A proposal to build a house near Cromwell, which was originally more than 13 times the size of an average dwelling, has been dismissed by the Environment Court, despite it having heavyweight support from landscape artist Sir Grahame Sydney, who said it would sit "magnificently" in its setting.
The appeal of Larksbay New Zealand Trustees on behalf of a wine-producing family for consent to build the large house - which shrank nearly half in size in new plans, revealed at the Environment Court hearing - has been dismissed by the Environment Court, in a decision released this month.
In 2021, Te Kano Estate owners Keith and Rhonda Lloyd applied for consent for a building platform on a 20ha site in their Northburn vineyard on the lake’s eastern side.
They appealed a decision by the Central Otago District Council’s hearing panel, which rejected the application.
The appeal was joined and supported by landscape artist Sir Grahame Sydney and his wife Fiona, Lady Sydney, neither of whom attended the hearing.
The site is in a historically significant area, where there are past goldmining activities dating to 1860.
The Lloyds live in Singapore, but when Mr Lloyd visits his vineyards he stays at a home owned by the family in Queenstown. He had planned to reside on the Northburn vineyard and manage viticulture production.
The Sydneys said at the council hearing the owners would treat the land with a respect too seldom shown already in this district.
The house would blend both form and materials and would "sit magnificently in this setting".
"It will be a showpiece of understated, enviable appropriateness to the site, a model for future dreamers and all those who love and appreciate this Central Otago landscape and its character, as we know for certain these applicants do.
"We support ... in the strongest possible manner," they said.
The council hearings panel declined the application just under two years ago on the grounds of "unacceptable adverse effects" on the landscape and views.
Larksbay counsel Joshua Leckie said at the Environment Court hearing in Queenstown in November it had reduced the building platform’s area from 1988sqm to 1000sqm, shifting it nearer the vine-covered slopes behind it, and removing the need for preparatory earthworks.
Also presented at the hearing were proposals
to reduce the visual impact by creating mounds and having areas of grey shrubland planting.
Part of the land also falls within an outstanding natural landscape (ONL).
At the Environment Court hearing, Larksbay’s landscape specialist gave evidence the site had more attributes of modified rural landscapes to its north than the ONL it partly straddled.
Vineyard development had also taken place.
The council’s landscape specialist had found the proposal would have moderate-to-high adverse effects on landscape values and views.
The council declined the original application, saying the proposed platform would have unacceptable adverse effects on the open space and visual amenity values of the prominent hillside.
It would also set a precedent for the area.
Environment Court Judge Prudence Steven KC said in her decision the open natural character of the hillside and the ranges would not be maintained with the proposal.
The adverse landscape effects of the proposal were such that the application should be declined.
Because of this she did not need to make any definitive finding on the precedent effect of a grant of consent.
"However ... we consider that a precedent would undoubtedly have been set for further dwellings to be established within the foothills’ landscape."
Judge Steven dismissed the appeal with costs reserved.
Mr Leckie could not be contacted for comment.
- By Graham McKerracher, additional reporting Steve Hepburn
