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The commercial property market appears to be on a strong footing in the regions.
From his base in Hamilton, Mike Neale is well positioned to assist vendors and purchasers across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Demand is pushing up prices, rents and leases, but supply is growing too. Coupled with growth in transport networks, this is highly promising for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Neale says.
“Hamilton was once the poor cousin in the Golden Triangle, but it’s firmly on the radar now.
“We’re seeing an increasing amount of investors from outside come in, from Auckland and Wellington particularly,” he says.
“Tauranga has been the golden child in many ways, with a more affluent population, but I think it’s evened out a lot more now.”
Neale is managing director of NAI Harcourts in Hamilton and has more than 20 years’ experience specialising in commercial real estate.
Overall, the commercial real estate market has been showing a return to good form, he says.
“There’s certainly a lot more interest in commercial property. It’s been driven by the lowering of the Official Cash Rate and particularly bank deposit rates.
“People are looking at other forms of investment so there have been significantly more inquiries and we’re certainly starting to see a rise in values.”
The opening of the glittering $80 million BNZ Theatre in downtown Hamilton this week has thrown into sharp contrast the state of many of the surrounding buildings in southern Victoria St.
It’s a diverse assembly of structures - some big, some tiny, some designated historic - in equally diverse condition.
The frontage of many are in inarguably bad shape, with broken windows, peeling paint, graffiti and lichen-covered awnings clashing with the pristine and ornately-decorated façades of their neighbours.
And whether there is an onus on local landlords and business owners to lift their game and make their businesses more presentable - or perhaps demolish them and build something more attractive in their place - has become a topic of debate.
Tax debt is increasing for businesses around the country. Now is the time to make sure your business is on top of things...
Economic uncertainty and the cost-of-living crisis have meant businesses across New Zealand have been doing it tough in recent times.
Inland Revenue says that around two thirds of all tax debt is owed by small business, sole traders and contractors.
As at June 2025 $3.3b was owing for GST – which is 15% higher than June 2024 whilst $2.0b was owing in Employer taxes which is 34% higher than in June 2024.
A significant portion of this is PAYE and GST, which should simply be passed on to Inland Revenue, so more work is being done now to get that money collected.
Inland Revenue has also significantly increased its investigations and auditing, focusing on those actively trying to avoid their taxes. These actions are sometimes prompted by tip-offs from various sources.
If you or your business are facing challenges with tax debt, it’s important to reach out to Inland Revenue early. Addressing the issue promptly can help you avoid further penalties and interest.
There are a range of options to help:
Inland Revenue has published easy to understand advice to help you get it right -https://www.ird.govt.nz/pages/campaigns/get-it-right
If you are newly in business check out Inland Revenues Free Business Seminars – available In-person and online across the country. Topics include: an Introduction to Business, GST, and Employers. You can book into a seminar on their website. https://www.ird.govt.nz
You can use your myIR account to make a payment by selecting the ‘Make a payment’ link for each overdue tax type, or go to https://www.ird.govt.nz/managing-my-tax/make-a-payment
And you can set up an instalment arrangement if you’re unable to pay the full amount: https://www.ird.govt.nz/managing-my-tax/make-a-payment/ways-of-paying/instalment-arrangements. You can also use myIR for this.
If you need to talk with Inland Revenue about your overdue returns or debt you can contact them by sending a message in MyIR or call on 0800 587 244.
Waikato shoppers had the tills ringing to the tune of $343 million in November, nearly four per cent higher than last year.
3.8% above the year earlier figure, according to data from card spending bean counters Worldline NZ.
According data from card spending agency Worldline NZ, Waikato’s 3.8 per cent increase made it one of only three of 18 locations that saw rises in spending. Others were West Coast up 6.3% to $32 million, 5.4% in Whanganui to $55 million and a 5% climb in Otago to $254 million.
The Waikato year-on-year rise also outstripped the nationwide figure of 1.1% to $4.1 billion.
When it comes to total November card spending, only three locations saw more money change hands than Waikato; Auckland/Northland at $1.5 billion, Canterbury at $502 million and Wellington - just - at $344 million.
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It’s part of a project to spruce up the central city, which the council says “needs some love”.
New street furniture is also popping up along the main street, and further work will include lighting, a clean for pavers and tables, and getting rid of dead trees, Hamilton City Council says.
The Hood St light poles need repairs to keep them going, Operate and Maintain unit director Tania Hermann said in a statement.
“We are sanding and painting the poles which we expect to extend their life by 20 years and which is a more affordable option than full replacement.”
New hotels can’t come soon enough if Hamilton wants to lift its share of domestic tourism spend and overtake Wellington, city leaders say.
Figures show spending by Kiwi visitors in Hamilton and nearby districts held steady in May at $61 million — the fourth-highest in the country behind Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
But acting city council chief executive Sean Murray says Hamilton’s visitor economy won’t take off without more beds.
“We know categorically that we are missing business because we don’t have enough rooms in the city,” he said.
To fix that, two major developments are in the pipeline: the Pullman Hotel, due to open next year, and Templeton’s planned hotel, which has yet to confirm its timeline.
Nearly 9000 passengers have taken flights to and from the Gold Coast and Sydney in the first month alone.
About half were inbound and half outbound, Hamilton airport said. Some were the same people travelling in both directions.
Of the nearly 9000 passenger count, 4887 were on the Sydney flights and 4014 on the Gold Coast services, according to Statistics NZ data.
The figures were revealed at Tuesday’s Hamilton City Council economic development committee meeting in a presentation from Waikato Regional Airport Limited (WRAL), of which the council is a 50% shareholder
About 22,100 people have been commuting into Hamilton for their jobs each day.
That’s about equivalent to the population of Cambridge, and makes up a big chunk of the city’s workforce.
“It’s already a nightmare coming into the city at peak times”, Hamilton city councillor Sarah Thomson said - so the council will have to work with its neighbours on transport options.
She was speaking after a meeting on the figures, which are based on national Census data and were outlined in a report to the latest city council strategic growth and district plan committee.
The flow goes both ways for Hamilton. Some 13,100 residents head out of the city borders for work - about 9% of the city’s workers, according to the latest 2023 figures.
City leaders have rolled out the financial red carpet for ‘the best theatre in the country’.
The Waikato Regional Property Trust has been granted $70,000 from Hamilton City Council to celebrate the opening of what’s promising to be ‘a very big story for the city’ on the national stage.
As the final layers are peeled off and the full face of the $80 million Waikato Regional Theatre comes into view, it’s time to start planning the party.
Councillors approved the $70,000 in financial sponsorship at this week’s economic development committee meeting and while general manager destinations, Sean Murray, said it was “a little bit out of the ordinary”, it would deliver “substantial profile”.
Two of Hamilton’s newest bridges have got “massive” international recognition, showing they measure up against projects including billion-dollar transit hubs.
Te Ara Pekapeka and the Taurapa pedestrian bridge, which connect Hillcrest and the future Peacocke development, got a special mention at the Architizer A+ Awards, placing them among the top 5% of global entries.
The international awards recognise excellence in architecture and design. Out of more than 3500 submissions, the Hamilton bridges stood out in the infrastructure category, placing them alongside mega projects like European train stations and billion-dollar transit hubs.
“It feels pretty amazing, this is massive recognition for a small studio in a small country,” said Harry Croucher, principal at Edwards White Architects and one of the lead designers.
As of May 2025, there were 705 equivalent full-time international students enrolled, up 44% from May 2024, according to figures released by Te Pūkenga.
In the 12 month period ending May 2025, international students at all Te Pūkenga polytechnics saw growth.
Wintec operations manager Warwick Pitts said international student numbers at Wintec and across Te Pūkenga are returning to pre-Covid levels.
He said New Zealand had a strong international reputation before Covid and that remains true.
Te Matatini may be heading for Hamilton sooner than the scheduled 2029 date - if one Hamilton City Councillor has her way.
Councillor Maria Huata said she has been lobbying for the event to come to Hamilton / Kirikiriroa and that there had been “rumblings in the ether” that it could be staged here in 2027.
Huata made the comments as Hamilton also positions itself as one of the contenders for hosting the Homegrown music festival.
Huata said she was “dead set on [Te Matatini] being held in Kirikiriroa”.
The biennial event, which was staged in New Plymouth this year, was scheduled to next take place in the Nelson-Marlborough region, though funding doubts have been raised about that location.
Senior city councillors are calling for action by the “highly-priced” supermarket duopoly to prevent shopping trolleys being pinched by streeties and ending up as abandoned eyesores in Hamilton’s inner city.
They supported supermarkets using “geo-fencing” technology which locks up trolleys if someone tries to take them out of the supermarket car park.
But they also indicated they weren’t afraid of using a stick, with a possible bylaw to enforce it also mooted.
The councillors’ call came at Thursday’s economic development committee meeting which discussed a report by the Hamilton Central Business Association, whose members have regular problems with anti-social behaviour.
A big shake-up for one of the CBD’s busiest streets is on the cards as officials grapple with the reality of bold plans to bring a new “five-star” $100 million Pullman Hotel to the city.
The changes to Ward St include a new two to three vehicle loading zone area with a five-minute limit outside the current Chemist Warehouse - guests will be able to park their cars there before they’re taken away promptly by a valet parking service.
A range of other parking tweaks - which reportedly won’t cut total on-street parking space in the area - have been suggested, a city councillor briefing heard. Final recommendations will go to a council hui this month.
A Trade Me report on the last quarter of 2024 shows Hamilton had three of the five ads that prompted the most applications.
Nationally, total job applications remained high, both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter.
An ad for two retail assistant roles in Chartwell attracted 531 applicants in the December quarter, while 507 people applied for another retail assistant role there.
During the same period, 520 people responded to an ad for four warehouse picker/packers in Hamilton.
In a move to support cafes and restaurants, Hamilton City Council is recommending to change an annual fee for outdoor dining and signage to once every three years.
At today’s Community and Natural Environment Committee meeting
(18 February), the committee made a unanimous recommendation which means businesses who want to use the space outside their store for dining or signage will save time and money by only needing to apply every three years.
The permit process is to make sure there is balance between city vibrancy, customer experience, consistency of rules and accessibility for footpath users.
Committee Deputy Chair Anna Casey-Cox hopes this will encourage more places to offer outdoor dining.
“This is a small step to show that Council appreciates what these businesses do for our city and Hamiltonians. We hope to see even more businesses using outdoor dining and creating a real sense of atmosphere and buzz.”
Alcohol sellers should not get any ratepayer “subsidy” for the cost of licensing fees, says a former deputy mayor who’s labelled the practice “obscene and criminal”.
Firing up - a former deputy mayor is arguing booze outlets shouldn’t get any ratepayer subsidisation of their alcohol licensing fees, despite concerns from some hospitality outlets.
Gordon Chesterman’s comments come in response to council plans to raise fees by 34% across the board next year, by 20% the year after and 3% in subsequent years to achieve a “user pays” system.
His views have gained some support from one bar owner but are questioned strongly by several others.
Police in Hamilton could take a harder line on those found in possession of stolen shopping trolleys, but blanket arrests are probably not the way to go, says Hamilton City councillor Sarah Thomson.
Thomson’s views were also shared by Hamilton Central Business Association general manager Vanessa Williams after police in Rotorua arrested 13 people and returned 45 trolleys to local supermarkets after a three-day operation.
“Operation Trolley” was executed in an effort to protect businesses from anti-social and unlawful behaviour between January 21 and 23, after police received complaints about homeless people in possession of trolleys intimidating people in Rotorua’s central city.
Hamilton City Council is asking the community for feedback on a proposal to address a financial imbalance in alcohol licensing costs.
Currently, the fees set by legislation have not increased in more than 11 years and do not cover the full costs of licensing activities. As a result, ratepayers have been subsidising these costs by up to 29% and this is expected to grow year on year. Council is proposing to introduce an Alcohol Fees Bylaw that would reduce the ratepayer subsidy to 5%.
About two hectares - four years’ supply of office space - will be on the market in the coming year. This includes the former Fonterra building on London St after their staged-exit.
A huge piece of Hamilton real estate will remain empty for at least two years, as Fonterra staff make their staged exit out of the London St building by 2027.
After that - possibilities for the building include a hotel, student accommodation, mix of retail-office-residential, long term rental accommodation... or it could simply become part of Hamilton Central’s vacant concrete jungle.
The building is owned by Primeproperty Group (PPG) and this week the company announced that work has begun to upgrade the office space from “somewhere between Grade B and C” to A Grade.
As the Waikato Regional Theatre slowly but surely takes shape in downtown Hamilton, passers-by suddenly have a burning question: What’s that big black box sitting on top of it for?
The massive box-shaped structure is currently 500 tonnes of structural steel that, when completed, will be home to the theatre’s fly tower. Which, of course, begs the question: What’s a fly tower?
An essential element of “proper” theatres, fly towers are effectively big lofts that sit over the stage and from which pieces of scenery are hung.
Twenty-six businesses had wins - some more than one - at the Wednesday evening event at 18 London Street.
Stark Properties is developing the building into versatile commercial spaces but, for the awards, Royal Lab turned it into a high-end jazz bar. Sultry notes from Joe Mac Band filled the sixth floor as attendees enjoyed 360-degree views of the city and the Waikato River.
With a record 137 entries in 2024, general manager Vanessa Williams of Hamilton Central Business Association said she felt incredibly excited about the evening of recognition and celebration.
“This event is a testament to the resilience and perseverance of our local businesses, and we are proud to play a part in celebrating them.”
A central Hamilton spot that’s been mostly vacant for years is earmarked for a six-storey development.Resource consent has been granted for a 20,000m² building next to Centre Place, at the corner of Ward and Victoria Street and Tainui Group says it’s talking to potential tenants.The site has spent years fenced off with Tainui branded boards and currently comprises an empty lot and the P&M plaza building, which will be removed in preparation for the new development.
Senior Sergeant Scott McKenzie said the survey is the first few step police are taking to develop a safety programme for the CBD. The initiative was prompted after stakeholders told police that they have seen a rise in antisocial behaviour, which was confirmed by the survey results.
A $100 million Pullman hotel development has been unveiled for Hamilton’s CBD, with work underway and an expected 2026 opening.The 191-bed hotel over 13 levels will involve a retro-fit of the current Mistry Centre, Hamilton’s tallest building at 42-48 Ward St and within the Centre Place shopping area.
The third office tower in Union Square, Hamilton’s newest central business precinct, is likely to get underway in the next six months.Located on a corner block that includes Anglesea, Hood and Alexandra streets, the multi-level development will eventually be made up of five builds, combining 23,000m2 of office space with a number of retail and community spaces including a wellness centre.
A Hamilton company is poised to spread around the globe after selling to a big international firm - and with the founders “too young to retire” yet.Aware Group, based in London St, Hamilton has been bought by Amsterdam business transformation partner, HSO.Brandon Hutcheson and Jourdan Templeton, now 32, set the company up eight years ago and their first customer was Microsoft.
After challenging times, Hamilton retailers hope interest rate cuts will bring then extra customers for Christmas.December has traditionally been a hot month for retail, with Stats New Zealand data showing two decades of card payment values consistently about 37% above the rest of the year.
Denise Irvine is a Hamilton freelance journalist and food writer, and a regular Waikato Times contributor.OPINION: Dinner last Saturday was at the wonderfully colourful ULO’s Kitchen in Raglan. The place that makes you smile with its vintage fit-out, its upbeat music, laden bowls of Japanese fusion food, and memorable cocktails.
The champagne corks are popping at Hamilton Airport after officials confirmed the return of direct international flights to Australia - and a potential boost to the Waikato economy.After months of speculation and more than a year of “solid grind” behind the scenes, Hamilton Airport chief executive Mark Morgan said he could now reveal Jetstar will offer travellers three return flights a week between Hamilton and the Gold Coast, and four return flights a week between Hamilton and Sydney.
Todd Charteris is a practical man. When Rabobank was moving its head office from Wellington to Hamilton in 2021, he had a challenge on his hands.
The bank - which operates in the rural and agribusiness sector - wanted wool carpet in the new offices. No ordinary carpet would do - it had to be pure New Zealand wool. But Charteris went one step further.
“We went and - through a third party - purchased wool of three of our clients and had the carpet made.”
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