Deal to create NZ's newest town centre

One of New Zealand's biggest development deals announced today will see the creation of the new town centre of Flat Bush in Manukau.

Currently just a patch of dirt, the town centre will be at the heart of a community of 40,000 people and integrated with the new 94 hectare Barry Curtis Park. It will be the centre of the new town of Flat Bush, which is beginning to take shape on 1700 hectares of undeveloped land.

The agreement between Manukau City Council's wholly owned company Tomorrow's Manukau Properties Limited (TMPL) and Melview Developments will help the council's vision of a vibrant town centre for the community to become reality.

Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis says the 20 hectare Flat Bush town centre will be unique.

"This is the return of the traditional town centre where people come to meet and enjoy themselves. It won't be just a shopping mall, but a place with strong ties to the environment and a diverse mix of shops, cafes, offices, apartments and community facilities.

"The town centre will have a traditional main street concept and be at the heart of the rapidly growing Flat Bush community," Sir Barry says.

"It will be possible for people to walk and cycle from their home to the town centre along the green fingers that link Flat Bush. These are park areas that follow existing streams and gullies, most houses are only five minutes walk away from one.

"Our aim with Flat Bush is to reduce people's dependence on cars and create a town blessed with high urban design standards and a strong focus on people.

"The chance to create a whole new town centre is an extremely rare opportunity, so this is an exciting project for everybody involved," Sir Barry says.

"This agreement will give us a vibrant town centre that will be the heart and soul of the new Flat Bush community. It will remove the commercial risk to TMPL and therefore the council, but still allow TMPL the final say in the overall design and to achieve good financial results.

"I'm pleased we have a developer like Melview working on the town centre. They have a track record of high quality developments with a strong focus on good urban design," Sir Barry says.

Manukau City Council began planning for Flat Bush in 1997 after purchasing the land the land the year before. The council is driving its planning and creation to achieve a high quality of urban design and enhance the area's natural environment and heritage.

Bulk earthworks and construction of roading and other infrastructure works is well underway. About 15,000 people have moved into the new area in the last three years. The Flat Bush community also includes an existing area to the west of the town centre and Chapel Rd.

Flat Bush will feature a town centre, five smaller neighbourhood business centres and a mixture of housing densities. The land will be released for development in stages and is likely to be built out within the next 10 years.

Seven new schools will be built, in addition to the Baverstock Oaks primary school, which opened in 2005.

ENDS

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