Creating 58 Affordable Homes in Rotorua
Rotorua welcomed 58 affordable homes in a new residential development, located on Bennetts Road. A short stroll from Lake Rotorua, families and new residents are now enjoying a new lifestyle opportunity with access to quality affordable housing.
McKenzie & Co worked behind the scenes on this project, forming the civil engineering design, bringing to life the opportunities for Home in Place tenants and KiwiBuild first-home buyers. Delivered by Watchman Capital under a construction management model, the project was completed in three impressive stages over approximately 12 months, from resource consent and EPA approvals through to titles and CCC issuance.
The development was delivered in partnership with Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga and supported by the New Zealand Government Affordable Housing Fund. This means it depended on coordinated planning, infrastructure delivery, and project management to deliver this residential development outcomes.
Home in Place, develops, owns and manages the affordable social housing to essential workers, which detailed further in this article.
A Staged Delivery Strategy Designed for Programme Certainty
From the outset, a robust programme structure and staged delivery strategy were developed to align approvals, infrastructure sequencing, funding milestones, and staged handovers, providing certainty across the entire project.
By integrating planning, engineering, and construction management early, the team was able to maintain programme momentum while managing cashflow, procurement, and contractor coordination within a fast-moving delivery environment.
Jerome Feuillade, Central North Island Principal, said:
“This three-stage delivery approach provided a clear framework for coordinating infrastructure, approvals, and construction, enabling homes to be delivered to market sooner. It has been incredibly rewarding to contribute to a project that will have such a positive impact on the community.”
Civil Engineering Solutions Supporting Rapid Residential Delivery
Comprehensive civil engineering services were provided across all stages of the development to support the accelerated build programme and ensure compliance with council requirements.
This included:
- Civil engineering design for earthworks, stormwater, wastewater, water supply, and roading infrastructure
- Preparation of engineering plans and technical documentation for council approvals
- Fast-tracked consenting support aligned with the project’s 8-week construction programme
- Construction monitoring and producer statement certification
- Coordination with contractors and developers to streamline delivery onsite
- Infrastructure staging and servicing advice to support rapid build milestones
- Ongoing liaison with Rotorua Lakes Council to maintain compliance with district planning and engineering standards
The infrastructure strategy was critical to enabling staged construction and ensuring services were delivered efficiently across the site while maintaining delivery timelines.
Affordable Housing Outcomes for Rotorua to Essential Workers
Within the development, 28 homes owned by Home in Place provide long-term affordable rental housing for working families and essential workers across healthcare, education, and emergency services.
The homes are rented at approximately 80% of market rates and supported through an operating subsidy provided by MHUD, helping improve housing accessibility within the Rotorua community.
The remaining homes were delivered through the KiwiBuild programme to support first-home buyers entering the housing market.
“Supporting essential workers was a smart move, we need to help more of these people in to our community” said Allan Price, Rotorua Lead.
Managing Complexity Through Strong Coordination
Despite the scale and technical complexity of the project, the development was successfully delivered ahead of programme and under budget through strong collaboration between the client, consultants, contractors, and delivery partners.
A key engineering challenge involved the installation of more than 600 timber piles beneath the homes, alongside the coordination demands associated with a live construction management environment operating across multiple stages simultaneously.
Acting as the central link between the client, designers, contractors, funders, and council ensured decisions could be made efficiently and issues resolved proactively throughout delivery.
Delivering Better Residential Development Outcomes
Bennetts Road demonstrates how integrated project management, civil engineering, infrastructure planning, and construction coordination can accelerate residential delivery while maintaining quality, compliance, and affordability outcomes.
As housing demand continues to grow across New Zealand, developments like Bennetts Road highlight the importance of early infrastructure planning, streamlined consenting, and coordinated delivery strategies in achieving successful large-scale residential outcomes at pace.
