Waipu’s last greenfield block consented for shopping centre
The last remaining commercial development site in Waipu’s town centre is for sale with a resource consent for a retail shopping centre and separate cool store.
Blair Chandler of Bayleys Wha¯ngarei is marketing the flat freehold site on one title at 17 Nova Scotia Drive in the Northland town.
“The difficult preparatory work for a successful commercial development is complete with plans approved for a 5105sq m retail shopping centre across six buildings,” Chandler says.
“Substantial infrastructure works have been carried out by the vendor, including the construction of a new, high-capacity stormwater connection, Geotech survey and all-but finished civil works design.”
Resource consent for a substantial retail shopping centre to include Waipu’s first largeformat supermarket, a hardware store and office accommodation was extended to December 2026.
A separate resource consent issued in November 2021 is for a cool store at the rear of the site.
The site borders the Ranburn Rest Home and Village, the fire station and a residential subdivision with prime frontage to Nova Scotia Drive, the main arterial route linking Waipu and Wha¯ngarei.
The property is offered for sale by tender closing at 2pm on Thursday September 22, unless sold earlier.
Its Commercial 8C and Rural Village Centre Sub Zone provides for a range of commercial activities including mixed-use development.
Chandler says the vendor has decided not to proceed with the project given commitments elsewhere. He notes it is an outstanding opportunity for another developer to maximise the value of the site’s location in the town centre and near a growing residential catchment.
Large tracts of land surrounding the property have been converted to housing in recent years, with a substantial number of high-quality homes in residential subdivisions attracting a growing population to the town.
“Retirees from Auckland are moving north, while families with local employment or in nearby Wha¯ngarei are increasingly looking to the area for its comparable affordability and lifestyle opportunities,” Chandler says.
“This local growth proposition underpins the site’s value with completed planned works set to attract quality operators that recognise advantage in the high growth location. Additional flexible use options for the site subject to acquiring necessary consents include the construction of a retirement village or a commercial subdivision,” he adds.
Chandler says results from the Wha¯ngarei District Council’s Waipu Placemaking Plan illustrate demand for more commercial amenities in the area. Feedback from the community indicated strong demand for shopping facilities and amenities, and the town’s rapid growth supported demand for regional commercial developments.
“Waipu has been identified as a ‘hotspot for growth’ in the Wha¯ngarei District Growth Model 2021-51 and has seen some of the highest population increases over the last five years,” he adds.