38 | Horowhenua District Council: Tara-Ika Subdivision REGIONAL HIGGINS AGGREGATES LEVIN Competitive Prices • We Deliver 06 366 0006 48 Tararua Road • River Run • Pit Metal • Boulders • Ballast • Builder’s mix • Pea Metal • Washed Stone • Sand • Plant Mix • Gap 20 • Gap 40 • Gap 65 Unlocking the next phase of growth Tara-Ika has grown into one of the most significant long-term development projects in the district. “What matters is not just that we are building more homes, but that we are building a community.” Major infrastructure is already in place, and Tara-Ika continues to move forward as one of the district’s most significant long-term growth projects. Set across 420 hectares on the south-eastern side of Levin, Tara-Ika will eventually provide at least 3,500 new homes, along with land for a future school and a neighbourhood-scale commercial area. The project is helping meet future housing demand while laying the groundwork for the infrastructure, connections and amenities needed to support long-term growth in Horowhenua. For Horowhenua, Tara-Ika is about more than numbers on a plan. It is about shaping a place where families can settle, neighbourhoods can grow and the wider district can benefit from better infrastructure, improved connectivity and more housing choice. “What matters is not just that we are building more homes, but that we are building a community,” says Mayor Bernie Wanden. “Tara-Ika gives us the opportunity to plan ahead, make room for growth and create a place where people can feel connected, supported and proud to live.” First identified as a growth area in 2008, Tara-Ika has grown into one of the most significant long-term development projects in the district. With Horowhenua needing an estimated 440 new homes each year over the next decade, the development is expected to make an important contribution to future housing supply. At the same time, Tara-Ika is not only about the homes it will help deliver. Its purpose is to help make sure growth in Horowhenua happens in a planned and practical way, with the infrastructure, transport links and future amenities needed to support both new and existing communities. Mixed-density housing, public open space, future commercial activity and a school site all form part of the wider vision for a connected and liveable community. “As Horowhenua grows, we want to make sure that growth works for people,” Mayor Bernie says. “That means investing in the right infrastructure, thinking carefully about how communities connect, and making sure development strengthens the district for the long term.” Council has played a key role in helping unlock the development by leading the District Plan change and delivering enabling infrastructure to the boundary of Tara-Ika. Developers are responsible for the roads and pipes within their own subdivisions, while Council’s work has focused on the strategic infrastructure needed to support the wider area and the broader district. The project is supported by a funding package of $31.8 million, made up of Government grant funding, an interest-free Government loan and Council funding. Council has said the developers’ share of Council costs, including loan payback, will be recovered through development contributions, helping ensure growth-related infrastructure is funded by growth. That investment has already delivered real progress on the ground. So far, Council has upgraded and constructed 2.4 kilometres of wastewater main along Queen Street East, completed 3.8 kilometres of new and upgraded wastewater main along Tararua Road and Cambridge Street South, and supported the construction of a wetland and pond to manage stormwater. Together, these works have helped lay the foundations for development to move ahead. Recent progress has included civil works on Queen Street, including utilities infrastructure and a new access road into the site. The next stage is expected to see Stage 1A and 1B move through certification, enabling titles to be issued and construction to begin on the first 60 residential lots. The benefits of Tara-Ika extend beyond the development itself, with investment in infrastructure, road safety, housing supply and future connectivity all helping support the wider growth of Horowhenua and the region. Council says infrastructure enabled through the project also benefits the wider community through upgraded pipes, future-proofed networks and improved road safety, including the SH57 and Tararua Road roundabout. In time, Tara-Ika is expected to support homes for between 8,000 and 10,000 people, while also creating jobs through construction and the wider supply chain. Its location alongside the Ōtaki to North of Levin expressway adds another important dimension. Council is working with NZTA to help ensure the area is future-proofed and well connected, including planning around east-west links and connectivity between Tara-Ika and Levin. As those connections strengthen over time, Tara-Ika is expected to help reinforce Horowhenua as an increasingly attractive place to live, work and invest. While Tara-Ika sits within a wider growth and planning picture for Horowhenua, the project remains an important long-term investment in housing supply and enabling infrastructure for the district. “This is about planning for the future in a way that keeps people at the heart of it,” Mayor Bernie says. “Tara-Ika is an important part of that bigger picture, helping create homes, support jobs and shape the next chapter for Horowhenua.”
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