Manawa Gardens - An intergenerational housing legacy for Rotorua

Harrison Grierson is proud to be providing a full suite of technical and professional services for this multi-million-dollar legacy project, working in close partnership with Ngāti Whakaue Tribal Lands, Rotorua Lakes Council, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

A community designed for people and place

Manawa Gardens has been thoughtfully designed to foster connection, wellbeing, and a strong sense of community. Generous green spaces, shared gardens, and an open layout encourage social interaction and intergenerational living. At the heart of the development are kaumātua units, purposefully located and designed with universal accessibility principles to support ageing in place.

The development will also include a live-in manager and a dedicated community facility / hauora centre, supporting the delivery of health, social, and pastoral care services for residents.

Scope and services

Harrison Grierson has provided an integrated, end-to-end service offering for Manawa Gardens, including:

• Resource consenting

• Detailed civil and structural engineering design

• Traffic and infrastructure assessments

• Stormwater modelling and hydrological analysis

• Infrastructure and building consent design and approvals

• Surveying

• Construction monitoring

Construction commenced in 2023 and is ongoing, with the full project expected to reach a capital value of approximately $150 million.

Delivering under pressure: Stage One

Engagement began in mid-2022, with an immediately compressed programme to secure consents and enable civil construction so that building works could commence by the end of 2023. This required close collaboration with both Rotorua Lakes Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, as well as proactive planning across all disciplines.

To maintain momentum, consent applications were strategically staged where appropriate, enabling early works to proceed while maintaining overall project integrity.

Stage One comprises the first 80 homes, along with the community facility, and was supported by Government funding through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD). Key infrastructure works delivered as part of this stage included:

• A new water supply booster pump station

• Extensive stormwater ponds and swales

• Road upgrades to support safe access and long-term functionality

Engineering for resilience

Stormwater management was one of the project’s most complex challenges. The site is located within a newly defined catchment with limited existing modelling and sits above an established residential area near a natural stream. Harrison Grierson undertook detailed upstream and downstream hydrological modelling to ensure the development performs safely and resiliently under future climate conditions.

Overland flow paths were carefully designed, alongside staged stormwater basin implementation, to manage risk, protect downstream properties, and ensure long-term environmental performance.

Given the development will remain in private ownership, whole-of-life considerations were central to the design approach, with a strong focus on durability, maintainability, and long-term operational responsibility for Ngāti Whakaue.

Innovation through integrated planning

Manawa Gardens showcases innovative, out-of-the-box thinking in the way public and private infrastructure has been integrated within a single, cohesive plan. The development proceeds without subdivision consent, relying instead on land use consent, which allowed for greater flexibility and a more holistic design outcome.

At the resource consent stage, the full range of dwelling typologies, landscaping, and fencing layouts were defined upfront, ensuring a coherent community vision and reducing uncertainty as the project progresses through subsequent stages.

Te ao Māori, sustainability, and inclusion

Harrison Grierson’s involvement in Manawa Gardens reflects a deep commitment to te ao Māori, sustainability, and inclusive development, guided by partnership with Ngāti Whakaue Tribal Lands.

The project has been shaped by principles of tikanga Māori, whanaungatanga, and manaakitanga, with cultural values embedded throughout planning, design, and delivery. Co-design with iwi has ensured community-led outcomes that integrate environmental, social, and cultural considerations.

From an environmental perspective, the development prioritises green infrastructure, shared open spaces, and low-impact design to minimise environmental effects while maximising long-term community benefit.

Progressing the legacy

Following the successful delivery of Stage One, a further 90 dwellings have now advanced through the consenting process, with approvals secured within similarly tight timeframes and works underway. As the project continues, Manawa Gardens stands as a flagship example of what can be achieved through trusted partnerships, thoughtful engineering, and a shared long-term vision.

Reflections and lessons learned

A key lesson from Manawa Gardens has been the value of early, proactive engagement with councils and specialist disciplines. Establishing open communication channels from the outset allowed potential risks to be identified early and addressed collaboratively, streamlining approvals and reducing delays — an approach that will continue to inform Harrison Grierson’s future projects.

Project team

Project Lead: Ross McDowell
Harrison Grierson team: Anna Gardiner, Rob Rimmer, Nic Schwendler