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The thermal pools have been closed for more than two years.
Waiwera’s future is again in the hands of developers, with plans to revive the town centre.
A hotel and parking building is proposed for site 1; the pools (site 2) and water bottling plant will be rebuilt; site 3 is commercial and retail; and the former campground, site 4, could be apartments and/or a wellness retreat.
The recent news that there are plans to rebuild and reinvest in Waiwera Thermal Resort provided light on the horizon for the community, which has suffered without the influx of hot pool visitors.
The pools were a big attraction, bringing in a peak of 325,000 visitors in 2002, but the rundown facility closed in February 2018 after it was abandoned by lessee, Russian billionaire Mikhail Khimich.
Waiwera Properties owns the thermal resort, as well as several other sites in the town centre and its parent company, Urban Partners, now holds the final piece of the puzzle – the water park lease – that could bring its long held development plans to life.
Since acquiring the majority of the commercial land in Waiwera – a process that began in 2007 – the company has wanted to develop a world-class tourism and hospitality precinct there. It successfully sought an increase in allowable height of 18m (five storeys) through the Auckland Unitary Plan in 2016 – a proposal that met opposition from residents.
Last week the Waiwera development project director, Evan Vertue of Urban Partners, told Hibiscus Matters that the investment, which he estimates at around $250 million, and the size of the project require a patient and well planned approach likely to be over more than 10 years. He says the community will be consulted from the outset.
“I am well aware of the grandiose plans that have been put out by previous owners and don’t want to do that again to local residents,” Mr Vertue says.
The project is likely to start with a $15 million investment in bringing back a high adrenalin water park – an established, popular brand. The old pools will be demolished, along with the water bottling building. Mr Vertue says that if the water bottling business is revived, it will be small and boutique.
A five-storey hotel is proposed, including conference facilities, food and beverage and private pools and spa. A parking building with around 250 carparks is also on the plan. This site currently has three buildings on it, erected in 1978, which contain 27 residential units. These will be demolished in due course.
The former campground has many historic features to be taken into consideration. Two options are being considered for the land – a three storey residential apartment building running the length of the retaining wall, and/or a wellness retreat.
The first sign of activity in and around the pools will be later this month, when residents will be able to watch an aquifer pump test on the main bore. Mr Vertue promises this will be a visual spectacle, as water is pumped out at high volume (1million litres in 24 hours) into the old pools. It will be cooled, and then pumped into the stormwater. The process uses data loggers in other bores to assess the health, dynamics and capacity of the acquifer.
“We need to be sure it can deliver the volume of water needed without interfering with long term sustainability,” Mr Vertue says. “It will be interesting for the locals and we will engage with them and answer questions.”
