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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.
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