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Plans, policies and reports

Tamaki Innovation Precinct 2040 business precinct plan

Gearing up for business growth | The plan | Maps and background reports | Features

Gearing up for business growth

Aerial photograph of Tamaki Innovation Precinct.Introduction

Council is promoting the ongoing development of a science based industry and research precinct in the business area at Tamaki.

To be known as the Tamaki Innovation Precinct, the precinct would attract knowledge and science based industries over a 20 to 30 year period. The project will be realised through our precinct planning process and collaboration with partners and business stakeholders.

Successful future planning has already been completed in the Rosebank business precinct.

We have an outstanding opportunity to create an innovation precinct here in conjunction with a proposed major new research and technology development and existing world-class university research facilities in the area.

This project will attract research organisations and businesses that will benefit from proximity to the research-focused campus and each other.

Fostering development of a wider innovation precinct around this hub makes sense, but will require planning.

Benefits

Picture of a School of Population Health sign.Well-planned development of a precinct like this can help existing local businesses and ultimately deliver more trade to these companies, meaning more growth over time.

It can also make the environment for those businesses more pleasant and exciting.

The business neighbourhood in Tamaki has a wealth of potential. It is:

  • close to motorways, railway, main roads, large pools of skilled labour, and shopping
  • next to the University of Auckland's Tamaki research campus
  • already occupied by support and service industries
  • low density, with potential for higher density
  • known for local amenities, for example Mt Wellington, an iconic landmark
  • close to the Stonefields residential development, town centre improvements at Glen Innes and Panmure, the rail station upgrade at Glen Innes, a reopened Tamaki rail station and will benefit from planned transport improvements, such as the Auckland-Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI).

Our role

We play a key role in promoting and managing growth in the city. While not directly involved in funding or investing in business, our role is to ensure its planning paves the way for business expansion. Our strategies are focused on fostering higher productivity in Auckland and higher value output from industries.

To help achieve the project vision, we will work with business and other stakeholders to develop business precinct plans in key business locations around the city.

Council's role is to:

  • set the regulatory environment
  • apply appropriate zoning controls
  • provide infrastructure, including some transport and utilities
  • provide quality street environments and public open space
  • develop partnerships
  • involve local business and other stakeholders
  • use its land holdings for strategic purposes  
  • undertake catalytic or transformational projects where there is potential within the precinct.

Some ideas for us to take action in support of the proposed Tamaki Innovation Precinct are to:

  • facilitate a zoning change in some areas of the precinct through the Future Planning Framework and a subsequent review of the District Plan
  • work with the University of Auckland and others to attract businesses, researchers and new investment
  • coordinate effective broadband provision
  • provide support for business networks
  • facilitate easier availability of business advice
  • improve access to the area through AMETI, advocate for the reopening of the Tamaki rail station and carry out cycling and walking improvements
  • create better links to the Glen Innes town centre
  • develop a new quality open space at Purchas Hill.

Overseas examples

Internationally, science parks and research and development precincts are an intrinsic part of central and local government strategy for city business development. We will look at what would work best locally and learn from successful precincts overseas which include:

Typically, these precincts are successful when located close to a university and other infrastructure as is found in Tamaki. They take time to develop, but grow to sustain large employee numbers and student populations, and generate high value goods and services.

They are incubators for business innovation and improve productivity for the cities and countries that host them.

Updated May 2010