A major new development at an area known as McArthur Ridge, near Alexandra, could be one step closer to becoming a reality with an application for a plan change now before the Central Otago District Council.
If it goes ahead, the proposed development, about 6km north of Alexandra, would see an 18-hole golf course, with clubhouse and facilities, resort visitor accommodation, including a five-star hotel-lodge with cafes, bars, restaurants, recreational and retail activities built during the next two years.
Residential development, including freestanding villas, on residential or rural-residential sections, clusters of houses, semi-detached houses and apartments with a mix of holiday homes, permanent homes and homes leased back to the hotel, would be built during the next 10 to 20 years.
The proposal would not allow for more than 3% of land to be affected by buildings. The remaining 97% would be in golf course, open space, outdoor recreation or living space, vineyards, or rural production.
Melview (McArthur Ridge) Ltd wants the council to change the designation of an 821ha rural area known as McArthur Ridge to be known as the McArthur Ridge Resource Area.
The area is designated Rural Resource Area.
Melview wants to be able to use the land for a mixture of rural, vineyard, recreational, residential and commercial activities.
A full copy of the requested plan change can be inspected at the Alexandra Office of the CODC and at the Ranfurly, Cromwell and Roxburgh service centres.
Submissions close on Monday, March 10, and must be on Form 5, copies of which are available from all the above addresses.
Submissions will be processed and publicly notified in summary. Further submissions may be made in support or opposition to the original submissions, and the council will then consider the Plan Change 1 application.
The applicant and submitters may be heard at a public hearing, after which the council will either decline, approve, or approve with modifications Plan Change 1, giving reasons for its decision. The applicant or anyone who lodged a sub mission, or further submission may appeal the decision to the Environment Court.
CODC planning and environ ment manager Louise Van der Voort said it was difficult to say at this stage how long the whole process would take.
‘‘It depends on the number of submissions we get and how long it takes to process them and that will also have a bear ing on the overall cost of the application,'' she said.
