New Direction For Te Puawai Housing Development

Directors of Invercargill’s new major housing development Te Puawai have been frustrated by the hold up, but are still committed to the project.

Although the earthworks consent has already been granted and work completed for that, the design has still not been finalised, and therefore no resource or building consents have been lodged.

Bonisch Consultants was initially contracted to design the subdivision for Te Puawai Developments Ltd, but director John Elliott said this week the project wasn’t moving fast enough for various reasons.

A new designer would be announced in a few weeks, but John acknowledged the work of managing director Boyd Wilson on the project, and also given that it was his original idea for the subdivision.

The main shareholder of Te Puawai Developments is the Rosemarie Foundation – a non-profit charitable trust, formerly known as The Christian Charitable Poverty Relief Trust.

Philipp Haas is also listed as a company director.

The 70ha site on the corner of Tramway and Rockdale Road would have room for 600 new homes, and first time buyers would be given preferential consideration on sections.

This would go a long way to alleviating some of the housing pressures in the city.

The Invercargill City Council adopted a proposed private plan change in 2022, to rezone the 70.78ha site of rural land into a residential development.

John said although they would’ve liked work to have already started this summer and the first sections on the market, it was important to get the design finalised.

“Probably what we are looking at, there will be some internal changes in terms of the design layout, but we are confined to what the zone change allows.   Although there is a bit of flexibility around that.

It was hoped the first sections could be on the market by next summer.

“The whole thing with it is, if you are going to put something on the market you have to deliver and we want to ensure our integrity remains intact.”