A subdivision on land that is the "last suitable remnant of the former Queensberry Hills pastoral lease" has been approved by the Central Otago District Council hearings panel.
The application, by Edward Burn Developments Ltd, was heard by the panel on December 12 and the decision was released last week.
The subdivision, to the west of State Highway 6 at Queensberry, will create 15 allotments to be held in 10 titles. The development will be staged.
The area is zoned rural resource area, which allows subdivision that creates allotments with an average area of no less than 8ha and a minimum area of no less than 2ha.
Nine of the 10 new titles in the Edward Burn subdivision will be between 3.3ha and 17.8ha, and the 10th will be 54.2ha.
The council decision said the applicant "advises that in essence the [subdivision] site is the last suitable remnant of the former Queensberry Hills pastoral lease that has not yet been subdivided into rural residential allotments".
The site was not used for any "productive purposes".
The council’s planning consultant, David Whitney, said there had been "substantial" subdivision at Queensberry already, mainly to the north of the Edward Burn site. He recommended the Edward Burn application be approved.
The council’s decision said the proposed subdivision would have adverse effects in terms of open space, landscape, natural character and amenity values, particularly as viewed from SH8A, but the effects would not be significant "having regard to other subdivision and development which has occurred in this environment", and were not so significant that consent should be refused.
A suite of conditions was attached to the subdivision consent, including landscape and design controls, and conditions relating to traffic access.
A condition was also attached about historic sites on the subdivision.
Heritage New Zealand had asked for the Edward Burn application to be put on hold until more information could be provided about the effect of the subdivision on heritage values of the site. There were known archaeological sites there, including a historic earth embankment dam and water races.
The council did not think it necessary to put the application on hold, but attached a condition that the consent holder and any successor or successors ensure the "ongoing protection" of the embankment dam and historic water races, according to the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014.
