Waterfront opportunity in North
A large parcel of waterfront land in Whangarei, rarely seen on the open market, is sure to pique the interest of a wide range of buyers who will recognise the development potential on offer in this location in a city starved of prime industrial land.
Three freehold titles totalling 29,476sq m on Port Rd are available for purchase and can be acquired separately or combined, while Lot 2 has the potential to be split in two, offering further options for prospective purchasers.
The site is located at Port Nikau, the former Port Whangarei, and the land, which has a flat contour, offers a wide street frontage and favourable proximity to Whangarei’s CBD and SH1.
These strategic landholdings, zoned Business 4 under the Operative Whangarei District Council Plan and Light Industrial Zone under the District Plan Change Appeals Version, will ultimately serve as gateway sites into the 100ha Port Nikau mixed-use development. That will include residential and commercial premises in the future.
Colliers brokers Nigel Ingham and Daniel Sloper have been exclusively appointed to market the sites for sale by expression of interest. Offers are to be presented by 4pm on Thursday 24 February, unless sold prior.
Lot 1 measures 9999sq m, Lot 2 is 13,292sq m, and Lot 3 spans 6185sq m, ensuring there’s a range of sizes on offer.
Ingham, director at Colliers Whangarei, says these sites shape up as some of the most sought-after plots that will hit the market in the Northland region this year.
“Buyers of all kinds are struggling to find industrial landholdings of this scale in Whangarei so these sites will be of particular interest for those who want to think big and develop something special in a part of the city that will see considerable change in the coming years,” Ingham says.
“In 2020 Whangarei District Council approved a special chapter of their new District Plan for Port Nikau and the result is an extraordinarily beneficial planning framework that could eventually provide over 1200 homes.
“The perfect combination of work and play, Port Nikau will become Whangarei’s inspired urban waterfront community, designed for the future and offering a new way of living, with highquality waterfront residential accommodation, and commercial opportunities.
“Major brands Isuzu and Mainfreight have also invested in the area, which shows the confidence firms have in Port Nikau.”
A report compiled by Colliers Research highlights that the Northland region is in growth mode. The economy is expanding driven by business and population growth in concert with a lift in activity across multiple business sectors.
Northland’s GDP grew by an estimated
4.9 per cent in the year to September 2021 despite Covid-19 trading restrictions.
There has also been a lift in nonresidential development. Over the year to October 2021 approximately 103,350sq m of new floorspace was consented, well ahead of the 10-year average of 85,000sq m.
Significant central government investment has contributed to extensive infrastructure development in the Whangarei district and the population has increased by 21 per cent during the 10-year period between
2011 and 2021 with the local population now standing at approximately 99,400.
Sloper, broker at Colliers Whangarei, says now is the right time to explore investment opportunities in the area as it continues to experience rapid growth.
“The latest report on the Northland region from Colliers Research tells us that the Whangarei District’s business count has increased for eight consecutive years and the manufacturing, logistics, and accommodation sectors are at the heart of that growth,” Sloper says.
“Through the government’s Provincial Growth Fund, the region has also received investment in a diverse range of industries ranging from agriculture and forestry to tourism and digital connectivity, which highlights the potential that is on offer in Northland for a wide range of commercial enterprises to thrive.”