The biggest piece of industrial zoned land to have come up for sale in the Coromandel township of Whitianga in nearly half a century is expected to draw interest from property developers looking to take a long-term view of growth in the region.
The substantial 15.9-hectare block of current greenfield land, subject to survey, sits adjacent to Whitianga’s existing urban limit – having a minimal impact on the closest residential dwellings to the inland location some distance away.
The land located at 142 Moewai Road near Whitianga is being marketed for sale by tender through Bayleys Whitianga, with the tender process closing on May 18.
Salesperson Josh Smith said industrial lots in Whitianga were always in high demand due to their scarcity.
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“Demand is there,” said Smith “supply is not.”
“On that basis, development of the Moewai Road block will appeal to owner-occupiers already in the town’s smaller industrial properties closer to town, as well as attracting investors from outside of the area interested in taking a long-term view of the site, similar to how the town’s Whitianga Waterways residential precinct had evolved over several decades,” he said.
“Scaled residential expansion of Whitianga is already underway in other parts of the urban boundary where former farmland has been rezoned for new residential enclave – such as land along State Highway 25s. This land at 142 Moewai Road dovetails along with that growth to deliver the necessary service infrastructure required to sustain a prosperous economy.
“Growth of this industrial nature is now commonplace among many small towns in the surrounding provinces – such as Thames/Kopu, Morrinsville, Matamata, Tauriko on the outskirts of Tauranga, and Te Rapa just north of Hamilton.
“With the creation of big-box retail hubs and ‘tradie’ concentrations, greenfield land such as this is the preferred development option as it proved the space and scale required to build property-use destinations efficiently, cost-effectively, and cohesively.
“The sheer size of 142 Moewai Road, subject to survey, would allow for a master planned development to be undertaken.
“This could encompass the likes of an automotive services hub or units for builders and construction trades-based companies seeking premises sized around
350-square metres, and with the capacity doe other larger sites to be occupied by civil works and infrastructure companies reliant on large fleets of heavy vehicles and machinery needing a large volume of yard storage. Or as a marine services hub which could feature a dry dock yard and workspace to service the multitude of boats and leisure marine craft based out of Whitianga.”
Thames Coromandel District Council’s 2021-2031 Long Term Plan recognises that some towns within its jurisdiction, including Whitianga, are “currently experiencing growth pressures.”
“In terms of population growth to 2029, Mercury Bay ward (which includes Whitianga) is projected to experience the greatest growth in population,” the council report notes.
“The council recognises that growth and development are ongoing in the district and will continue over the period of the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan. The council is keen to encourage new growth and development by addressing any infrastructure and zoning barriers that currently exist.”
Smith said the Moewai Road location amply met these development criteria. He said he already had seven property developer clients - several of which had relationships with nationally branded potential tenants - looking for industrial section sizes of between 1,500sqm - 10,000sqm around Whitianga’s periphery on which to construct substantial purpose-built premises.
“Being well inland from Whitianga’s ‘jewel in the crown’ beach, and the town’s central business district, scaled development of the Moewai Road precinct would have minimal impact to the town’s existing aesthetics, and in fact could even enhance land use in town by giving industrial operators a newer and more appropriate destination in which to relocate to,” he said.
Smith said that as a result of the recent Coromandel arterial road closures caused by landslides and slips from the calamitous rain events, such as t the Kopu-Hikuai State Highway 25A route, logistics and freight trucking firms were looking at venues suitable for ‘future proofing’ against product supply shortages should such events occur again in the future.
‘Development of storage and warehousing premises in Whitianga would reduce the reliance of daily delivery services emanating out of Auckland and Hamilton,” he said.
The Thames Coromandel District Council’s 2021-2031 Long Term Plan concurs with this scenario.
“As the effects of climate change become more prevalent over the medium to long term, the council will need to factor these into its planning for infrastructural and community resilience. Severe weather events will likely have implications for residential housing and settlements, commercial and industrial properties, the transportation network and other infrastructure,” the council report noted.
“Infrastructure planning will need to ensure that future assets are of sufficient standard and have adequate capacity to cater for predicted climate change. Any future infrastructure building work or setting up of new assets should be considered against projections of sea level rise.”
Smith said the property at 142 Moewai Road is located more than a kilometre from inland Whitianga’s seafronts at the Whangamaroro River inlet and Buffalo Beach.
- Article supplied by Bayleys
