National award for a collaboration helping families buy first home
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 Taupō District Council picked up one of them at its conference in Rotorua recently.
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 goal was to deliver housing not being provided by the market but in a way that would not be subsidised by ratepayers.
The first stage of Oroko Rise has 62 homes in total, with 32 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.
Of the 32 affordable homes, 25 have sold and 12 are already finished. In all, 48 homes have 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 that it is a potentially replicable model for other councils and communities. It balances affordable housing outcomes, council objectives, and a viable commercial return for the developer.
Penny Homes director John Penny said the development consortium was incredibly proud of what had been achieved through the Oroko Rise project, demonstrating what could be accomplished when local government and industry worked together with a shared commitment to creating affordable, quality housing and stronger communities.
“One of the most rewarding aspects has been meeting the individual homeowners who can now afford their own home because of this partnership. Seeing families get into a warm, well-designed home of their own is exactly why projects like this matter.
“Oroko Rise has been an opportunity to deliver something innovative for homebuyers looking for decent, well-built homes that work for them and their families. Through smart design, efficient procurement and minimising waste, we’ve been able to deliver high-quality homes at a price point that makes home ownership more achievable.”
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.
