$56m in new infrastructure unlocks business opportunities.
Envisioned as Auckland’s next major business growth hub, Spedding Industrial is on the verge of completion and poised to shape the city’s economic future in the northwest.
Multiple best-in-class companies have already bought into the precinct, yet 37% of the 46ha development is still for sale.
It will bring major business and employment opportunities to Whenuapai, ideally located to serve the four key growth nodes of the northwest.
Oyster Capital director Cameron Wilson sees Spedding Industrial as a once-in-a-generation industrial precinct.
“If we think back to the establishment of Albany, it has been literally decades. Most of the land is either fully committed or constrained – Spedding Road is the precinct to unlock fresh supply,” Wilson said.
Like attracts like
Tranzit Group has a depot for 160 EV buses already under construction at Spedding Road, CDB Group has relocated from Albany to build a brand new, state-of-the-art facility and property development company Midpoint Investments has also begun their build.
They join NZX-listed Property for Industry (PFI), the first investor in the precinct, while others who’ve bought lots at Spedding Industrial range from local to national and listed companies.
Spedding Industrial is designed to be the engine room of growth, with the scale, access and quality infrastructure companies need to expand quickly. Its larger format sites provide the flexibility ambitious firms need, freeing them from the constraints of older, fragmented estates where space is scarce.
If companies can secure the right-sized lot for their future growth, this is where they’ll need to be, Wilson said.
Infrastructure investment
Oyster Capital has made $56 million in upgrades to key infrastructure that enhance connectivity and future-proof Spedding Industrial. The precinct’s new roading network links directly into both SH16 and SH18, creating a connection built to handle heavy traffic.
With signalised intersections easing flow and proximity to Auckland’s arterial routes, the hub is within a 15-minute drive of the CBD, Takapuna and Albany. Other upgrades include roundabouts, a rebuilt bridge, the extension of Spedding Road through the precinct to Brigham Creek Road, road widening and a new pedestrian and cycle link – all ensuring the network can cope with growth for decades to come.
Additional infrastructure investments include the installation of rising mains and an interim pump station for Watercare, along with a 33kV power upgrade to support large users such as data centres, Wilson said.
“The businesses of the future, if you like, have a place here.”
Wider economic impact
Spedding Industrial is set to be a significant contributor to employment, playing a major role in the creation of 32,000 jobs across industrial, commercial, retail and other sectors expected in the area by 2038.
These employment opportunities complement a nearby residential development of 1000 households recently completed in Whenuapai by Oyster Capital, which has invested in the northwest growth corridor for the past 14 years.
“Good industrial planning means fewer heavy vehicles in residential streets, better job opportunities close to home, and a balanced growth model for Auckland,” Wilson said.
With direct employment flow-on effects for hospitality, retail and housing in the Northwest, and new schools going on off the back of growth, he sees it as a transformative time for the area. “This project’s probably as much about that community in the area as it is about business. They can work to live, not live to work.” 
Set in stone
Also in its finishing stages and providing an enduring centrepiece to Spedding Industrial is a spectacular work by renowned artist and sculptor Anton Forde.
Having met Forde a number of years ago, Wilson saw an opportunity to commission a work that would ground the development as a true place maker at the roundabout connecting Industry Drive and Spedding Road.
Forde responded quickly to this location, the apex of the development, with a concept of carved stones to represent the four winds. “He found these stones in Taranaki then dragged them up to Waiheke, and he’s done this beautiful job,” Wilson said.
Place making and preservation
In both the residential development and Spedding Industrial, Wilson has focused on long-term outcomes, with place making important in each location.
“It's place making for these areas, and it feels really good to put a bit more thought and effort into all these things,” Wilson said. “I'm excited about being part of the city's growth.”
This considered approach for the future doesn’t come at the expense of the environment. Oyster Capital is committed to preserving the area’s natural wetlands, with 5.3ha of comprehensive enhancement riparian planting along Sinton Stream and Totara Creek.
Existing natural wetlands totalling 7488sq m will also be retained and planted with native vegetation.
These environmental commitments reinforce Spedding Industrial’s role as a long-term hub for both enterprise and community in Auckland’s northwest.
More info: speddingroad.co.nz
