Saddleback has provided Masterplanning and Urban Design services in support of a consent application under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act (2020) to create the new neighbourhood of Wairatahi to the south-west of Flaxmere.

This project has been undertaken on behalf of the Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust and aims to provide affordable housing in the Hastings District while improving the ecological outcomes of the Irongate Stream and Wellwood Drain which pass through the site. Wairatahi will creates a strong, defensible urban boundary for Flaxmere and represent its changing identity to the region.

Key challenges of the project include balancing the sites stormwater ecological restoration requirements with achieving a high yield, high amenity, and community focused neighbourhood which seeks to be affordable by design.