A budget change to accommodate an "extreme and ludicrous" consultant’s fee of up to $1.4 million was approved yesterday by councillors in Queenstown who fear another Shotover Country-style housing development.
Ladies Mile has been the subject of three housing development applications in recent years and Queenstown Lakes District Council planning officer Liz Simpson told a full council meeting that private developers were poised to build on the land.
The council has become wary of traffic problems and affordable housing shortages in the area, prompting a contract to be put out for tender in May to develop a master plan for Ladies Mile.
This was to guide developments in the area and to encourage higher-density residential units, alongside a transport plan.
Councillors were yesterday asked to consider a budget adjustment, after the firms asked for their fee to paid over a shorter timeframe than planned for.
The council had allocated $700,000 from this year’s budget and planned to put the same figure towards the project next year.
This meant councillors needed to agree to debt-fund a further $450,000 this year.
Cr Quentin Smith said he supported integrated planning and would not block the master plan, but said an alternative way should be found in future to avoid spending an "extraordinary amount of money" on fees.
"At the annual plan decision we made a commitment to reviewing consultant spend and this can only represent an extreme and ludicrous level of consultant spend for the outcomes it produces."
Cr Niki Gladding voted against the proposal and said there should be a pause on the master plan.
Cr Niamh Shaw said this would "cost more money in the long run", and Cr Penny Clark said the master plan was necessary.
Ms Simpson said she had weekly phone calls from one landowner in Ladies Mile seeking to push ahead with housing and "one of the developers is sat there waiting".
Planning department general manager Tony Avery warned councillors that without a master plan there was "a risk the developer will do another, dare I say it, Lake Hayes Estate, Shotover Country-style development".
