Film studio at Te Awanga in Hawke’s Bay gets go-ahead after Environment Court fight

There will be an international film studio at Te Awanga after all.

Environment Court mediation between Andrew Caseley, No8 Studios Limited and Hastings District Council (HDC) concluded on Thursday, and plans are now
in motion for the multimillion-dollar Parkhill Studios facility on farmland at Te Awanga Downs.

“I’m super-excited. We’ve been battling away at this for five years,” No8 Studios director Tony Keddy said.

HDC granted the project resource consent in December 2022, which was then appealed by Caseley, a nearby resident.

That appeal, against No8 and HDC, went to the Environment Court. The appeals were settled by consent and securing the funding for the $40 million will now begin.

“It’s going to be two sound stages, a production office and a couple of ancillary buildings,” Keddy said of the modified plans.

“We’re going to have mainly international clients of a mid-range. We’re not going to be bringing a Lord of the Rings to town, because no one would enjoy that from either side.

“We’ve got a couple of projects lined up, and we’re just trying to tie it all together.”

The parties agreed to various conditions for the project to commence, including issues such as the upgrade of Parkhill Rd, improvements to intersections, limits on parking at the studio, operational noise and landscape planting and revegetation.

Keddy felt he’d conceded all the ground he could and “definitely got to the point” where he “would’ve looked at going somewhere else” if the mediation process hadn’t produced this outcome.

Someone very glad it did is Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst.

“This new industry is a positive addition to our region’s economy, particularly at this time as we recover from Cyclone Gabrielle,” Hazlehurst said.

“It will bring employment and career pathway opportunities in cutting-edge technology. It will showcase Hastings and Hawke’s Bay to New Zealand and the world.”

That vision for the region has been welcomed by Keddy throughout this exercise.

“She’s been amazing, and so has [HDC chief executive] Nigel Bickle,” Keddy said.

“Their support has been fantastic. I could probably have done this anywhere else, but it’s people like them that made me go, ‘Hawke’s Bay is the place to come’.”

He says discussions with potential investors are “very, very positive” and he won’t be calling Auckland home for much longer.

“I’ve actually just bought a house in the Bay and next year I’m moving down, so I’m committed,” said Keddy.

Hamish Bidwell joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2022 and works out of the Hastings newsroom.