- An old sand quarry near Hamilton is being transformed into Waikato’s first master-planned community, Te Awa Lakes.
- The development will feature a shopping centre, recreational facilities, and two man-made lakes.
- The project includes 2500 homes, with completion expected by 2035, and aims to promote an active lifestyle.
A defunct sand quarry on the outskirts of Hamilton is tipped to become New Zealand’s very own Dubai.
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Te Awa Lakes, Waikato’s first-ever master-planned community, is now quietly under construction on a 100-hectare site in Horotiu, north of Te Rapa.
The new suburb, which will replace the old Perry sand quarry, will add hundreds of new homes to the area and feature a shopping centre, a hospitality precinct, recreational facilities, and two man-made lakes for kayaking and paddle boarding.
The ambitious project, which has taken almost eight years to get off the ground, is a joint venture between Perry Group and Schick Civil Construction.
The foundations for the first homes in Te Awa Lakes have been laid, with residents set to move in early next year.
An artist’s impression of Te Awa Lakes, which will include small apartments to premium standalone homes overlooking the Waikato River. Photo / Supplied
Lodge agent Megan Smith has been tasked with selling the suburb’s first tranche of off-the-plan homes. The 23 terraced houses built by GJ Gardener will have lake views, although the lake won’t be ready until at least six months after the houses are finished.
Smith said those who bought early would be getting a good deal. “We are advising people that the cheapest time to buy into a development is now. Don’t wait until we’ve got houses out of the ground.”
Prices range from $779,000 for two-bedroom houses to $1.65 million for five-bedroom houses, which include a self-contained studio with separate access over the garage.
Smith said the prices would likely increase as more of the suburb came online and people saw what was on offer.
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In August, Auckland-based MTM Development will start on 22 apartments not far from GJ Gardener’s lots.
Smith said the development was already attracting a lot of interest from locals, people around New Zealand and even overseas, ranging in age from 30s to 70s.
Since November, her team has been fielding about 200 enquiries a week. Last week it ramped up to 300. “It seems to really appeal to expat Kiwis living in exotic locations who are looking to retire back into New Zealand and choosing Te Awa Lakes as a priority.
“People have said to me, ‘Oh my God, this is like Dubai coming to New Zealand’. Because it’s a development that’s going to have lakes and celebrate riverside living. We haven’t had that in New Zealand before.”
The high-quality premium buildings and focus on recreation were big drawcards, Smith told OneRoof, adding that it was like Auckland’s Hobsonville Point, but better.
GJ Gardner is building the first houses in the development, which are priced from $789,000 for a two-bedroom, one-bathroom terraced house. Photo / Supplied
Some of the first roads and streetlights have been completed ready for the houses to be built. Photo / Supplied
Lodge salesperson Megan Smith, centre, with Te Awa Lakes managing partners Richard Coventry, left, and Lale Ieremia. Photo / Supplied
The largest lake and the village centre is due to be completed by the end of 2026. Foster Develop is building the village centre, which includes a small supermarket, medical centre, and some boutique shops.
Smith said many people would have driven past the development, which is behind the BP and The Coffee Club in Horotiu, and seen the odd digger.
Te Awa Lakes managing partner Richard Coventry said those who drove up Hutchison Road for a closer look were “blown away” by what they saw.
Truckloads of dirt are being moved every day – two million cubic metres of earth are set be moved for the development – and some 400 pine trees, which screened the quarry from the river, have been felled.
A hospitality precinct overlooking the Waikato River will be one of the many features of Te Awa Lakes. Photo / Supplied
A large dirt bank masking the river will soon be bulldozed and the entire site dropped so it is sitting just 4m above the Awa.
The hospitality precinct and some of Te Awa Lakes’ premium $1m sections will be positioned on that newly created riverbank.
High-end luxury apartments overlooking the river will also be built, similar to those in Hamilton East, which have smashed the city’s previous records by selling in the mid- to high-$2ms.
Coventry said they had a raft of ideas around which hospitality businesses and recreational facilities would move in. Discussions with both local and global operators were well underway.
These offerings along with a cultural feature, destination playground, bus terminal and carparking and storage facilities for residents will be based at the south-end next to the Fonterra Dairy Factory. The commercial development will be completed by 2040.
On the other side of the expressway, and ironically in a different territorial authority to the main development, is a 7ha site earmarked for a 220-dwelling retirement village. The timing of that site, which falls under Waikato District Council and not Hamilton City Council like the rest of the land, would happen once an operator was signed up.
Exactly when the entire development will be completed will depend on demand, but Coventry said the 2500 residential dwellings, including those in the retirement village, would be completed by 2035, with 5500 to 6000 residents living in the new suburb.
“The vision was to create something pretty special for Hamilton,” he told OneRoof.
“We want people to enjoy the environment, the walks and river rides, etc, and the hospitality as well on the river. Making sure we are creating a bit of a destination for the region, as well as a new way of living.”
