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Once a landscape of paddocks and market gardens, Drury is fast transforming into one of Auckland’s largest new metropolitan hubs, a master-planned community expected to one day rival the size of Napier.
The Drury Metropolitan development brings together Kiwi Property, Fulton Hogan and Oyster Capital in an ambitious bid to reimagine a vast greenfield site south of Auckland, with new homes, commercial areas and public amenities to be built in stages over the coming decades.
According to planning documents, the 1,900-hectare area zoned for development will eventually accommodate up to 60,000 residents, with new town centres, transport links, parks and employment precincts forming part of Auckland Council’s long-term Drury–Ōpaheke Structure Plan.
A new southern city
Clive Mackenzie, chief executive officer for NZX-listed Kiwi Property Group, says earth and civil works have already commenced at Drury, where the company is creating “a sustainable city where Kiwis will feel proud to live, work and play for generations to come.”
Kiwi Property, best known for its mixed-use assets at Sylvia Park and LynnMall, has pushed south to Drury with a bold vision for a dynamic mixed-use precinct combining retail, housing and employment.
Preliminary works are expected to take about two years, with construction of the first homes and large-format retail to begin from 2025.
“Around 60,000 people are forecast to move into the Drury-Ōpaheke area over the next 25-30 years and that growth will unlock major economic opportunity for the area and create demand for quality housing, retail, offices and civic spaces,” says Mackenzie.
Read more: Auckland Council confirms six-storey zones for Franklin’s growth centres
“Like our other large strategic landholdings and mixed-use centres, including Sylvia Park and LynnMall, Drury has excellent transport connectivity and will provide significant opportunity for further intensification over time, in line with population expansion and tenant demand.”
According to Bayleys Realty Group, the Drury Metropolitan Centre project will subdivide 53 hectares of land for a commercial retail centre, including 10,000 sqm of commercial, 56,000 sqm of retail, and 2,000 sqm of community facilities – with future residential areas to follow under the Metropolitan Centre and Mixed-Use zones.
Transport at the heart of the plan
Franklin Ward Councillor Andy Baker says the project will completely change the scale and shape of the southern city fringe.
“Currently all the agencies involved in the delivery of infrastructure for the Government and Council report to the committee as part of their regular reporting. As the councillor for the area, I also get updates and invites to visit sites.
“The metro centre that has just received the fast-track approval is going to convert what has been paddocks and a small village to one of the largest and most modern centres in Auckland outside of the CBD so there will be a mix of parking and intense urban residential development, so we can expect to see apartment buildings going up many floors within the walkable catchment of the train stations and bus hubs.
“It is hard to get your head around how transformational this is going to be for Drury.”
Baker says all three new rail stations in the Franklin growth corridor – Drury, Ngākōroa and Paerātā will feature substantial park-and-ride facilities and bus interchanges, each tailored to its surrounding neighbourhood.
“All three new stations will have pretty significantly sized park n rides.
“When on the Local Board we gave on more than one occasion, feedback they needed to be bigger. Each station though will have different features in the long term with Drury being surrounded by high density housing and commercial and being serviced by high frequency buses so probably won’t need the same number of carparks as Ngākōroa and Paerātā which will provide train services for those who don’t live within bus routes. We need to make sure these stations and services are attractive to commuters first and foremost so the parking at the two outer stations is critical.”
Where the stations will be:
- Drury Station – Beside the Kiwi Property development and alongside Great South Road, opposite Roma Coffee Shop. The park-and-ride and bus terminal will sit on the eastern side of the tracks, accessed via a realigned Flanagan Road.
- Ngākōroa Station – Formerly known as Drury West, located a few hundred metres off SH22 opposite the end of Jesmond Road. It lies close to the site where Fisher & Paykel Healthcare will develop its new facility and is expected to be near the location of the proposed new hospital.
- Paerātā Station – Just south of Wesley College, near the new SH22 roundabout that will serve the growing Paerātā Rise community.
Government-backed transport network
The Government has provided funding for three new railway stations between Papakura and Pukekohe. The new stations: at Drury Central, Drury West and Paerātā, form part of a coordinated plan to extend Auckland’s commuter rail network southward.
Combined with the electrification extension from Papakura to Pukekohe, the three new stations are designed to make rail travel more accessible and appealing for those living and working in Franklin.
KiwiRail says it is working with Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi to create a cohesive South Auckland transport network. The agencies are building the infrastructure ahead of population growth to help reduce congestion and emissions while improving mobility.
Each station will include a bus interchange, walking and cycling paths, and between 200 and 350 car parks – up to 350 at Drury and Paerātā, and 200 at Ngākōroa. All are being future-proofed with provision for extra rail tracks and longer platforms for nine-car trains.
The stations were named through the New Zealand Geographic Board following mana whenua gifting and public consultation:
- Drury Railway Station (Drury Central)
- Ngākōroa Railway Station (Drury West)
- Paerātā Railway Station (Paerata)
Planning approvals were granted for Drury and Paerātā stations in early 2022, with both now under construction and expected to be operational by mid-2026.
A legal challenge delayed the Ngākōroa Station project, now scheduled to open in 2027.
Building for growth
Baker says increasing residential numbers and new employment opportunities will drive the transport investment needed to support Franklin’s expanding communities.
“Increasing residential numbers along with employment through the urban development creates the scale we need to make things like public transport and investment in our overall transport network.
“This includes roads and multi-use paths for pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders and other mobility scooter type devices. We will also see limited-stop peak time train services to and from the city reducing the travel times for people which should be more attractive than sitting on the motorway.
“It should also make Drury, Pukekohe and other parts of Franklin more attractive to visitors which will be good for our businesses and region. As a daily train user now, I am really looking forward to having a train station less than 2.5 km from the end of my drive and the possibility I can leave my car in my garage every day, safe and sound and not needing fuel or power or as regular maintenance.”
What happens next
Construction across the Drury precinct will continue in stages, aligned with the rollout of transport and utility infrastructure by Auckland Transport, Waka Kotahi and KiwiRail. Detailed design work is progressing for the three new stations, while Auckland Council’s planning teams and private developers finalise subdivision, stormwater and open-space layouts.
