350 homes to rise on former Navy land
Nga¯ti Wha¯tua O¯ ra¯kei Properties has begun a new North Shore project as part of its plans to develop about 350 new homes in the area.
Ngarimu Blair, a board member of Nga¯ti Wha¯tua O¯ra¯kei’s commercial arm, Whai Rawa, said work had started on the new Oneoneroa on Rutherford St off Eversleigh Rd at Belmont, or Waioroka.
Two-, three- and four-bedroom homes are planned.
The homes were rising on land once occupied by the Royal New Zealand Navy, which held the titles for about 50 years, the property company said.
Oneoneroa was the original name for the area’s Shoal Bay, Blair said.
“We have lost much of our history but the name of the bay that surrounds our development is Oneoneroa,” he said, explaining how oneone meant “sand” and roa meant “long”.
The name refers to the long sandspits and heaped shell banks in that part of the Waitemata¯.
The history of the area had influenced the development and the hapu¯ would continue to look at ways to enhance the foreshore, Blair said.
The hapu has a well-established native plant nursery at O rakei.
The Shore project has not pleased everyone. Some residents sold homes when they realised the old Navy housing was going and what was planned. They left partly because of the intensification now under way in the Belmont/Bayswater area.
Other residents are worried about increased traffic congestion, particularly on the clogged Lake Rd, said to be one of New Zealand’s busiest arterial routes. Some older residents are aghast at the intensive nature of the hapu¯ housing, have lost views and are worried about so many more people arriving on the confined peninsula.
Ngati Whatua Orakei Properties’ land holdings include four main blocks with a total land area of 20ha. Ground was broken on the first stage of the Rutherford St project late last year.
Master planning for that stage was conducted by Warren and Mahoney. Brewer Davidson Architects, Rough & Milne Landscape and Capri Construction are also working on the project.