Residents who fear this will destroy the rural nature of Queenstown’s renowned wine-producing Gibbston Valley have reignited a group formed to fight a proposed development seven-plus years ago.
The Friends of the Gibbston Character Zone group is concerned the Gibbston Village project — which includes a commercial area and possible 350-pupil primary school — means the area risks losing its international "dark sky park" certification, granted less than six months ago.
And they worry about the impact of another 3000 or so people — in an area with only 109 homes at present — on infrastructure such as the increasingly busy state highway.
Developer Gibbston Valley Station (GVS) stressed the village would only be developed within the existing 154ha resort zone, and not the neighbouring character zone.
Chief executive Greg Hunt said services were already in place for its first stages.
He said 5% of the village would be handed to the community housing trust to develop affordable housing, and GVS would increase bus services to Queenstown and Arrowtown as demand increased.
Pointing out GVS supported the dark sky park application, Mr Hunt said it would volunteer strict lighting controls "which will make it a model for future communities to adopt and protect the night sky".
Gibbston residents said their main issue with the government’s fast-track process was taking away their rights to object — Gibbston Village is one of 149 projects approved for inclusion in the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
However, they were also surprised how GVS seemingly transitioned from planning about 250 upmarket homes to a proposed 900-unit subdivision.
Brian Boyle, who moved to Gibbston two years ago, accepted he and others might be accused of being Nimbies ("not in my backyard").
"But, remember, all of us came here came to live in a rural area that was protected, with a long-term population growth strategy of 1.2% per annum.
"So to be suddenly faced with 1000% growth from a new town plonked in the middle of a rural area, well, then call me a Nimby."
A retired professor of astrophysics, Prof Boyle spent a year writing the successful application for the Kawarau Gibbston Dark Sky Park.
He said Gibbston Village posed "a very substantial risk" to that status, which gave the area "international cache" and encouraged astro-tourism.
He was adamant dark sky-compliant lighting must be enforced in the fast-track process.
"Given the scale of the development, these protections, while necessary, may still not be sufficient to save the Kawarau Gibbston Dark Sky Park."
He urged the council to ensure the village remained subject to these protections.
"With appropriate lighting protocols, this could even be an opportunity — an international example of a model dark sky-friendly-lighting town."
In addition to this issue, Prof Boyle said the village could also hinder Gibbston’s wine/bike tourism industry.
Residents group member Robert Yang said in just three days his group had garnered support from 53 residents.
Gibbston Community Association chairwoman Rose Cross said the council had identified growth areas in its district plan, and "this area’s not one of them".
Mr Hunt said GVS’ fast-track process differed from others as it was entirely within an existing development zone, and infrastructure was already in place for the initial stages.
"We have our own infrastructure and we are putting no cost on the ratepayers."
Like wine, the development was also sustainable, he said.
He added the developers had already battled NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to reduce street lighting beside the subdivision’s entrance and had met other strict lighting policies before the dark sky park was proposed.
He said groups such as Friends of the Gibbston Character Zone had an important role to play — and he appreciated the concerns they had raised.
He also accepted "that for some people, changes to land that one is used to seeing a certain way can be challenging".
