Greenfield growth | Hamilton City Council

Hamilton currently has four greenfield growth areas where development is actively happening and where there is room for new housing that will one day be home to thousands of Hamiltonians.

Hamilton's projected growth

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What is greenfield growth and how is it unlocked

Hamilton has been a growing city for decades and it’s forecasted to keep growing. We’ve already done a lot of work to plan where, when and how Hamilton Kirikiriroa will grow over the next 50 years. These designated areas, known as greenfield areas, are where active growth is occurring, providing space for new housing and developments.

Greenfield areas require significant investment to unlock but also offer an opportunity to deliver great communities from the start. Our aim is to have a balance of Hamilton’s housing growth in our greenfield areas and the remainder in our existing suburbs.

Opening a greenfield growth area involves several key steps, including securing third-party agreements for land access, ensuring infrastructure readiness, and collaborating with stakeholders. We work closely with neighbours and agencies like the Ministry of Education and New Zealand Transport Authority to ensure there is comprehensive planning and support for new communities.

How are we planning for the long-term growth

With so many people wanting to call Hamilton home, we need to make sure we are prepared for this population growth. When developing new areas of the city, we consider things like the environment, climate change, cultural history, transport connections, green spaces, community facilities, housing density and planning for the future community. We work closely with our iwi partners to support to ensure the protection of Maaori cultural concepts, values, and practices.

Hamilton’s Urban Growth Strategy (HUGS) supports the development of quality greenfield neighbourhoods. It helps plan for long-term growth to make sure there’s enough land supply and supports affordability through competitive markets.

Hamilton’s Urban Growth Strategy (HUGS)

A future proof strategy

Our commitment to sustainable growth is reinforced by the Future Proof strategy. Future Proof is a comprehensive plan for growth jointly developed by Waikato District Council, Waipā District Council, Matamata-Piako District Council, Hamilton City Council, Waikato Regional Council, tangata whenua, central government partners and Tamaki Makaurau partners (South Auckland iwi and Auckland Council). The strategy emphasises the importance of working collaboratively with neighbouring regions and agencies to create cohesive and well-supported communities.

Many of the people living in nearby settlements and towns such as Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville and Ngaaruawaahia access the services or work within Hamilton Kirikiriroa. We plan and invest to unlock the potential of the region by collaborating with our key Future Proof partners.

Future Proof is a partnership between local authorities, iwi and central government agencies, set up to consider how the sub-region should develop into the future. The partners work together to consider the important issues that affect us now and over the next 30 years.

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