Chris Morris

A small number of developers are sitting on thousands of undeveloped residential sites in Queenstown, even as a shortage of land contributes to the spiralling cost of housing in the resort, new figures show.

A 12-building industrial property portfolio for sale in Queenstown could fetch $9 million, but will not make a dent in the resort town's appetite for industrial land, the agent managing the sale says.

Plans for a 5600-seat grandstand as part of a $40 million upgrade of the Queenstown Events Centre have stalled as a new Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) takes over management of Queenstown Lakes district leisure facilities.

A charitable trust aims to help an estimated 700 homeowners in Arrowtown facing the prospect - and the cost - of converting fireplaces to meet new air quality standards.

Film Queenstown has hit back at claims an environmental initiative involving the $100 million Xmen Origins: Wolverine film amounts to ‘‘tokenism''.

Opponents of poker machines are lining up to fight their introduction to Glenorchy, near Queenstown.