Maungawhau Station precinct

2023 - TBC

Maungawhau station
In Progress

The trains to the new City Rail Link Maungawhau station, and surrounding land for future development, will bring more people to live, work and hang out in the Uptown area.

The land around the station is jointly owned by Auckland Council and Central Government. It will be developed to provide a mix of homes, retail, entertainment, and commercial buildings.

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Development plan

In 2020, City Rail Link Limited (CRLL) requested Auckland Council lead the development of the sites surrounding the stations. Auckland Council then endorsed a programme with Eke Panuku to be the lead delivery agency on its behalf.

A Precinct Development Plan for the Maungawhau and Karanga a Hape Precinct, with a set of foundation outcomes, was approved by the City Rail Link Sponsors in July 2023. The City Rail Link Sponsors are the Auckland Council Governing Body, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Transport.

The Development Plan builds on preceding CRL master planning. It prescribes the standard and expected quality of development to be achieved with development partners to deliver on the Vision, Strategic Choices, and Foundation Outcomes for the area. CRLL is to deliver the urban realm as per the masterplan it drafted and had approved by the CRL sponsors.

See here for the Maungawhau and Karanga-a-Hape Precinct Development Plan.

Outcomes for development

Eke Panuku has worked with mana whenua, Local Boards, and stakeholders to develop the outcomes being sought for the future development sites around Maungawhau station.

The proposed ‘Foundation Outcomes’ guiding this urban regeneration programme are:

Environmental vitality and climate action: An exemplar net-zero carbon urban regeneration development that is resilient to climate change and focuses on the prioritisation of sustainable modes of transport and environmental vitality.
Mana whenua partnership: Partner with mana whenua to integrate their mātauranga and reflect their identity in the precinct.
Homes: Provide healthy homes with a mix of typologies and accessible homes to cater for a diverse community.
Affordable Homes: Provide an adequate supply of quality, affordable homes in the precinct to make the most of the location being adjacent to a significant transport connection.
Accessibility: Create an accessible precinct that encourages the use of public transport and provides a safe and connected neighbourhood.
Economic & social well-being (‘Community well-being’): Provide amenities that enhance the existing community and enables people to thrive.
Value realisation: Creating enduring investments for the community and realise value over time.

Development Sites

There are currently ten development sites around the station proposed for urban renewal – ranging from block A to J, as shown on the map below.

CRLL has statutory and compliance work it needs to complete on each development site, with timings and requirements for this work still to be confirmed. Final land transfer arrangements are also required, where the sites will be transferred from CRLL to Auckland Council and then for Eke Panuku to manage.

Following this, it will take time to find suitable development partner(s), undertake development agreement negotiations and for the selected development partner(s) to finalise designs and obtain consents, so construction is likely to start at earliest from 2029, with delivery staged over at least 5 -10 years.

Blocks A, B and C

Eke Panuku has offered the land to Whenua Haumi Roroa o Tāmaki Makaurau Limited Partnership, as there is a first right of refusal obligation under the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Collective Redress Act 2014.

Blocks B, F and E

These sites will be taken to market to find potential development partners.

Block G and H

Site G is owned by Kāinga Ora and is likely to be a mixed-use development, to help create an entrance to the precinct from New North Road. Kāinga Ora is also investigating block H for new state housing.

Blocks I and J

Site I is currently being looked at for infrastructure requirements, any remaining space will be explored for development opportunities. Site J is the current site of the Link Alliance and CRLL offices, and once vacated will be explored for development opportunities.

FAQs

Who is delivering the development around the station?

In 2020, Auckland Council formally gave Eke Panuku the mandate to lead the development and delivery of the development sites adjoining the CRL station. CRLL is to deliver the urban realm as per its masterplan that was approved by the CRL sponsors.

When will you be seeking development partner proposals on the sites around the station?

How will the plans reflect community input?
The Maungawhau Precinct Development Plan builds on preceding CRL master planning. It prescribes the standard and expected quality of development that we will achieve with our development partners to deliver on our Vision, Strategic Choices, and Foundation Outcomes. We’ll continue our conversations and work with local community stakeholders as we progress through the design stages with the eventual development partners for the sites, looking to establish a strong community voice as part of their developments.

How high can developers build?
The current Auckland Unitary Plan enables the Maungawhau precinct to be developed to a height of 18-21m depending on whether a site is within a volcanic viewshaft area.

When will construction start?
Construction for the development sites will occur after completion of CRL’s Maungawhau station. Due to the complexity of CRL construction and the site use at and around Maungawhau station, it is not possible to start work before it is completed. We are working to ensure that the land can be constructed on as close to the underground station being completed as possible.

What will happen to the development sites prior to construction?
Work is underway on a plan for the sites in the interim phase, looking at safety, access, maintenance and activations. We will be seeking community input on these plans in the coming months, leading into the CRL station opening.