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Warkworth’s population is set to double within the next decade, under an Auckland Council proposal released last month.
Warkworth is earmarked as a ‘satellite town’ in Council’s draft Unitary Plan, with an anticipated population of 20,000 by 2040.
Council it accepting comment on its draft Future Urban Land Supply Strategy until August 17.
The strategy proposes that 715 hectares in Warkworth could be ready for development over the next 16 years.
The growth will start with about 290 hectares, to the north of the town, which could be ready for development within seven years. This could accommodate up to 2200 new houses by 2026.
Council envisages the land including a business zone with a small town centre near the Hudson Road intersection, providing an additional 1400 jobs.
But the majority of development will occur in the south of Warkworth, between 2027 and 2031. During that time, between 3700 and 4300 houses could be built on 420 hectares. This is expected to generate about 400 jobs.
Auckland plan strategy and research general manager Jacques Victor says the majority of new businesses will probably be based in the area north of Warkworth, closer to the exit of the new motorway.
Council has recognised that significant infrastructure needs to be built before growth can happen.
Provisional figures estimate the area requires $300 million of infrastructure investment.
In particular, water and wastewater infrastructure has be upgraded before land can be live-zoned, which will require a wastewater pipeline to the Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Traffic is also mentioned as a constraint on growth in the north, particularly at the Hill Street intersection. However, the Puhoi to Wellsford motorway is due to be finished by 2022, which is expected to be a catalyst for growth in that area.
“There is currently enough residential land in Warkworth for a further 1800 houses, but once the motorway is completed demand could increase rapidly,” Mr Victor says.
The northern growth area would have been much larger but Council planners recommended land between Matakana Road and Sandspit Road be excluded from the future urban zone. This reduced the housing capacity by about 1400 homes.
Mr Victor says there was concern about sediment run-off into the Mahurangi River and the land was only suitable for low-density housing.
The final Rural Urban Boundary will be determined by the Unitary Plan hearings panel.
The next step will be the development of a structure plan for Warkworth, which will look at infrastructure needs in more detail. There will then need to be a plan change to live-zone the land for development. The process is expected to take about three years.
Consultation on the report closes on August 17. People can also submit on the plan at shapeauckland.co.nz
