Buildings are part of the urban regeneration equation

As Auckland Council’s urban regeneration agency, part of the role of Eke Panuku is to either sell or lease Council-owned property when it is no longer needed by the council for another use.

As part of the regeneration equation, Eke Panuku works with the purchaser of the site its selling to ensure that any future development will contribute to the overall regeneration of the identified neighbourhood.

Eke Panuku does this is by requiring developers to incorporate a range of specific things that are agreed by the developer and Eke Panuku when the site is sold via a Development Agreement.

A good example is the successful conclusion of a development agreement with Lendlease as part of our Transform Onehunga programme which will see benefits for the wider Onehunga town centre as part of a major expansion of the Dress Smart retail outlet centre.

Developers contributing to urban regeneration

A Development Agreement between Eke Panuku and the developer buying a site outlines the essential outcomes for the future development.

The essential outcomes are derived from the high-level masterplan, which has been consulted on widely with the community, key stakeholders, local boards, and other council whanau.

The types of development outcomes that Eke Panuku require of developers may include:

• those that support community growth, such as the provision for housing, retail, or commercial spaces.
• the timeframe within which development must start and be finished.
• building standards which are specified to ensure the building is safe, dry, and built in a sustainable way.
• the provision of public accessways and thoroughfares.
• heritage considerations.
• independent design reviews to ensure the building suits its environment and adjacent public spaces.
• incorporation of any identified Māori outcomes.

Working as development partners

Eke Panuku is proud to work with a range of public and private development partners to create amazing places and add value to neighbourhoods across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Eke Panuku sees working with developers as a partnership, not just a commercial/buyer-seller relationship.

Development outcomes are fully detailed throughout the sales process so that developers who are interested in buying Council-owned land can clearly see the value they will add to priority locations through their investment.

Background – Auckland Council’s property portfolio

Auckland Council has one of the largest and most diverse property portfolios in New Zealand.

Eke Panuku on behalf of Auckland Council purchases land for vital council services such as water and stormwater infrastructure, sites for community centres, pools, parks, and libraries and to build roads, footpaths, cycleways and for urban renewal.

When, for a range of reasons, the council no longer needs the land, and it is in one of our priority locations, it is sold by Eke Panuku on behalf of Auckland Council to developers. The developer then needs to deliver agreed outcomes in alignment with urban renewal objectives. Our development partners can be from the private sector, Government agencies and social housing providers.