wilson said it was exciting to be part of a project that would improve Invercargill’s housing landscape and help ease some tensions within the housing market.
“This is a game changer. Everyone is concerned about rising house prices and exactly what money buys you from Invercargill; it’s quite disheartening to see that homes without proper insulation and heating that are installed in floodplains cost huge amounts of money, and even those homes are out of reach for many buyers. “
Te Puāwai will have home and land packages available, making it easier for first-time home buyers to access it, he said.
The project managers have worked closely with Waihōpai Rūnaka in the preliminary stages of project design.
Murihiku Marae is a neighbor of the site in the southwest corner.
Te Puāwai was chosen by the Rūnaka as the name of this new suburb; it means, “to blossom, to make reality, to come out of a flower”.
Waihōpai representative Michael Skerrett said the consultation process had been good so far, but that it would still have to go through the Invercargill City Council to decide.
The main concern he had was how development might affect aesthetics, as the Murihiku Marae overlooked the Hokonui hills, but felt it would be mitigated, Skerrett said.
The 70-ha site will allow the construction of more than 600 homes over a 10-year period with service points planned from the start.
Kavinda Herath / Things
A proposal to create more than 600 sections in a 70 ha block of land between Tramway Rd and Center St in Invercargill is gaining ground.
Residents of the area surrounding Te Puāwai were invited to a public meeting at the Newfield Tavern on November 4 to outline the project, meet with Bonisch Consultants and Te Puāwai developers, and for residents to receive feedback.
Those in attendance raised concerns about water in the area, as water has been a problem in the past, Wilson said.
“It’s great to have these questions: With concerns about water, the development has been designed in a way that these environmental effects will be mitigated through design, ensuring that the land is safe for construction,” Wilson said.
The request for a private plan change to the Invercargill City Council to allow Te Puāwai to go ahead would be submitted before the end of November.
Kavinda Herath / Things
The view of the planned land for the 70 hectare residential housing development of Skye Street Invercargill
Some residents who currently live on Rockdale Rd believe they have been hearing development stories for years.
Alana Williams, who had been living on Rockdale Rd for 15 years, said she found out that the developers had plans 10 years ago, but nothing happened.
Another Rockdale Rd said they didn’t like the idea of the development as they moved in because the area was quiet.
