Development company Winton Property Ltd wants to build a 100-unit residential care facility with community and recreation facilities and a private hospital.
"We welcome the decision from the [Environmental Protection Agency] ... As much as we would love to get stuck into Northbrook Wanaka as soon as possible, we need to consider the implications of the requirement to reduce the size of the care pod,” Mr Meehan said.
Reducing the building was a consent condition.
"There are significant capital costs in establishing a private hospital that would have to be spread across 30% fewer beds under the condition of consent. Winton is reviewing the implications," Mr Meehan said.
According to an Urban Economics report, there are few vacancies at retirement village units in the region and retiree households have been forecast to increase 67% by 2028.
Queenstown Lakes district councillor Quentin Smith said he was aware the Northbrook consent could be a catalyst for deciding the future of the landlocked Sticky Forest.
The forest is owned by the descendants of a group of tangata whenua, who were granted the land as compensation many years ago.
Winton has volunteered access if it is not prevented from exploring other development opportunities.
"The resource consent includes a requirement to provide legal access to Sticky Forest through a private plan change to amend the Northlake structure plan, which must be lodged within six months," Mr Meehan said.
Queenstown Lakes district councillor Calum MacLeod said he hoped access could be resolved.
"We, as in New Zealand, had some land set aside for that group of tangata whenua ... Through whatever mistake, it’s ended up landlocked now, so if there’s access to that, it gives some closure to that group and that’s got to be a positive."
- Marjorie Cook
