The region with the largest work from home community is probably one you’d least expect
Originally Published in The Press, The Nelson Mail on December 5, 2025
By Catherine Hubbard
Tasman workers are choosing the kitchen table over the car commute, topping the country as the region with the highest percentage of people working from home.
According to the 2023 census, 20.8% of employed adults in Tasman mostly work from home, up from 18.3% in 2018, and 14.1% in 2013.
Nelson, on the other hand, had the lowest rate nationally at just 14.8% in 2023, followed by Canterbury at 15.6% and Hawke's Bay at 15.8%.
Across the country, the number of people mostly working from home increased by almost 60% between 2018 and 2023, according to Stats NZ.
With working from home gaining in popularity in the region, the opening of a new Mahitahi Colab co-working space in Māpua is being welcomed.
Tasman mayor Tim King said post Covid, telecommuting had become much more common, so while it came as a surprise that Tasman’s working from home proportion of the workforce was the highest in the country, it was certainly not a surprise that that segment comprised a significant chunk of the workforce.
It was “relatively common” for people to be living here, but working from home for government agencies or departments or entities in the capital, King said.
Trina Zimmerman, community manager Mahitahi Māpua, and Mahitahi Colab chairperson Russell Manning enjoy the new co-working space.Braden Fastier / Nelson Mail
Many people in private enterprise were running small businesses, including tech based businesses that operated in other parts of the world, he said.
When a percentage of the workforce worked from home, it meant offices needed fewer permanent desks, and those who did commute faced less traffic and had more parking on offer.
“It’s one of those things that if it’s well managed, certainly it benefits both the person working and potentially the business as well,” King said.
“But there are other impacts in terms of relationships between staff, and all of those things that come with going into a work environment which aren't necessarily as positive. So I guess it is a case of managing it, having a plan around it.”
Tasman has the highest proportion of people who usually work from home in the country. Supplied
Mahitahi Colab chair Russell Manning identified the need for the newly opened co-- working space after speaking with people living in the area who worked for national or international companies, but didn’t have offices.
As an example of who they were catering for, one man residing here was a CEO of accountancy firm in the Netherlands, where the rest of his team was based.
Some were doing mobile sales, and working out of their cars. Getting these people together to be “greater than the sum of its parts” seemed like a common sense thing to do, Manning said.
An unexpected target market for the innovation and co-working hub was tradies, who reported that they would love a desk one day a month to do their accounts.
Working from home brings benefits to those who do commute, freeing up traffic and parking spaces. Unsplash.
Some of the co-working space users were “totally” fed up with Richmond’s traffic, he said, while several people had commented that the drive to Māpua was easier than getting into Nelson from Richmond.
At present, 17 people are signed up to use the space, seven of which are full timers.
Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ali Boswijk, who was working from a standing desk at the facility on Tuesday, said it was important to get out into the Tasman region, and it was great being in the Richmond and Motueka “triangle of activity”.
Moutere Waimea ward councillor Dave Woods is a casual, making use of office space and meeting rooms and at the same time making connections with people outside of his circle.
“Anyone that works from home for a extended period welcomes the opportunity to get out and about,” he said.
Around 90% of the furniture was repurposed, as was this green carpet, saving furnishings from storage and landfill waste. BRADEN FASTIER / Nelson Mail
“It starts off all fun and giggles and then it becomes a prison.”
Advanced Lighting Technologies general manager Richard Bolderson said working from home was great, but being able to collaborate, network and having an “extra bit of energy” around was motivating.
Nelson Regional Development Agency chief executive Fiona Wilson said the agency would be promoting the Māpua space, the Nelson CBD space and other co-working spaces to corporates in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch as well as digital nomads.
“If you can work anywhere, why wouldn’t you work here?”
