- Hon Chris Bishop
The Ashbourne project in Waikato, which will enable the development of 518 new homes and two solar farms, has been consented through Fast-track, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says.
The Ashbourne project is the 19th project approved through the Fast-track process and the seventh housing project.
The Ashbourne project is expected to deliver approximately 518 new homes, a neighbourhood centre, open space that includes shared walking and cycling paths, solar farms and water servicing infrastructure.
Matamata Development Limited lodged its application in February 2025.
"Approval for this project took around six months from the panel's appointment," Mr Bishop says.
"Waikato is one of New Zealand's fastest-growing regions, with population growth above the national average in recent years. This has put ongoing pressure on housing. Over the past decade, Waikato house prices nearly doubled and rents rose around 60 per cent.
"The panel also approved the two solar farms consisting of approximately 50,000 solar panels with potential generation of up to 52,000 megawatt hours annually, described as enough to power about 7,000 homes.
"The Panel declined the retirement village component and a small part of the residential development which were both located on highly productive land. The Panel found the effects of these parts of the development, including on the highly productive land, would outweigh the regional benefits.
"Through the conditions that have been set, the developer must provide the necessary infrastructure to service the development including stormwater and wastewater."
Media contact: Mikaela Bossley Clark +64 21 275 0454
For more information about the project: Ashbourne
Fast-track by the numbers:
• 19 projects approved by expert panels.
• 18 projects with expert panels appointed.
• 149 projects are listed in Schedule 2 of the Fast-track Approvals Act, meaning they can apply for Fast-track approval.
• 46 projects currently progressing through the Fast-track process.
• 44 projects have been referred to Fast-track by the Minister for Infrastructure.
• On average, it has taken 126 working days for decisions on substantive applications from when officials determine an application is complete and in-scope.
Fast-track projects approved by expert panels:
• Ashbourne [Housing/Land]
• Arataki [Housing/Land]
• Ayrburn Screen Hub [Infrastructure]
• Bledisloe North Wharf and Fergusson North Berth Extension [Infrastructure]
• Drury Metropolitan Centre - Consolidated Stages 1 and 2 [Housing/Land]
• Drury Quarry Expansion - Sutton Block [Mining/Quarrying]
• Green Steel [Infrastructure]
• Homestead Bay [Housing/Land]
• Kings Quarry Expansion - Stages 2 and 3 [Mining/Quarrying]
• Maitahi Village [Housing/Land]
• Milldale - Stages 4C and 10 to 13 [Housing/Land]
• Rangitoopuni [Housing/Land]
• Tekapo Power Scheme - Applications for Replacement Resource Consents [Renewable energy]
• Southland Wind Farm Project [Renewable Energy]
• Sunfield [Housing/Land]
• Takitimu North Link - Stage 2 [Infrastructure]
• Waihi North [Mining/Quarrying]
• Waitaha Hydro [Renewable Energy]
• Waitākere District Court - New Courthouse Project [Infrastructure]
Expert panels have been appointed for:
• Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project
• Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project
• Central and Southern Block Mining Project
• Delmore
• Downtown Carpark Site Development
• Haldon Solar Farm
• Hananui Aquaculture Project
• Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme
• Lake Pūkaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience Works
• Mahinerangi Wind Farm
• North West Rapid Transit
• Pound Road Industrial Development
• Ryans Road Industrial Development
• State Highway 1 North Canterbury - Woodend Bypass Project (Belfast to Pegasus)
• Stella Passage Development
• The Point Mission Bay
• The Point Solar Farm
• Wellington International Airport Southern Seawall Renewal
