The Kapiti Coast is quickly losing its name as a retirement mecca.
It's now touted as the fastest-growing region north of the capital - and with new roading connections on the horizon, it's expected to boom even more.
The usually sunny Kapiti Coast catching a cold from Wellington city.
"Today's not really good example but we have wonderful weather on the Kapiti Coast, we've got beautiful beaches, walking tracks, it's a place where business is really starting to boom," Kapiti Coast Deputy Mayor Janet Holborow says.
That boom isn't expected to slow down, with the region's population is predicted to grow by 40 percent by 2050.
"We would think it's a generational opportunity, we haven't seen this type of thing before for many decades," First Retail Group's managing director Chris Wilkinson says.
Plant-based protein business Sustainable Foods is capitalising on that opportunity by moving its operations from Dunedin to Paraparaumu.
The company's employed 70 people in the region so far and has plans to expand.
"Our desire is to create a centre of exellence that has two pillars. A centre of excellence around plant-based protein, and the second one being a centre of excellence focusing on sustainable food manufacturing," Sustainable Foods' CEO Justin Lemmens says.
Changing demographics are helping to drive the region's growth. The under-35 population has grown almost 30 percent in the past decade.
"We're seeing a lot of younger people moving into Kapiti, we'd call them change-makers," Wilkinson says.
The Kapiti Coast will become even more accessible to Wellingtonians once the Transmission Gully motorway opens. It's expected to cut 10-15 minutes off the travel time and accelerate growth on the coast.
The opening date is already long overdue but when it finally opens it should bring even more people in.
"That will transform connectivity for Kapiti, so it will make it a realistic area to be based in for businesses as well," Wilkinson says.
But that growth isn't without it's challenges - keeping up with housing supply is an uphill battle.
"We've also got the added challenge of climate change which is going to minimise where we can build houses and stay in our houses," Holborow says.
A growing challenge for a rapidly growing region.
