Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) and Chedworth Properties have welcomed an interim decision by the Board of Inquiry to approve the re-zoning of land at Ruakura from ‘rural’ to ‘employment and residential’ uses.
TGH Chief Executive Mike Pohio says the decision is very pleasing, however the companies will take more time to study the Board of Inquiry’s finding while it awaits the final decision, expected in around mid-September.
“The six week Board of Inquiry process has been very comprehensive. During this time we have made a point of listening very closely to the various concerns and suggestions raised in the hearings. We have altered our plans to accommodate feedback wherever possible,” Mr Pohio said.
“We are excited about the potential of Ruakura both for Waikato-Tainui and the people of Hamilton. Our vision is to build a real community at Ruakura with an exciting mix of high-quality ‘work, live and play’ elements.”
The plans include a logistics hub that will make Hamilton and the Waikato a more prosperous and better place to live, with the potential to generate over 10,000 jobs, and better utilise rail to take up to 65,000 truck journeys off the road each year.
The plans also include a new residential subdivision on the city’s East side by Chedworth Properties.
“This interim decision by the Board of Inquiry gives us more clarity on the planning framework and we look forward to working closely with the local community and Councils over the coming months as we work through the next planning steps,” Mr Pohio said.