Ngāti Toa land leased for Kenepuru Landing bus depot

Thursday, 14 August 2025

The Greater Wellington Regional Council has leased land owned by Ngāti Toa Rangatira near Kenepuru Hospital to build a proposed bus depot.

The lease for the undeveloped 1.6 hectares, which is close to key transport routes, would begin in 2027 after Ngāti Toa completed earth and stormwater works on the site. Decisions about the depot’s final design and build were yet to be made but it would start operations in 2028.

“This lease reflects a forward looking and pragmatic approach to land use — one that balances our development aspirations with the transport needs of our growing community,” said Helmut Modlik, chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira.

Nigel Corry, chief executive of the regional council which runs Metlink, said bus services north of Wellington could grow to meet future demand: “We’re grateful to Ngāti Toa for helping us secure our region’s public transport network for the next generation.”

The lease would enable the regional council to seek employment, training and procurement opportunities for the iwi, according to a statement on Thursday, and it marked the start of a shared approach between Ngāti Toa and the regional council centring on long-term planning, sustainability and partnership.

The regional council recently purchased land in Wellington’s Happy Valley to develop into a new bus depot.

The regional council’s transport committee chairperson, Thomas Nash, said owning the depots would make it easier for new bus operators to enter the market.

“This purchase gives us a base for growth by encouraging bus operators that do not have depots to bid for Metlink contracts,” he said in June.

“It gives us certainty to make long-term investments in charging infrastructure for electric buses, at a location that will help us deliver a more planned, responsive and efficient network.”