Homes taken for Northwest Busway

A Grey Lynn couple who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating their home have discovered it is set to be compulsorily acquired for the Northwest Busway project.

After buying the property for $900,000 and completing major renovations, they planned to extend the home before learning it sits within the proposed transport corridor.

Rather than waiting up to 10 years for NZTA to purchase the property, the couple decided to bring the acquisition process forward so they could move on with their lives.

However, to apply for an early acquisition through the Environment Court, they first had to prove they had made "reasonable efforts" to sell the property on the open market.

This meant spending around $5,000 on professional marketing, photography and real estate advertising, despite knowing no buyer would purchase a home marked for future demolition.

The full details of this article, published by The New Zealand Herald on 05th July 2026 can be found by clicking here. Please note, you will need a paid subscription to read the full article, or for more information contact our team for a free chat.

Our very own Daniel Ratahi, Director of Public Works Advisory, was asked to comment on the article saying the compulsory acquisition process is stressful and often unfair.

He believes requiring owners to spend thousands marketing homes that are effectively unsaleable is an unnecessary financial burden on people already facing the loss of their homes.

Overall, the case highlights the emotional, financial and practical challenges many homeowners face when their properties are designated for major public infrastructure projects. “We help our owners navigate that process,” Ratahi said. In those cases, forcing owners to list their homes and pay huge marketing costs to prove they had made reasonable efforts to find a buyer was a “complete waste of money”, he said.

If you are affected by the Northwest Busway project or have a similar situation, please don't hesitate to contact our team at Public Works Advisory for no-obligation free chat, so you know your rights. At Public Works Advisory, we help landowners and occupants affected by public works.

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