At a recent Tauranga Property Investors Association meeting, Barfoot & Thompson spoke about why they expanded into the Bay of Plenty from Auckland, citing strong population growth, lifestyle appeal, and long-term economic confidence in the region.
It got CKL reflecting on their own decision.
Nearly six years ago, CKL established its Tauranga office for many of the same reasons. They were already working across the Bay of Plenty from their Waikato offices, but with increasing demand from local landowners and developers – and clear signals of sustained regional growth – it made sense to invest in a permanent presence.
Q: Why did CKL choose Tauranga – and what does that mean for property developers today?
A: When we opened our Tauranga office in 2019, it wasn’t a short-term play. It was a strategic decision based on long-term growth fundamentals.
The Bay of Plenty has consistently been one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing regions. But growth doesn’t just create opportunity, it creates complexity. Infrastructure capacity, stormwater management, transport access, zoning changes and regulatory requirements all become more nuanced as a city matures.
For developers and investors, that means local knowledge matters.
Over the past six years, we’ve built a strong team of planners, surveyors, engineers and environmental specialists based here in Tauranga, backed by the wider CKL network across Hamilton, Te Awamutu and Auckland. We’ve worked on everything from multi-lot residential subdivisions through to council infrastructure projects.
The past few years have been challenging for the development sector nationwide, but Tauranga remains a region with solid long-term fundamentals. As growth continues and planning frameworks evolve, we’re seeing renewed focus on smart intensification, infrastructure alignment and well-considered development.
For investors, the key is understanding feasibility early; what’s possible on a site, what constraints may exist, and how infrastructure and regulatory requirements affect both cost and timing.
Our decision to establish ourselves in Tauranga nearly six years ago was about being part of that long-term story. We’re proud of the relationships we’ve built, and we’re excited about the next chapter of growth in the Bay.
