40 | REGIONAL Pōkeno Gardens Ground level, 17 Hall St, Pukekohe Todd Black 09 200 2949 info@tdmconstruction.co.nz www.tdmconstruction.co.nz DRAINAGE • EARTHWORKS • UTILITIES PAVEMENTS • GENERAL CIVIL • TRANSPORT DEVELOPING A FUTURE. TOGETHER. CIVIL CONSTRUCTION SPECIALISTS Building Pōkeno’s next chapter Plans are to include demonstration farms, sheep and dog shows, food trucks, souvenir shopping and family-friendly outdoor experiences. T T Nick Walker A transformational development in Pōkeno has begun opening to visitors, promising to uplift both the local town and New Zealand Inc simultaneously. The wider Pōkeno Housing and Tourism Project covers approximately 350 hectares across three precincts. Pōkeno West and Pōkeno South/Havelock are planned to provide around 2,250 residential lots, together with reserves, recreation trails and supporting infrastructure, while the tourism precinct includes Sheep Valley and a wider resort vision. “I see it as broadening Pōkeno’s identity,” says Stelios Simpson, acting general manager of Sheep Valley and executive advisor to the development’s owner. “It builds on the town’s well-known food heritage and develops it into a destination where people stay longer and experience more of the district.” Eleven years after developer Karl Ye began imagining the project, the first stage, Sheep Valley, is now entering a staged opening process, initially for invited and pre-booked groups. Plans are to include demonstration farms, sheep and dog shows, food trucks, souvenir shopping and family-friendly outdoor experiences. Broader public access will be introduced in the coming months. Future stages will introduce luxury accommodation, restaurants, extensive walking tracks, wetlands, event spaces, night markets and eventually a New Zealand-made manufacturing hub, where visitors will be able to watch products being made through glass-walled production facilities. For Simpson, lifting the curtain on New Zealand agriculture and manufacturing represents something much bigger than tourism. “A lot of New Zealand products are valuable because people trust where they come from,” he says. “We want visitors to see that quality first-hand and strengthen that trust.” The intention is to showcase everything from advanced food manufacturing to agricultural technology, highlighting the innovation behind New Zealand’s export industries while giving international visitors a uniquely Kiwi experience. Economic development is another major focus. Simpson says while the population in Pōkeno is growing, many residents still commute to Auckland or Hamilton for work. The project has been designed to create as many as 1,000 new jobs, alongside the new houses being built. Simpson hopes the project will keep visitors in the district longer. Within five years, the goal is to attract 300,000 visitors annually, including around 100,000 overnight stays - increasing overnight tourism in North Waikato by up to 86%. Alongside its commercial ambitions, the development places strong emphasis on community and local identity. Walking trails, reserves and recreational spaces are being expanded, and both Māori and Pākehā history are intended to form part of the visitor experience, developed through ongoing engagement with mana whenua and the local community. “There are already so many great businesses in Pōkeno,” Simpson says. “Our goal is to bring people here, encourage them to stay longer and help the whole town benefit.” With the wider development targeted for completion by 2031, Simpson believes the project has the potential to transform not only Pōkeno itself, but also how New Zealand tells the story of its products, innovation and rural heritage to the world.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=