Residential Development Summit 2025: Collaboration and Confidence Key to Navigating the Future

In April, members of CivilPlan’s Senior Management Team, including Lahiru Wijewardhana, Natasha Rivai, and Ryan Pitkethley, attended the Residential Development Summit 2025, hosted by Property Council New Zealand.

This key industry event brought together leaders across the residential development sector—from government and councils to developers, consultants, and key political figures. A unifying message emerged from the day’s discussions: New Zealand’s housing challenges demand optimism, collaboration, and a shared commitment to long-term progress.

Strategic Growth Amid Uncertainty Reflecting on CivilPlan’s position within this context, Lahiru Wijewardhana noted: “Despite some of the economic challenges and uncertainties over the last couple of years, our business has continued to perform strongly, which is a testament to our team’s dedication combined with the continued confidence and trust in CivilPlan by our clients. We made some key strategic decisions in terms of our people and infrastructure, to take us forward through to the next five years and beyond. These decisions are already starting to add value.” This perspective was echoed throughout the summit, with many in the industry acknowledging that while macroeconomic conditions remain uncertain, those who have invested wisely in their teams and systems are well-positioned to thrive.

Charting the Road Ahead

With solid foundations laid in 2024, CivilPlan’s strategic direction for the next 12months includes:

Strengthening long-term client partnerships through trusted delivery and clear communication.
Expanding reach across the residential and other sectors, both geographically and in scope.
Diversifying the client base, improving resilience across market segments.
Continuing investment in people and culture, which remains a key pillar of CivilPlan’s ongoing success.

These efforts aim to reinforce CivilPlan’s position as a responsive, dependable, and forward-thinking development partner.

Collective Action for Industry-Wide Impact

The summit served as a powerful reminder: no single organisation can solve the housing puzzle alone. It requires unified action across developers, planners, engineers, iwi, local authorities, and government. CivilPlan is committed to being part of that solution—leveraging its multidisciplinary expertise to support well-designed, sustainable communities throughout NewZealand.

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Residential Development Summit 2025: Collaboration and Confidence Key to Navigating the Future

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