Flat Bush
Flat Bush (also known as Ormiston) is a suburb in Auckland, and is New Zealand's largest and most comprehensively planned new town, taking shape on 1700 hectares in south east Auckland. An Auckland Council transformation project, Flat Bush will be home to at least 40,000 people by 2025, a similar population to Nelson, and includes five neighbourhood centres. Located near Manukau Heights the council has planned for the area to undergo substantial development since buying 290 hectares there in 1996. While most of Flat Bush is being developed by the private sector, Auckland Council is guiding the  overall development of the area to ensure people, places and the environment are given emphasis. The suburb contains the 94 hectare "Barry Curtis Park", named in recognition of Manukau's longest standing mayor, Barry Curtis, with a development programme stretching into the 2020s. A neighbouring 20 hectare town centre was planned to be developed starting in 2010, with the development rights taken over by Todd Property in 2010. Building of houses has started next to Barry Curtis Park as of 2012. More land in the area is going to be developed over the next few years by Todd Property Group . After years of planning in 2018, Flat Bush in south-east Auckland is getting its long-awaited town centre at Ormiston in a $200 million scheme now under construction. The newest shopping centre, Ormiston Town Centre, was officially opened to the public on 25 March 2021, offers supermarket, gyms, a department store, food and beverage, and a mix of health and beauty and speciality services, including ASB, Unichem Pharmacy, 2Degrees and SnapFitness plus a variety of other stores will expect to open. New Zealand's first cable-stayed bridge, on Ormiston Road, runs through the middle of Barry Curtis  Park, which is to be the green centre piece of the new town. The bridge was opened in October 2008. The city centre has started ground works Feb-Mar 2013 that was stalled due to the Global Financial Crisis since bridge completion. In 2018, Panuku Development Auckland, the council's property management CCO, was involved in construction of a new mall in conjunction with Todd Property. Nearby, 700 homes are being built by the partnership. Demographics. Flat Bush, comprising the statistical areas of Dannemora South, Baverstock, Ormiston North, Chapel Downs, Mission Heights North, Donegal Park, Ormiston South, Mission Heights South , Hilltop (Auckland), Ormiston East and Tuscany Heights, had a population of 32,214 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 9,018 people (38.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 19,854 people (160.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 8,094 households. There were 16,122 males and 16,092 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female, with 6,984 people (21.7%) aged under 15 years, 7,521 (23.3%) aged 15 to 29, 15,114 (46.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,601 (8.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 20.2% European/Pākehā, 5.8% Māori, 9.8% Pacific peoples, 67.6% Asian, and 4.4 % other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 62.0%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 31.2% had no religion, 32.0% were Christian, and 32.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 7,674 (30.4%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 3,219 (12.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 13,806 (54.7%) people were employed full-time, 3,024 (12.0%) were part-time, and 975 (3.9%) were unemployed. Education. A  strategy to build schools in the area was developed by the Ministry of Education in 2007. Ormiston Senior College is a senior secondary school for years 11–13 with a roll of . Ormiston Junior College covers years 7–10 and has a roll of students. Ormiston Primary School is a contributing primary school (years 1–6) with students. The three schools are spread over two blocks. The Senior College opened in 2011, the Junior College in 2017, and the primary school in 2015. Mission Heights Junior College is a junior secondary school (years 7–10) with a roll of . Mission Heights School is a  contributing primary school (years 1–6) with students. The two schools are adjacent. Both schools opened in 2009. Baverstock Oaks School and Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School are full primary schools (years 1–8) with rolls of and students, respectively. Baverstock Oaks opened in 2005 and Te Uho o te Nikau in 2019. Sancta Maria College is a state-integrated Catholic secondary school (years 7–13) with a roll of . Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School is a state-integrated contributing primary school (years 1–6) with students. The two schools are on the same site. The college opened in 2004 and the  primary school in 2010. Tyndale Park Christian School is a private composite school (years 1–13) with a roll of . The school was founded in 1981. All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of