Flat Bush is the country'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 envionrment 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 will be developed starting in 2010, and planning is underway for subdivision of another 440 hectares.