Coasts for Sale: Gentrification in New Zealand

Abstract

The “sea change” phenomenon, or the movement of people from metropolitan to non-metropolitan parts of the country (and especially to coastal areas) is well-documented in Australia, but is now becoming increasingly apparent in New Zealand also. Since 2000 there has been an unprecedented and extremely rapid expansion in the property market, with prices booming for settlements in scenic locations, especially along the coast. This paper reports on a study of six coastal settlements in New Zealand, all of which have experienced this property boom. It found that many of the characteristics of gentrification are becoming increasingly apparent in coastal New Zealand, with particularly negative ramifications for certain parts of the community, namely indigenous communities and low income rental residents, though for many residents, the experience has been largely positive. Planning has so far failed to engage with the gentrification process or to recognise its implications for the wider coastal user community. The paper explores the contradictions associated with the gentrification process. It argues that the future of these communities needs to be wrested back from the dictates of the property market by implementing community-based planning, supported by local government.