Developers Dream In Warkworth

Developers Dream In Warkworth

As the juggernaut of Auckland’s growth continues to consume Greenfield land, Auckland’s once ‘distant’ outer reaches are now moving to be firmly within the Super City’s pull.

According to Statistics New Zealand, between the years of 2011 and 2021, Auckland’s population is forecasted to grow dramatically by 230,000 or 15.6%. As the city adds more than the population of Hamilton over the next ten years, the solution to accommodating this growth is going to have to be provided by land zoned ‘Future Urban’ in the Council’s proposed Unitary Plan.

Accordingly satellite towns such as Wellsford and Walkworth are increasingly becoming a target for many of New Zealand’s largest developers. The 38km Puhoi-Wellford motorway extension, scheduled to commence this year and due for completion in 2022, means that Warkworth will soon be less than a 45 minute drive from Auckland central, a daily commute destination.

Jones Lang LaSalle has been appointed with the sole agency to market 96 Thompson Road, Warkworth, a 46.7ha piece of land, 55km north of Auckland and just south of the Northland Region. Conservative estimates suggest that the property can accommodate up to 500 dwellings or in excess of 1,400 people.

The land is zoned, 39.9 hectare future development land and 6.7 hectare rural production, under the Auckland Council’s proposed Unitary Plan. The future development zone has been established in order to assist in accommodating Auckland’s fast growing urban population and the plan aims to create a higher quality and more compact Auckland.

The town of Warkworth greets all direct road traffic heading north from Auckland or South from Whangarei, making it a major sub-regional centre. It is a key service centre and economic hub for the Rodney District, which is now under the jurisdiction of Auckland Council.

John Binning, Director of Capital Markets for Jones Lang LaSalle says, “The extended motorway plans of the national Transport Agency are a welcome continued improvement for the journey from Auckland to Warkworth”.

Binning continues, “The property market in Warkworth remains upbeat with the wider economic recovery and performance of Auckland’s property market flowing through to Rodney and Warkworth”.

Chris Harding, Commercial Sales and Investments broker for Jones Lang LaSalle says “With there being a shortage of suitable housing in the existing Auckland, future growth will need to be accommodated by properties such as 96 Thompson Road.”

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