About Puaawai
Puaawai is a proposed Special Economic Zone near Hamilton Airport, developed to explore how New Zealand can attract new global investment, support innovation, and strengthen long-term economic growth in the Waikato region.
Project origin and current status
Puaawai originated from an assessment of land adjoining Hamilton Airport, initially
considered as a conventional industrial development.
Following encouragement from central government to consider the merits of a
Special Economic Zone–style model, a group of landowners and stakeholders have
been working with Ernst Young and a range of sector specialists (aviation, rail, infrastructure, resilience, and real estate) to:
- Assess the strategic logic of the location
- Understand international SEZ precedents
- Test whether an SEZ-type framework could attract new activity, rather than simply relocate existing New Zealand investment
EY are now preparing an economic impact assessment that will be represented to government for consideration.