Panuku's Targets for Regeneration Approved
By Iain McManus
Strategic development locations across the city have been identified by Auckland’s new urban regeneration agency and ratified by the Auckland Development Committee.
The Auckland Development Committee recently approved the list of urban locations recommended by Panuku Development Auckland (“Panuku”) as those most suited to transformation and regeneration.
Panuku is the outcome of a recent merger between Auckland Council Property Limited and Waterfront Auckland. The Council-controlled organisation considers one of its main responsibilities to be facilitation and masterplan redevelopment of urban locations.
It is this objective they hope to achieve through the identification of 19 strategic locations throughout Auckland (from Whangaparaoa to Pukekohe), each being ascribed one of the following three categories:
- Transform: create change through regeneration. The two new locations identified for this category are Onehunga and Manukau metropolitan centre.
- Unlock: facilitate development opportunities for others. New locations to be “unlocked” are Takapuna central, Northcote town centre and Henderson metropolitan centre. It is not yet clear what role Panuku will play in “unlocking” these opportunities. Potentially, it will play the role of advocate for specific projects of merit, and facilitate a smooth process through the regulatory side of Council.
- Support: enable development of Council-owned land. New locations in this category are Avondale and Otahuhu.
The first “cab off the rank” is the regeneration of Onehunga, the catalyst for which is the proposed purchase of Onehunga Port – described by Panuku as a “4ha site plus waterspace opportunities”. The intention is to build on recent investment in Onehunga, comprising the $30m foreshore project, which opened in November this year, the $1.2m upgrade to Onehunga Mall, which is nearing completion and provides for improved pedestrian amenity and connectivity at the northern end of the Mall, and other transport upgrades.
Panuku considers that the strategic location of Onehunga, the potential to open up the waterfront to better enable public access and the Council’s large landholdings of “surplus sites” within Onehunga town centre make it prime target for master-planned regeneration, in line with community aspirations and in accordance with the Auckland Plan.
The next step is for Panuku Development Auckland to produce high-level project plans for each of the newly selected locations identified above, which will serve as blueprints and milestone markers for future development.
