Green light on expansion

Sections in the first stage of the development at Peacocke, south of Hamilton, could be on the market within the next 18 months.

Hamilton City Council has secured agreement from the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for 500 of a possible 850 houses on 40 hectares of land near Dixon Rd.

NZTA agreement had to be sought for stage one of the Peacocke Structure Plan because of increased traffic at the Dixon Rd-State Highway 3 intersection as a result of the new houses. There would also be extra traffic on Bader and Norrie Sts in Melville which linked the area to the city.

The land is part of 620 hectares between Glenview and Tamahere earmarked for subdivision to create 7500 sections for 20,000 people, as Hamilton is predicted to expand by 85,000 over the next 35 years.

It is to be subdivided into high density sections ranging in size from 400 square metres to 1250sqm and could be for sale as early as 2011.

Mayor Bob Simcock said the plan to develop the land into residential suburbs would create another option for people looking to live south of the city.

He also said it would underpin the current infrastructure and amenities already in the south such as schools and other services.

"The population has been locked in down there for quite a long time," Mr Simcock said.

"We believe that there is a need for greater population in the south. The reason we haven't done anything earlier is there are significant costs involved."

These include the eventual need for another bridge across the Waikato River to Cobham Dr near Hamilton Gardens and more roading to support the extra traffic.

Known as Variation 14 to the District Plan, the development was first kicked into life last year when the council voted 6-4 to push Peacocke ahead of Rotokauri in the north as a preferred area of development for the city.

While stage two of the development at Peacocke was not scheduled to begin until 2023, its overall move ahead of Rotokauri created much debate because it would cost up to $250 million more to develop with the bridge, roading, water and sewerage estimated to cost upwards of $450 million.

That equated to an extra $30 per property per year for ratepayers.

However, Mr Simcock said Hamilton could not afford to continue spreading northeast because of the congestion pressure that was putting on the city's bridges.

"As a city we cannot continue to grow in the unusual shape that we have been growing. That's occurred because that's the cheapest place to go. But we've ended up with a very distorted shaped city."

The extra cost of developing to the south would have to be faced by the council eventually, he said.

Also proposed in stage two is a town centre with public transport links, reserves, sports fields, cycle and walkways, and a footbridge linking the land to Hamilton Gardens.

Council city planner Mark Roberts said submitters at a hearing on the plan in July were opposed to high density housing and a road proposed along the Waikato River.

The council decided to keep housing away from the riverbank and proposed only a slow moving "pedestrian-friendly" road instead to give access to the river.

Other submitters preferred lifestyle blocks to the "full urban" strategy.

Meanwhile, an investigation by the NZTA into a major roading network within the area, called "Southern Links", would begin next year.

Mr Roberts said the next step was for the council and current landowners at Peacocke to come up with and agree on an urban design concept, while appeals would be open until the end of January.

From there landowners or developers would subdivide the land for sale.