The Frankton Flats plan change, relating to an area bounded by the Queenstown Airport, State Highway 6, the Frankton Industrial area and the Queenstown Events Centre, seeks to ensure a more prescriptive form of development, including industrial, residential and commercial elements.
Yesterday, QLDC senior policy analyst Alyson Hutton said in February 2008 an agenda item was presented to the council seeking authorisation to appoint three independent commissioners to hear the plan change - as the council was the sole shareholder of Queenstown Airport Corporation, it was considered necessary for the "totally independent" panel of commissioners to be appointed.
Following that meeting, John Matthews was appointed as chairman with Allan Watson and Ian Munro completing the panel.
Mrs Hutton said the hearings panel sat for 11 days last year, with a large amount of written material presented during the hearing.
The council forwarded its final submissions on January 20.
"It is anticipated that no further hearings days will be needed and the hearings panel should be able to finalise a decision to be brought to the council for ratification in the second quarter of 2009."
However, Mrs Hutton sought for an increase in the budget for the plan change to be absorbed within the approved district plan activity budget for the 2008-09 year.
"The project in the 2008-09 Annual Plan for Plan Change 19 covers that part of the process from the preparation of the officers hearing report, through the hearing of submissions and further submissions, the making of a recommendation by the hearing commissioners to the decision of the council.
"This is but one part of a process involving Frankton Flats that goes back to the review of the district plan, hearings by council, Environment Court hearings and decision, variations, Section 293 applications, preparation of Plan Change 19 Section 32 Report, notification and calling for submissions.
"This process has involved budgets over several years."
Mrs Hutton said "over-expenditure" arising from the plan change was $84,000 for the year to date.
The budget provision in the current year for the plan change was $129,078 for the plan change and $77,493 for the commissioners.
"The commissioner budget, however, covers other projects besides Plan Change 19.
"To date, the total expenditure on Plan Change 19 has been $225,865.
"Taking into account the demand other projects put on the commissioner budget, overexpenditure arising from Plan Change 19 totals about $84,000 for the year to date.
"Further expenditure of perhaps $25,000 will arise to complete the project to the point where a recommendation can be made by the commissioners."
The level of cost reflected "what expenditure can arise within complex plan changes involving multiple parties", she said.
The strategy committee was faced with two options - to adjourn the hearings until the next financial year when further funding was available; or to use available funds from other projects within the district plan activity to absorb the additional costs of Plan Change 19 and complete the process to the point of a decision being released.
The committee agreed with the recommendation to absorb the additional costs by using "underspend projects".
