Civil works are nearing completion on an inspirational new community housing project at Puhinui Park, off Barrowcliffe Place and Wiri Station Road in Manukau.
On a previously empty site, the project involves the establishment of a connected neighbourhood, creating a high quality, medium density residential community of some 300 affordable houses and apartments in the heart of Auckland’s south. The whole development will be known as Kotuitui Place, and is a major step forward in the overall Transform Manukau plan for the wider community in Manukau.
Now one year into development, the project is being developed over five years by the Puhinui Park Limited Partnership (PPLP), whose partners also delivered the hugely successful Waimahia Inlet development. The whole development has been planned in collaboration with Panuku as the previous land owner and with mana whenua Te Akitai Waihoua, who will build and manage 30% of the site (after the initial civil and earthworks stage by PPLP) through the Kotuitui Limited Partnership.
White Associates is providing bank funding representation to this experienced PPLP development team through the Bank of New Zealand, which comprises charitable entities Housing Foundation, CORT Community Housing, and Te Tumu Kainga (the Maori Trustee).
Darin Bayer says that this development team is a little different to the norm. “This PPLP team has a charitable intent, which means their focus is on delivering quality new homes that are affordable and attainable for working families. They are exclusively committed to supporting first home buyers, so they don’t sell to investors, with an aim that residents will live in a community of families who are committed to staying.
“Puhinui Park will be a real asset to the wider Manukau community, providing a wide range of housing types and tenures for the Housing Foundation programmes and other community housing providers, with a number of homes also available for private sale.”
Many of the dwellings will be three-bedroom terrace houses, but also on offer are some one-and two-bedroom apartments, and four-bedroom terraces. The range of purchase models include rent-to-buy and shared equity to help ensure affordability, with the Crown providing some significant funding also to add to the capital needed to provide this housing assistance.
The project is progressing well says Bayer, with civils works and infrastructure nearing completion to create the lots for housing construction to begin later this year. Overall, the project is due to be completed towards the end of 2022.
“Key factors behind the success of the project so far has been team continuity”, says Bayer. “The Housing Foundation development management team, with on-site construction works led by Frank Rientjes Project Management, are using HEB Construction straight from the Waimahia project to good effect.
“A key factor behind the success of the project so far has been team continuity. The project is progressing so well because the right team of people has been in place consistently over time.”
“Additionally, we applaud the team’s great planning, with realistic budgets and timeframes, and sufficient allowances for market escalation. The biggest challenge so far has been pushing ahead with work on site hand-in-hand with some design and approval processes still ongoing, but able to accelerate the work programme and delivery timelines while ensuring that the funding is all in place when needed.
“I often say that when you get a great team together – with the collective participation of all parties involved – the client, its partners and funders, project manager, design consultants, quantity surveyor and the contractor – you’ll have a great job: if you have them in place, the right people generate the right outcome.”