Flat Bush

Story

Flat Bush is New Zealand's largest and most comprehensively planned new town, taking shape on 1700 hectares in south east Auckland. An Auckland Council transformation project, Flat Bush will be home to at least 40,000 people by 2025, a similar population to Nelson, and includes five neighbourhood centres. Located near Manukau Heights the council has planned for the area to undergo substantial development since buying 290 hectares there in 1996. While most of Flat Bush is being developed by the private sector, Auckland Council is guiding the overall development of the area to ensure people, places and the environment are given emphasis. The suburb contains the 94 hectare "Barry Curtis Park", named in recognition of Manukau's longest standing mayor, Barry Curtis, with a development programme stretching into the 2020s. A neighbouring 20 hectare town centre will be developed starting in 2010, and planning is underway for subdivision of another 440 hectares. Building of houses has started next to Barry Curtis Park as of 2012. More land in the area is going to be developed over the next few years by Todd Property Group.New Zealand's first cable-stayed bridge, on Ormiston Road, runs through the middle of Barry Curtis Park, which is to be the green centre piece of the new town. The bridge was opened in October 2008.The city centre has started ground works Feb-Mar 2013 that was stalled due to the Global Financial Crisis since bridge completionFlat Bush has eight schools: Sancta Maria College, Mission Heights Junior College and Mission Heights Primary, Baverstock Oaks School, Tyndale Park Christian School, Ormiston Senior College, Ormiston Primary and Ormiston Junior College .