A New Town at Paerata - Breaking Ground at Wesley College

Berry Simons' partners Sue Simons and Simon Berry attended a ground-breaking ceremony at Wesley College on Saturday, 1 October, to celebrate the start of earthworks on what will become a new town on the grounds of Wesley College, surrounded by 300 hectares of rural land at Paerata, near Pukekohe.

The ceremony was important to Berry Simons because, in 2015, Sue Simons successfully assisted the Wesley College Trust Board and Grafton Downs Limited to obtain Special Housing Area status and a plan change under the HASHAA to authorise the development. This enabled the Trust to embark on a project for a new township of 5000 dwellings.

The aim for the new rail-based settlement, to be called Wesley, is to create “the most liveable town in the most liveable city.” The development will facilitate the integration and re-purposing of Wesley College and its heritage buildings and the re-establishment of a newly built college in a more appropriate rural location.

“We were very pleased to be involved in one of the very first SHAs out of the blocks,” says Sue Simons. “And also delighted to be able to steer the project through the tricky new procedures and come out with a marvellous result, which was the result of a very committed client and excellent team work,” she added.

Well known Wesley old boy, actor Ian Mune, spoke at the ceremony saying the project made him proud to be from Wesley College.

The Wesley project is but one of many Special Housing Area developments that Berry Simons has been involved in, building up significant experience and expertise in the process.