Wainuiomata rising out of slump as new investment reshapes the suburb of 17,000

Sunday, 25 July 2021

The Lower Hutt suburb of Wainuiomata is touted as 'one of the great secrets of the Wellington region' by a local real estate company. Video first published in 2018.

A Lower Hutt suburb is dusting itself off after decades of social and economic stagnation as millions of dollars are invested into the community.

An $8.5 million project to revitalise Wainuiomata’s shopping and social hub on Queen St is the latest vote in confidence for the area, which has a population of nearly 17,000 people, following millions more being invested in business and housing.

Teresea Olsen has lived in Wainuiomata for over 50 years, and works closely with the community through her roles on the Wainuiomata Marae board and as general manager of Kokiri Marae.

She is hopeful the projects will encourage more people to stay in Wainuiomata to shop, and provide job opportunities for locals. The shopping area had been in a sorry state for some time.

* Non-existent train station big selling point for development company's Lower Hutt townhouses

The $8.5 million redevelopment of Queen St in Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, will link the community hub with the suburb’s main shopping area.

* Koha kai network putting extra cheer in Christmas food parcels

Long-time Wainuiomata resident Teresea Olsen hopes new investment will encourage more people to stay in Wainuiomata to shop, and provide job opportunities for locals.

“You used to be able to do all your shopping here. [Now] people head over the hill to go shopping,” she said. “It’s all takeaway shops – if you’re not a food shop, or bottleshop, or a dairy, you can’t survive there.”

The redeveloped area will provide a link between the suburb’s community hub, which contains a library and hall, through to the shopping area which includes a new development on the site of a former mall which had been mostly empty since late 2016.

In May this year a Countdown supermarket was opened on the site, with the remaining area earmarked for an outdoor retail park.

Shaded areas and new seating will be a feature of the redevelopment.

The redevelopment will include a decked area outside the community hub, new paving in the pedestrian zone and a kiosk intended for a cafe or other business.

The suburb’s decline began in the 1980s following the loss of nearby industry.

Wainuiomata’s notoriety peaked when a young local named Chloe wore a pair of fluffy tiger slippers on national television in 1994. More than a decade later the suburb’s reputation took another hit when its entire population was banned by a Palmerston North motelier.

In recent times banks and its post office closed, while several violent incidents and a murder put it in the news.

But developers and homeowners have recently started seeing Wainuiomata in a new light.

The suburb’s house prices have been among the fastest growing in the city. Real Estate institute of New Zealand figures show in the three months to February this year, the median price was $704,500, up 32.3 per cent from the same period in 2020.

In that period 82 homes were sold, more than any other suburb in Lower Hutt. The suburb with the second most house sales was Stokes Valley where 46 properties changed hands, and prices increased 28.6 per cent on the previous year.

A $50 million, 80 villa, retirement village announced in 2018 has also been seen as a boon for the suburb.

Hutt City Mayor and Wainuiomata resident Campbell Barry said a refresh of the Queen St area was long overdue.

It was incumbent on the council to support the other projects with its own investment, he said.