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Dear John, Drury’s Transformation Drury has a Totara heartwood mile post marker outside its historic school building on Great South Road that says it is 22 miles from the centre of Auckland. The mile post has been there since the 1860’s. Now almost 160 years later three of New Zealand’s biggest developers Oyster Capital, Fulton Hogan and Kiwi Property want to transform this area into an urban mix of residential, business and open space zones. Bringing this closer to reality they have had their private plan changes approved by the Independent Hearing Commissioners, in a decision released on 5 May 2022. The commissioners have given the green light to rezone 330 hectares of land in Drury into residential, business and open space zones which would turn the small, semi-rural town south of Auckland into a new satellite city. Apparently this city will be about the same size as Napier which in 2018 had a population of just over 62,000 people. But what do the local residents think of the massive changes earmarked for the area? I heard someone say when I visited on ANZAC Day that the newly restored Cenotaph and the little paved area around it would be a good place for people to gather and relax once the development starts. Others seem to think the big change is inevitable and they appreciate that Kiwi Property, Fulton Hogan, Stevensons and the Paerata Rise developers have large amounts of land ready for development once the formalities of land use changes have been completed. Apparently some private property owners have already sold and moved away while others are welcoming the redevelopment which will bring life to Drury and thousands of new families to live in the area. Some of the proposed development is on the old Quarry site that is just about depleted now and ripe for restoration and redevelopment. The Kiwi Property proposal centres on the area in Flanagan Road that they showed me around in June 2019. Of course the changes will not happen overnight and it is envisaged that it will be 10 to 20 years before the developments are complete and the population grows. Infrastructure remains a sticking point for Auckland Council who have objected to the Independent Hearing Commission’s decision and will be considering whether to appeal it as they have the right to do. Some current Drury residents agree with Auckland Council which is opposing the plan change because of their concern about who is going to pay for the roads and the other infrastructure which will cost around $1billion which hasn’t been included in cost estimates. Others say that the Council shouldn’t worry because the big increase in the number of people paying rates should soon pay off this cost if the funds are borrowed. Others are of the opinion it should be the developers paying for it and that the roads and all the rest of the infrastructure should be in place before any new homes or commercial development is begun. All services like water, sewerage, road, footpaths and cycle ways will be needed in the area as well as greater access to electricity and internet. Auckland Council and local councillors like Daniel Newman believe that ratepayers should not have to foot the bill for this and hopes that the developers will be required to pay or at least contribute substantially. I am considering the need for primary schools and childcare centres that will be needed for the many new families in the area. Existing schools might need new buildings and more outdoor facilities. When I met with the Kiwi Property Developers in 2019 their vision was to create a small city like Sylvia Park with all the major stores like the Warehouse, Farmers etc, a train station, a motorway off ramp, a park and ride and a new hospital. They propose building a multi-use town centre with lots of low rise rental housing units built to a high standard. The vision includes private gyms and swimming pools, with retail shopping and commercial activities at ground level. The environment will be pedestrian friendly with ready access to a larger shopping centre for the bigger stores. Their vision included office spaces, a hospital, multiple shops and restaurants. All of these will mean there could be 6,000 new jobs in the area. Walking paths and recreation areas on the Hingaia Creek reserve will be created. The Kiwi Property developers are hoping for construction to start in the next three to four years subject to Auckland Council approval and the infrastructure issue. Many residents express support for the development as it will see a big change in the semi-rural town with many new families coming to the area and bringing with them a need for more amenities like shops and restaurants. Many locals acknowledge Drury is growing and that people need houses and you have to provide them. They realise that the development will go ahead no matter what delays are put in front of it. The total population of the Takanini, Papakura, Drury, Opāheke, Paerata and Pukekohe areas is expected to grow to 120,000 people over the next 30 years. My final comments are that we need to have a four-lane Mill Road factored into the plans – South Auckland will need this for the huge population that is going to be centred here. Current public transport will be totally inadequate and capacity will have to increase massively if it is to cope with this development. There are currently questions over the location of a train station to service this new development and also the one under way at Auranga on Bremner Road. So there is much to consider around this exciting development for Papakura. Best wishes, Judith Hon Judith Collins
Hon Judith
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