Sign In / Register
Property owners along the proposed Warkworth to Te Hana motorway route feel aggrieved at the way the purchase of their land is being managed by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
Previously NZTA said there were 143 affected properties along the 26km route, 74 had been purchased with a further 69 still under negotiation (MM, Aug 5).
However, NZTA now says there are 89 properties required for the project. To date, only 29 have been purchased at a cost of $36.24m.
Warkworth licensed agent Greg Allen-Baines says landowners are feeling short-changed by The Property Group, one of three consultancy firms purchasing on behalf of the Crown (the other two firms involved are Align and WSP).
Typically, the Crown valuation will be closer to the capital value (CV) price and lower than the landowner’s registered valuation, which is more in line with the market value, he says. What the Crown is not doing is erring on the side of the seller.
“Either split the difference between the two valuations, or in favour of the seller – pay at the high end, not at the low end,” he says.
“At the end of the day, the seller is going to be losing and, in some cases, it’s a property that has been in the family for 100 years or more.”
Allen-Baines says people he has spoken to say the company they are dealing with has been “quite mercenary and not playing the game at all”.
He says it is usually a collaborative process.
“I’m not sure what happened to the consultancy company used for the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway property purchases, but it seems to me that those guys had way better outcomes,” he says.
The Property Group was approached for comment but did not respond and referred our queries to NZTA.
An NZTA spokesperson says the Public Works Act (PWA) process for acquiring land for public works can be an unsettling and stressful time for affected landowners.
“It is always our preference to reach agreement with affected landowners whose property we require for our projects.
“Both the Crown and landowners obtain valuation advice. Where there is a difference of opinion, it is a matter for the respective valuers to come to a joint recommendation. If they are unable to do so, the PWA provides a mechanism to resolve valuation differences.
“There are different considerations to be taken into account in each situation, and we work through these with each property owner on a case-by-case basis.
“The firm we used to negotiate property purchases for Pūhoi to Warkworth (The Property Group) is one of the three engaged to negotiate property purchases for Warkworth to Te Hana.”
Exploratory drilling work started for the motorway earlier this month. The four-lane road will include an 850-metre-long twin tunnel in the Dome Valley, a viaduct and three interchanges located at Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana.
Construction of the Warkworth to Te Hana motorway is expected to commence by the end of 2026, the NZTA says.
Mahurangi Matters would welcome hearing from any property owners along the route about the property purchase process. Email Tristan Ogden at editor@localmatters.co.nz or phone 425 9068.
