A proposed bypass road giving access to Remarkables and Shotover Parks from State Highway 6 was advanced significantly yesterday.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council's strategy committee approved a notice of requirement for the completion of Queenstown's Eastern Access Road, which will give developers some certainty over the process. The notice gives the council the right to require owners to sell their land if a sale cannot be agreed voluntarily.
The road would link State Highway 6 through Glenda Dr and Hawthorne Dr, enabling better access to the Remarkables Park and Shotover Parks residential and commercial developments.
Subject to the proposed $100,000 budget for the work being provided in the 2011-12 annual plan, the council would pay for the notice of requirement completion, with the understanding that it is repaid by some or all of the benefiting landowners.
QLDC transport manager Denis Mander agreed the current agreement could end up being "cost-beneficial" for the council as developers bringing forward the road's construction may have front up with the money.
"There is an element of the council getting something they might have to pay for in nine, 10 years time," he said.
Completing the notice of requirement now means the road could be included in the New Zealand Transport Authority's long-term plan for the next three years, but Mr Mander was not certain it would get priority.
"The advantages of this strategic road would be of congestion relief, but does it measure up to [congestion in] Auckland and Christchurch?"
Plan change 19 aims to rezone rural general land in the Frankton area for commercial, residential and industrial development, and along with a notice of requirement for Glenda Dr, determines the location of the road's intersection with State Highway 6.
Shotover Park Ltd's appeal against the Glenda Dr notice of requirement is understood to be close to being resolved.
The release of the Frankton Flats land for development depends on construction of the access road, and there has been pressure from landowners for council to designate the land and programme the road's construction.
Speaking in the meeting's public forum, Remarkables Park and Shotover Park planning liaison manager Deb Taylor said it supported the designation of land that had so far been granted, but wanted to see the full length of the road designated.
She said the council completing a notice of requirement would give road developers some certainty about the road proceeding, and proceedings were now "in the hands" of Queenstown Airport Corporation lawyers.
The land required by the road is held predominantly by Shotover Park Ltd, Queenstown Central Ltd, the airport corporation and Trojan Holdings Ltd.
Accurate surveying for the land, which will eventually be owned by the council, would also be important, and the parties and land owners involved were wanting their road levies to go as a credit towards the road, she said.
