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Building site - Source: ONE News
Thousands of jobs are set to be created in West Auckland on the back of a huge chunk of land being rezoned for urban use.
It's estimated around 30,000 jobs will be created when 435 hectares of rural land near the Westgate development on Hobsonville Road is opened up for residential, industrial and retail purposes.
Earthworks have already begun on the development.
Waitakere City councillor Linda Cooper says the developments at Hobsonville Village and Westgate are great news in terms of economic development of the region.
She says New Zealand's population is predicted to increase by half a million people over the next 15 years, creating demand for places to work, live and play.
Cooper says the development will also benefit a huge catchment in southwest Rodney.
Owen McShane from the Centre for Resource Management Studies says developments like these are desperately needed, because there is a serious housing shortage. He says urban sprawl is badly needed to help cope with a growing population.
McShane says there has been too much focus on people living in the city centre and on building up, rather than out.
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