Worker and RSE Accommodation

New Zealand’s primary sector depends on seasonal workforces. Getting the accommodation right is no longer optional.

It affects your RSE scheme compliance, your ability to attract and retain workers season after season, and increasingly, your social licence to operate.

Britkin designs and builds purpose-built worker and RSE accommodation that meets the practical and regulatory requirements of a modern seasonal operation, and reflects the standards your workers and your business deserve.

Why This Matters More Than It Used To

Expectations around worker accommodation have shifted significantly in recent years. Immigration New Zealand’s RSE scheme requirements set minimum standards, but the operators who attract the best workers and maintain strong community and industry relationships are consistently those who go beyond the minimum.

Poor accommodation affects productivity, worker wellbeing and retention. It creates compliance risk. And in an era where supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing matter to export markets, it carries reputational consequences that extend well beyond the harvest season.

Getting accommodation right is an investment that pays back across multiple seasons.

What We Deliver

Britkin provides end-to-end design and construction for worker and RSE accommodation facilities, managing the full project from concept to handover.

Design and layout

We design facilities that work for the people living in them and the operations managing them. That means thinking through bedroom configurations, communal living and dining areas, bathroom and laundry facilities, outdoor spaces, storage, security and site access, all as part of an integrated design rather than as a checklist of boxes to tick.

Compliance and consenting

Worker accommodation involves a specific set of regulatory requirements covering building consent, resource consent, health and safety, and RSE scheme standards. We manage the full compliance and consenting process, understanding the requirements that apply to this facility type and keeping the process moving.

Construction and delivery

We coordinate the full build, managing contractors, programme and quality throughout. Seasonal operations often have fixed windows for when accommodation needs to be ready. We plan to those deadlines and deliver on them.

Handover and commissioning

We hand over a facility that is ready to accommodate workers from day one, with all services commissioned, compliance documentation in order, and nothing left on a snagging list.

Our Experience

Britkin designed and built a 160-bed RSE worker accommodation facility for Bostock New Zealand at Irongate, Hawke’s Bay.

Bostock is one of New Zealand’s leading free-range and organic producers, with a long-standing commitment to doing things properly across their operation. Their accommodation facility reflects that commitment: a purpose-built, high-quality environment designed around the welfare and practical needs of their seasonal workforce.

The project sits alongside a broader construction relationship with Bostock that spans coolstores, food processing facilities and office buildings, and reflects the trust that comes from consistent delivery across multiple project types over many years.

What We Consider in Every Build

Worker accommodation projects involve a level of complexity that goes beyond a standard residential or commercial build. We work through:

Bedroom numbers, configurations and privacy requirements
Communal kitchen, dining and living spaces scaled to occupancy
Bathroom and laundry ratios to meet scheme and building code requirements
Outdoor recreation and amenity spaces
Site access, parking and security
Stormwater, wastewater and services infrastructure
Energy efficiency and long-term operating costs
Compliance with RSE scheme accommodation standards
Scalability and future capacity if your workforce grows

Projects

Bostock Worker Accommodation

Location: Hawke’s Bay

Date: Coming soon

Size: Coming soon

Coming soon

Why Britkin

We understand the primary sector context.

Worker accommodation doesn't exist in isolation. It sits alongside coolstores, packhouses, processing facilities and operational infrastructure. We understand how all of those pieces fit together and can manage accommodation as part of a broader site development if needed.

We build to a standard worth standing behind.

We're not interested in delivering accommodation that meets the bare minimum. Good design and quality construction produce better outcomes for workers, better outcomes for operators, and facilities that hold their value over time.

We manage the whole project.

One team, full accountability, from design through to handover. You deal with us throughout.

We deliver to deadlines.

Seasonal operations have fixed timelines. We take those seriously and plan accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the compliance requirements for RSE worker accommodation?

RSE scheme accommodation must meet Immigration New Zealand’s published standards covering bedroom size, bathroom ratios, communal facilities, heating, and general amenity. It must also comply with the New Zealand Building Code and relevant resource consent conditions. Requirements can vary depending on location and regional council rules. We work through the full compliance picture at the start of every project so nothing is missed.

How many beds can you design and build for?

We scale to the project. Our experience includes a 160-bed facility for Bostock New Zealand, and we can design across a range of capacities depending on your workforce size and site constraints. Talk to us about your numbers and we’ll give you a realistic picture of what’s involved.

Can accommodation be built alongside other facilities on the same site?

Yes. Worker accommodation often sits alongside coolstores, packhouses or processing facilities on the same site. We can manage accommodation as part of a broader site development or as a standalone project.

How long does a worker accommodation project take?

Timeframes vary depending on scale, site conditions and consent complexity. We establish a realistic programme at the start of the project and manage to it. If you have a fixed seasonal deadline, tell us upfront and we’ll plan around it.

Does the accommodation need to meet specific energy efficiency standards?

Yes, new builds must meet current New Zealand Building Code requirements for insulation and energy efficiency. Beyond compliance, well-designed, energy-efficient accommodation costs less to run, which matters when you’re operating a large facility across multiple seasons. We specify for long-term performance, not just consent approval.

Start the Conversation

If you’re planning worker or RSE accommodation, talk to us early. Site, consenting and design decisions made upfront have a significant bearing on cost, compliance and the quality of the finished facility.