The plan-change process for a proposed residential development near the Shotover River, along the Ladies Mile stretch of State Highway 6, has made progress after the Queenstown Lakes District Council strategy committee agreed to recommend the council accept the plan change.
The proposal includes 758 residential dwellings plus provision for education and community activities along with open spaces, roading and infrastructure on a 120ha plot of flat land along the highway near Lake Hayes Estate.
In a report to the council's strategy committee, QLDC senior policy analyst Karen Page had recommended rejecting plan change 41, which relates to this development.
"With the current projected growth of 500 residential or visitor dwellings per year, there is still capacity within the current zoning for another 20 years. There is not demand for this development," Ms Page said.
However, at a strategy committee meeting yesterday, councillors disagreed with the recommendation, and chose another approach.
"On the surface we might say this development is not needed, but this could be one of the last chances to have reasonably affordable housing.
I cannot see any good reason to reject this plan change," Cr Mel Gazzard said.
Crs Lex Perkins, Lyal Cocks, Cath Gilmour, Leigh Overton, John R.
Wilson and committee chairwoman Gillian Macleod all expressed similar opposition to the recommendation.
"While I might not think we need this right now, we have to consider the long-term planning," Cr Overton said.
"If Lake Hayes Estate was not already there, the situation might have been different. I see this proposed development as much more sustainable than other developments like, for example, Jacks Point. We also have to be consistent in our approach to these issues," Cr Cocks said.
The committee decided to recommend the council accept the plan change.
This would not mean the council had to agree with the contents of the plan change.
The cost of the plan change process would be carried by the applicant - the developer - and the council could make a submission in favour of or against the plan change.
Another option would have been to adopt, rather than accept, the plan change.
This would have resulted in the council taking over the plan-change process.
But at its previous meeting in March the committee raised a range of issues concerning traffic and infrastructure that would have to be dealt with.
Cr Cath Gilmour spoke out against adopting the plan change, saying "the cost to the ratepayer would be too great".
Neil McDonald, principal of planning consultancy Clark Fortune McDonald and Associates and spokesman for plan-change applicant Ladies Mile Partnership, said the applicant was pleased with the committee's decision to let the plan-change process proceed.
"We are very pleased the public will now get a chance to see our proposal and express their point of view on the suitability of the site for future development.
"Depending on how lengthy the resource-management process will be, we hope to be able to release sections for sale at the very lowest end of the Queenstown market, and have the development started within the next two years," Mr McDonald said.
The recommendation to accept the plan change will be brought before the entire council on May 25.
