Orient Innovation Park, Te Rapa: Don Ha and REMAX Revolution Bet on Hamilton's Golden Triangle Growth

Hamilton has long been known as the city between destinations, the place Aucklanders pass through on the way to the Mount. Property developer Don Ha believes that reputation is about to expire. Speaking at the launch of Orient Innovation Park in Te Rapa, Hamilton, the Director of Don Ha Projects International told local business owners the city is entering the kind of growth phase he has watched transform the Gold Coast and Queenstown.

A triangle, not a stopover

Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga together are home to half of New Zealand's population and have absorbed two thirds of the country's recent growth. Hamilton sits at the pivot point, linked north by the Waikato Expressway and east to Tauranga by some of the busiest freight routes in the country.

"People still talk about Hamilton as if it's a stopover," says Don. "Look at a map of where New Zealanders are actually living, working and moving goods, and Hamilton is right in the middle of it. I've seen this on the Gold Coast. The city that sits between two growth engines doesn't stay small for long."

Planning for half a million

Hamilton City Council projects the city will grow from around 180,000 people to 310,000 within 50 years. The wider Hamilton-Waikato Metropolitan Spatial Plan goes further, planning for 500,000 people across a metro area stretching from Taupiri to Cambridge and Te Awamutu, with the Te Rapa corridor identified as a priority area for economic growth.

The squeeze on space

Industrial land has not kept pace. CBRE research shows supply in Te Rapa, Pukete and Burbush is limited, and very little new industrial space was added to Hamilton for several years after mid 2022.

"Every business owner I talk to in Hamilton tells me a version of the same story," says Steve Starke, Business Growth Manager at REMAX Revolution. "They've outgrown their space, the rent goes up at every review, and there's nothing new to move into. The growth numbers are exciting, but for a tradie or an importer they turn into a very practical question: where will my business be in five years?"

Building ahead of the curve

Orient Innovation Park is the first stage of a 16-hectare master-planned precinct on Te Wetini Drive, alongside Mainfreight, DHL and The Base. Its mix of warehouse and live-work units is priced at around half the Auckland rate per square metre.

Don, who has more than 30 years in property and projects spanning Queenstown and the Gold Coast, says timing is everything.

"In Auckland, that window closed a long time ago. In Hamilton it's open right now. The business owners who secure their place while the city is still growing into itself are the ones who will be glad they did."

For more information

Contact Media PA

Phillip Quay, Founder, Media PA

027 458 7724

phillip@mediapa.co.nz

Contact REMAX Revolution

Steve Starke

0275 413 061

steve.starke@remax.co.nz www.orientinnovationpark.co.nz

REMAX Revolution trading as Top One Real Estate Limited, licensed REAA 2008. Each office independently owned and operated. Prices, specifications and availability are subject to change without notice. This article does not constitute financial advice; readers should obtain independent advice.