The Hamilton-Auckland Corridor is about creating communities current and future residents want to live in. It's about our wellbeing.
Communities that have affordable housing, schools and health services; natural green spaces that enable native plants and animals to flourish; reliable wastewater, freshwater and stormwater services; parks and recreation areas that create vibrancy for residents; planned roading networks that enable easy connections for residents and visitors and support businesses to thrive.
There’s nowhere else in New Zealand quite like this corridor. The location of a number of communities along two parallel road and rail networks makes it unique.
Innovative, joined-up thinking
That’s why managing development between New Zealand’s two fastest growing metropolitan areas – Auckland and Hamilton – requires innovative and joined-up thinking. Innovative and joined-up thinking, new ways of working together and new planning, funding and financing mechanisms will support fast and effective delivery on agreed outcomes.
This initiative builds on existing planning processes in Auckland and the Waikato, but recognises that to date local government hasn’t had all the tools needed to truly transform the corridor.
The corridor plan recognises that people’s preferred transport, social, cultural and economic connections are not defined by territorial authority boundaries.
It provides a framework for development to help manage growth in a way that provides access to the services people need, while protecting and enhancing the corridor’s natural and cultural assets.
Who’s involved?
The plan has a lot of support. Cabinet signed off the initiative in May 2018, then 12 months later it endorsed the new project partnership of central and local government organisations, and iwi.
The project partners include central government, Waikato-Tainui, tangata whenua, Hamilton City Council, Waikato District Council, Waikato Regional Council, Auckland Council and Waipa District Council.
The plan
The plan for the corridor was completed in December 2018 and updated in November 2020. The plan sets the vision, growth management objectives and programme for the corridor.
The plan’s vision is to support sustainable growth and increase connectivity between Hamilton and Auckland by:
- improving housing affordability and choices
- enhancing the quality of the natural and built environments and the vitality of Auckland and Hamilton and the communities within the corridor
- improving access to employment, public services and amenities
- creating employment opportunities in the corridor
- piloting new finance and funding tools to pay for infrastructure
- trialing new urban planning tools to coordinate growth development.
It aims to plan in an integrated way based on communities of interest rather than existing council boundaries.
The programme
The key projects developed through this partnership will be a ‘step-change’. While some projects are already underway, managing growth along the corridor will be a 100-year journey.
1. Waters
- Waikato Sub-Regional Three Waters Study
- Hamilton-Waikato Metro Wastewater Project
- Cross-regional blue-green open space and recreational network
2. Stronger corridor connections
- Rapid intercity rail service business case
- Start-up passenger rail service
3. Papakura-Pokeno sub-region
- Priority development area: Drury
- Improved public transport between southern Auckland and northern Waikato
4. River communities
- Tangata whenua and marae aspirations
- Improved public transport: peak and more frequent off-peak bus services between towns
- Priority development area: Huntly
5. Hamilton-Waikato sub-region
- Hamilton-Waikato Metropolitan Spatial Plan
- Rapid and frequent public transport network
- Metropolitan economic corridor
- Priority development areas: northern, central and southern corridors
6. New tools and options to unlock full potential
- New funding, financing and delivery options
- Environmental credit markets and biodiversity offsetting