Hobsonville

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Hobsonville is a former New Zealand Air Force airfield which is currently (2007) being developed as a new suburb of Waitakere City, New Zealand. The Hobsonville area (or Hobsonville Corridor) lies between the North Western Motorway and New Zealand State Highway 16 in the west and the Hobsonville Peninsula and Upper Harbour Bridge in the east.^[1]

[edit] History

Originally Hobsonville was mainly an agricultural and horticultural area. During the early history of Auckland, large clay- and brickworks operated in the area such as in Limeburners Bay and at the Clarks Brickworks. Much of the land however was not built upon during this time. In 1920, the New Zealand Airforce built Hobsonville Airbase, covering a large part of what is nowadays defined as the Hobsonville Corridor.^[1] The airfield later joined with an airfield at Whenuapai to become the RNZAF Base Auckland.

See also: RNZAF Base Auckland

Near the end of the 20th century, residential areas sprung up at the fringes of the area, and rural farms became lifestyle blocks. When the airforce closed the base in 2002, parts of the airbase were been offered back to former landowners or other government departments. Since then, Waitakere City, in cooperation with various stakeholders, is planning the future of the area, and proceeding through the requisite steps (such as District Plan changes) to rezone the land. This process, which involves making a total of 400 hectares of land available for development, is expected to finish in 2007.^[1] On the 167 hectares of Crown land, about 3,000 homes are to be built (in addition to facilities such as parks and schoools). Of the homes, 85% will be privately owned, while around 15% are to be state housing social rentals financed by Housing New Zealand, dispersed throughout Hobsonville.^[2]

20 hectares on Hobsonville Peninsula are to become a 'Marine Industry Cluster' for shipbuilding. A super yacht builder is already occupying part of the headland, and it is hoped that this will become the nucleus of a local industry to provide up to 3,000 jobs.^[1] However, an article in the New Zealand Herald notes that only 1,000 are expected to materialise, though it also notes that in the meantime, three more boat building companies have already taken up residence in former aircraft hangars and old Ministry of Defence buildings. The Marine Industry Association is pushing for the 'Marine Industry Cluster' zone change to safeguard these industries and allow further expansion.^[3]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hobsonville (from the Waitakere City Council website)
^ Frequently Asked Questions (from the Hobsonville Land Company Limited website)
^ Boat builders eye 1000 jobs - New Zealand Herald, Friday 16 March 2007, Page A13