Multimillion-dollar Oakura development

The first residential development in nearly 20 years in the affluent seaside village of Oakura will see 20,000 trees planted and fish reintroduced to waterways as part of the $20 million project.

The 5.4 hectare site, at the end of Cunningham Lane is named Te Ara Timata which means the beginning of a path or journey. The project is a partnership between EB Development, McDonald Real Estate, Barrett Homes and Ngāti Tāiri hapu.

EB Developments, based in the Bay of Plenty, purchased the land from local farmers and have been working with BTW Company Ltd surveyors to get the site ready.

Mike Bryant, director of EB Developments, said they had been looking to move into Taranaki for years.

‘‘When we came across the land we just thought we’ve got to do this, it’s such a special place. We really want to respect the land and the community and have worked closely with local iwi.’’

Bryant said the development will provide 35 lots for sale and was costing nearly $20 million. There was a big environmental approach to the development and a commitment to tangata whenua to enhance the land and waterways.

He called it ‘‘purposeful development’’.

‘‘Te Ara Timata is a special part of the Taranaki region that needs care and historic understanding when developing the whenua.

‘‘We are not only developing a beautiful part of New Zealand but building whakawhanaungatanga (relationships) between the tangata whenua and our team.’’

It’s been more than a year in the making, but dirt has just started turning.

Because of the earthworks required, building of homes won’t start until early 2024, but the first five lots go on the market this week for tender, McDonald’s Real Estate managing director Daniel McDonald said. ‘‘Demand has been huge and a lot of the interest so far has been local.

The town continues to grow, but there’s not much space, the Green School has brought a lot of people in.’’

The first lots up for sale range from 655m2 from $650,000 to 1635m2 from $1,340,000.

Barrett Homes will also have some house and land packages available.

McDonald said it had been close to 20 years since the last residential development took place in the village, which was on Shearer Drive.

A development on Wairau Rd had previously tried to get across the line by developer Mike McVie. He proposed a 400-property development, which residents fiercely objected to, and ultimately consent was denied.

Keith Preston, project manager at BTW Company Ltd who are surveyors of the site, said it had been a long journey and it was exciting to have contractors on site.

Preston said they had been collaborating with Ngāti Tāiri and Oakura Pa trustees on the design and consent process before even starting drawing plans.

‘‘We’ve been involved for around 15 months right from due diligence of the land and consenting and design. It’s a challenging site and an epic piece of whenua to develop.’’

It had been a huge collaboration with several designers, three water engineers, civil engineers, ecologist, scientists, and planners. ‘‘The whole shebang in order to get the consents and engineering plans through to be able to start developing on the site.’’