Kāinga Ora prepares to sell land in Tauranga

The 95-hectare site was purchased in 2021 under an urban development land acquisition programme, which aimed to help deliver more affordable private housing at scale. Since then, the agency has refocussed its programmes of work on the cost-effective delivery of social housing. As part of this renewed focus, the decision has been made to sell the land at Ferncliffe Farm.

The agency has been exploring options for the site, including working with the New Zealand Transport Agency to support important local transport improvements, and with the Ministry of Education on the potential to establish a school to benefit the growing community.

The next step in the sales process is to appoint a real estate agency to sell the remainder of the land on the open market early next year. An open and transparent government procurement process to appoint the agent is now underway through the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS).

Acting General Manager Urban Development and Delivery, Nick Howcroft, says the organisation is taking a careful and considered approach to the sale.

“We want to make sure the sale of Ferncliffe Farm supports the wider development of Tauriko West and helps enable key local infrastructure and community facilities,” he says.

“The sale also provides an opportunity for another developer to deliver housing for the region, while we continue to focus on providing warm, dry social homes for those who need them.”

The successful real estate agency is expected to be confirmed early 2026, with the land going on the open market soon after.