Environment Minister Nick Smith
by Miriam Bell
Environment Minister Nick Smith
It was announced today that Fletcher Residential has finally reached an agreement with community groups opposed to its planned $1.2 billion development in the old Three Kings quarry.
The battle over Fletcher Residential’s plans to convert the disused 22-hectare quarry into 1500 apartments and townhouses, along with retail space and sports fields, has taken nearly 10 years.
Consultation on the project started in 2008 but, in the time since, the proposal has been through both the Environment Court and the High Court.
This is because community groups, the South Epsom Planning Group and Three Kings United, were seeking to overturn approval for the project.
But Fletcher Residential, which was supported by the Government and Auckland Council in court, and the community groups have now reached an agreement on the development.
According to sources, the agreement was reached after Fletcher Residential made changes to its plans.
One major change is that there will be to four metres of additional fill in the former quarry, while other changes include improved connectivity to the town centre and better connection to a new town square.
All appeals relating to the development will now be withdrawn and development is set to get started later this year.
The first properties are due to be completed in 2019.
Environment Minister Nick Smith said the agreement is great news for Auckland as it will provide up to 1500 homes close to the city on well-established transport links.
“It will transform the eyesore of a derelict quarry into a modern, integrated, inner-city community with a town centre, high-quality public spaces and playing fields.
“And it will provide hundreds of jobs and help maintain the momentum of Auckland’s largest-ever building boom.”
A central part of the solution to Auckland’s housing problem is large scale inner city redevelopment projects like this project, the minister said.
“These projects offer the advantage over greenfields developments on the city outskirts of putting less pressure on infrastructure.
“It is also possible to achieve better urban design than with many smaller one-off intensification projects adding multiple homes on to a single section.”
However, Smith added that the types of delays which beset the Three Kings project are at the core of Auckland’s housing woes.
They mean that the building sector is not able to respond more quickly to changes in population, he said.
“The Government is developing new urban development legislation to streamline these processes for projects of this type in the future.”
Read more:
Intensification debate heats up
Urban development authorities on the way
New urban development policy ready to go
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