Hobsonville

Hobsonville is a former Royal New Zealand Air Force airfield which is currently (2007) being redeveloped as a new suburb of Waitakere City, New Zealand. The Hobsonville area (or Hobsonville Corridor) lies between the North Western Motorway and State Highway 16 in the west and the Hobsonville Peninsula and Upper Harbour Bridge in the east. [http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/abtcit/cp/hobville.asp Hobsonville] (from the Waitakere City Council website)]

History

Agriculture & airfield

Hobsonville was named after the first Governor of New Zealand. After landing by sea at the site, he originally selected the area as the seat of Government for New Zealand, before eventually settling on Russell after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.Fact|date=May 2008

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 Clark's Brickworks. The brickworks clay piping production was used to reticulate much of the new Auckland city centre, bringing in much of Clark's wealth.

The latter was located on the shore to the southwest of Bannings Way, with Clark himself living in 'Clark House', currently occupied by the RNZAF Aviation Medicine Unit, on Clark Road. Servants quarters were located adjacent to the Hobsonville shopping centre and are in a design similar to Clark House, but single storied. The servants quarters have subsequently been used as a Plunket facility and Day Care Centre. There are stories that these two buildings are connected by an underground tunnel to facilitate normal service requirements of the day, including cooking and maid sevice.Fact|date=May 2008

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. The airfield later joined with an airfield at Whenuapai to become the RNZAF Base Auckland.

Redevelopment

Near the end of the 20th century, residential areas sprung up at the fringes of the area, and rural farms became lifestyle blocks. The RNZAF sold the airfield back to the NZ Government (via Housing New Zealand) in 2002, although they retain a lease on much of the airfield. 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 4 square kilometres of land available for development, is expected to finish in 2007. On the 1.67 km² of Crown land, about 3,000 homes are to be built (in addition to facilities such as parks and schools). 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. [ [http://www.hnzc.co.nz/hlc/faqs.htm Frequently Asked Questions] (from the Hobsonville Land Company Limited website)]

An area of 0.2 km² on Hobsonville Peninsula is 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. However, a later article in the "New Zealand Herald" states that only 1,000 are expected to be created, though it also notes that in the meantime, three more boat building companies have already taken up residence in former aircraft hangars and old RNZAF buildings. The Marine Industry Association is pushing for the 'Marine Industry Cluster' zone change to safeguard these industries and allow further expansion. [" [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/location/story.cfm?l_id=409&objectid=10428996 Boat builders eye 1000 jobs] " - "New Zealand Herald", Friday 16 March 2007, Page A13]

References

External links

* [http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/abtcit/cp/hobville.asp Hobsonville] (Waitakere City Council website)
* [http://www.hnzc.co.nz/hlc/ Hobsonville Land Company Limited] (a Housing New Zealand subsidiary)