An estimated $53 million could be spent annually by guests at a proposed $500 million resort, golf course, vineyards and residential development near Alexandra, an Auckland planner told a hearing committee yesterday.
A Central Otago District Council (CODC) panel yesterday started hearing an application by Melview (McArthur Ridge) Ltd to change the Central Otago District Plan and create a new zone named McArthur Ridge.
Resource management planner Adrienne Young Cooper told the hearing Melview Hotel operations management division estimated the McArthur Ridge hotel complex would log 220,000 visitor nights each year by 2012.
That was three times the growth projected by the Ministry of Tourism for the period 2006-12, and would generate millions for the economy, Mrs Young Cooper said.
McArthur Ridge could end up being the largest employer in the district with an estimated 400 full-time equivalent employees (FTE), she said.
The present FTE in Central Otago was 8433, and the projected increase would amount to a 5% rise in employment in the area.
The panel also heard that the design of the buildings would be in keeping with the general character of the region, with some single stand-alone houses, as well as others in clusters resembling the large station houses with their ancillary buildings.
Keeping the open-space character of the landscape was paramount as was retaining the natural flora, she said.
The initial infrastructure costs were about $66 million and the overall costs about $500 million.
The applicant's presentations were completed yesterday and those with submissions will be able to have their say today.
