Taupō housing partnership Oroko Rise wins award

A local partnership aimed at helping working families into their homes has won a collaboration award - its second this year.

The annual Local Government NZ SuperLocal Awards celebrate exceptional local government projects and people and last week Taupō District Council picked up one of them!

The Fulton Hogan SuperCollab | Tu Kotahi award was presented to the council for its housing project at Oroko Rise in Taupō. This project has transformed housing affordability through an innovative partnership with a local consortium made up of Penny Homes, Classic Builders and Tūwharetoa Settlement Trust.

Council came up with the project in response to concerns that housing in the town, even entry-level housing, was beyond the reach of working families and was a barrier to attracting middle-income earners to Taupō.

The first stage of Oroko Rise has 62 homes in total, with 38 of them classed as affordable homes. Buyers who meet the criteria can purchase a house priced from $550,000 for a two-bedroom dwelling, well below the market average for the region.

With 41 homes already sold, development of stage two of Oroko Rise is now underway.

The SuperLocal Awards judges said the Oroko Rise housing project is a strong example of a council partnering with a private developer, and a potentially replicable model for other councils and communities. It balances affordable housing outcomes, council objectives, and a viable commercial return for the developer.

The Oroko Rise project also picked up a gong at the 2026 LGFA Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards in June, when Taupō District Council won the Morrison Low Advisory Award for Excellence in Collaborating for Results.