Sleepyhead development might run 'out of options' if rezoning not granted
Sunday, 13 September 2020
Sleepyhead director Craig Turner says the company might run “out of options” to relocate if a crucial council hearing is not granted in its favour.
From Monday, the company will present evidence at a Waikato District Council hearing for its billion dollar industrial community in Ōhinewai.
The company wants to re-zone 176 hectares of farmland to residential, business and industrial land.
It comes after Waikato Regional Council chair Russ Rimmington said he opposes the development in Ōhinewai, arguing it shouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere. That in turn has created a furore with some Huntly locals, who say their town needs the jobs.
**READ MORE:
* Massive Sleepyhead development faces roadblocks from Waikato Regional Council
* Rezoning request for Sleepyhead development in north Waikato due in September
* Ohinewai dreams ahead: The Sleepyhead plan that will change a Waikato town
**
And the company has now dropped an outlet mall from the site – with a potential loss of 169 jobs from the project.
Turner said the rezoning hearing was “absolutely critical” for the development.
“If we don’t get the re-zoning we can’t go [to Ōhinewai], it goes back to farmland,” Turner told Stuff.
“If this doesn’t work, we’re probably getting close to out of options, so not sure where we go to from there, but that’s going to be pretty ugly.”
The company has plans to build a massive industrial hub in the settlement near Huntly, with a 100,000 square metre factory and 1100 affordable houses for staff.
Turner said it’s the third time Sleepyhead has tried to relocate from its current site in Ōtāhuhu due to space constraints.
Once to Manukau near Vector Wero Water Park, then again to Tidal Road in Mangere.
Both attempts had pushback – from council and then from the airport.
“Since that lots has changed, our staffing can't afford to live in Auckland so much any more, it's much harder for them. So for us to get staff its probably become one of the single biggest problems we face.”
Turner said original plans to include a large outlet mall of designer shops at the hub has been removed.
Documents from BBO, the company's planning consultants, show 169 jobs have been lost due to the dropped mall.
The same document estimates there could still be 1500 jobs at the development from the factory alone.
The outlet mall faced pushback from parties concerned about traffic flows and the effect on Huntly town centre.
“It’s a blow but it was never one of the core reasons for the project,” Turner said.
“A number of people were concerned it would interfere with Huntly, we disagreed with that, but if that was how the feeling was we weren’t going to jeopardise the whole project for it.”
Amenities such as a service station and cafe are likely to be included somewhere around the housing, Turner said.
The development will face opposition at the upcoming hearing, including from Waikato Regional Council, New Zealand Transport Agency and the Future Proof Committee.
Regional council chair Russ Rimmington recently said the council didn’t support “ad hoc” development along the motorway.
Submission documents show the regional council will submit against the development including on the grounds of wastewater and water infrastructure, traffic, uncertain economic outcomes and flooding.
The independent commissioners considering the development are: Environmental management planner Dr Paul Mitchell, resource management lawyer Paul Cooney, former Waikato District Council Deputy Mayor Dynes Fulton, and iwi appointee to Waikato River Authority Weo Maag.
The rezoning hearing will be held via a Waikato District Council Zoom hearing, with submitters presenting evidence for and against, from Monday, September 14, to Thursday, September 17.