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Chinese developer Changda International (NZ) is to build a 570 home subdivision in Orewa. Members of the company are pictured at the launch on December 2.
An Orewa subdivision that local politicians hope could be “a poster boy” for good development had its formal launch on December 2.
However the local board says the toll on local infrastructure of adding almost 600 new homes to Orewa will be significant and it expects cooperation from the developers to mitigate that.
The 570-house subdivision, named Sunny Heights, is on 42ha of steep, north-facing former farmland on Sunnyheights Rd, off West Hoe Heights. The land was bought by Chinese developers Changda International (NZ), which obtained Overseas Investment Office approval for the project, as well as Special Housing Area status.
The site includes QEII covenanted bush and is close to Eaves Bush Scenic Reserve and 10ha deemed a Significant Ecological Area by Auckland Council.
Earthworks are underway. The land will be developed in three stages. The first sections are already on the market.
The company is also to build two roads linking West Hoe Heights with Grand Drive. New pedestrian links to Sunnyheights Road, West Hoe Heights and Roberta Crescent are also proposed as well as two new bus stops.
Changda, which also recently unveiled a large project in Manukau, says the Sunny Heights project will cost it $420m. General manager Yanbing Liu said that the company hopes to invest more, not only in Auckland, once its Sunny Heights development has stabilised. “We are looking for long term growth and development here,” Mr Liu said. “The only way to reduce the housing price is to reduce demand by building more homes.”
He said that community facilities, including playgrounds, a kindergarten and convenience store, are part of the plan for Sunny Heights.
The company is working with NZ companies including Beca, Boffa Miskell and Dempsey Wood.
Buildings include stand-alone houses, terraced housing and apartments with height to be a maximum of three-storeys – something that Rodney MP Mark Mitchell, who spoke at the launch, finds disappointing. Mr Mitchell says he would have liked to see higher density to provide more options for people getting onto the housing ladder. As a Special Housing Area, the development must include a component of ‘affordable’ housing. Around 200 homes are expected to have sea views.
At the two-hour ceremony on December 2, which came complete with the cutting of a silk ribbon and fireworks, Hibiscus & Bays Local Board chair Julia Parfitt spoke about the challenges of being in a high growth area.
“That has certain benefits, but also means retrofitting to make it work as far as things like social infrastructure are concerned,” Mrs Parfitt said. She said that the local board wants to ensure connections are in place, including public transport.
“Nearly 600 homes will make a substantial impact and the local board expects the developers to work with us in partnership,” she said. “We hope that Sunny Heights could be a poster boy for how it can be done well to create something unique. I wish Changda well with the project. We will be watching carefully.”
Mr Liu said he hopes that the first house will be built by early 2018. The rest of the construction is expected to complete in late 2021.
