Planning for housing growth in Hastings and Napier

Published: 5 November 2024

Over the next 30 years, more than 16,000 new homes are forecast to be needed in Napier and Hastings urban areas as the population expands, with a plan to accommodate that growth almost ready for public input.

To ensure residential, commercial and industrial growth is sustainable and has as little impact on the district’s precious growing lands as possible, a Future Development Strategy (FDS) is being prepared.

A joint committee representing Hastings District Council, Napier City Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Maungaharuru Tangitū Trust, Mana Ahuriri Trust, and Tamatea Pōkai Whenua has prepared a draft, with the three councils having final sign-off on the plan.

The draft is now almost ready for public consultation – with the three councils expected to consider it for release for public consultation over four weeks, starting in November.

The plan is required by Government, via its National Policy Statement on Urban Development, and will replace the long-standing Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy (HPUDS), prepared by the three councils in 2010 and updated in 2017.

Over the past year, the draft plan has been through an early community engagement process and a ‘call for opportunities’ to identify potential growth areas.

Those sites as well as those previously identified in HPUDS have been investigated by the project team, under the oversight of the FDS joint committee, taking into account information provided by infrastructure providers (including roads, rail, power and telecommunications), hazard information, soil quality, Government direction (fast-track legislation), and mana whenua aspirations.

Hastings mayor and Future Development Joint Committee chair Sandra Hazlehurst said the value of a Future Development Strategy was to support long term planning for future growth across Hastings and Napier.

“We have a growing region with our population projected to rise from around 160,000 to nearly 200,000 across Hastings and Napier, by 2053.

“To manage this growth, we need to balance housing and industrial land demand with timely investment in infrastructure. But importantly through this process, we need to protect our valuable fertile growing soils which contribute close to $1 billion to our region’s economy.”

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said preparing the draft plan through a joint committee with mana whenua partners and input from residents, primary industry and development specialists, had ensured a comprehensive and responsible response to growth forecasts.

“We need to plan for growth and our housing, business and community needs, while acknowledging mana whenua and their aspirations for development, respecting our precious land and water resources that sustain us, and navigating challenges, especially the risks associated with natural hazards and climate change.”

The main differences between HPUDS and the draft FDS are the inclusion of Ahuriri Station adjacent to Hawke’s Bay Airport (residential, commercial, industrial, ecological parks, and culture preservation), Portsmouth Rd, in Flaxmere (residential), and extensions to the Riverbend Rd development area (residential).

The Irongate industrial development area has more than doubled.

Removed from HPUDS has been residential growth in satellite and coastal settlements, including Te Awanga, Waimārama and Maraekākaho, as well as growth areas on Wall Rd, Riverslea Rd, Bay View and Tōmoana.

Public consultation will be via the two councils’ websites, with timeframes provided once the councils have considered the draft plan. Find more information here.

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