A panel member in a controversial Queenstown housing hearing has kept his place despite an attempt to remove him.
Hearings took place last month over a Queenstown Lakes District Council proposal which would force developers to contribute 5% of the estimated sales value — either through land or a monetary payment — to fund affordable housing.
Glenpanel Developments Ltd (GDL) called for the departure of commissioner Ken Fletcher, who is one of four on the panel set to decide on the matter, accusing him of carrying out his own research and apparent bias.
Mr Fletcher was given the right of reply, where he said he had "no agenda or position to promote" and approached the hearing with an open mind.
A spokesman for the QLDC confirmed this week Mr Fletcher remained on the hearings panel.
Mr Fletcher had 22 years’ experience as an economist for Statistics New Zealand before his five-year term sitting on the Environment Court as a commissioner.
The other panel members were Jan Caunter (chairwoman), Jane Taylor and Lee Beattie.
Ms Caunter has been contacted for comment.
A QLDC spokesman said the panel should finish their recommendations report in the next six to eight weeks.
GDL spokesman Mark Tylden said it would be inappropriate to comment on the Mr Fletcher situation at this stage.
However, he also said the proposed inclusionary zoning method was "a tax" and an "improper" use of the Resource Management Act.
"There are other more appropriate and equitable methods to raise money for community housing such as through rates.
"We hope the hearings panel come back with a decision that provides Queenstown with affordable housing so our children and grandkids can live in the best part of the world rather than being priced out of the market by an inequitable scheme which benefits only a small section of the community.
"We need real-world solutions to the real-world problem of housing supply, and we need them sooner rather than later."
Economist Shamubeel Eaqub has spoken in favour of the proposal on behalf of the council.
He has said it was a workable, complementary policy to overall housing supply to ensure when homes are built, a small portion was affordable, and was retained as affordable, so the stock of affordable homes would gradually grow over time.
