Glendhu Bay Trustees Ltd has made a submission to the Queenstown Lakes District Council to have part of Glendhu Station in Parkins Bay changed from a rural zone to a special zone. In 2012, the Environment Court approved the resource consent to allow 42 luxury homes and an 18-hole golf course to be developed on the lower slopes of Glendhu Station.
Glendhu Station has been owned and farmed by the McRae family for three generations.
Work has already started on both the subdivision and the golf course.
As well as adding eight more homes, the zone would allow for the establishment of a camping ground on the shores of Lake Wanaka.
Most of the zone would remain undeveloped and further protected by covenants.
Public access through the zone would be also be protected.
The submission was heard by independent commissioners on day 14 of the hearings on the Upper Clutha Mapping stream of the proposed district plan, in Wanaka yesterday.
Developer and project manager John Darby told the commissioners the zone would address some of the complex and ambiguous provisions set out in the original resource consent.
At least five resource consents had already been lodged with the council and there were likely to be more as the development progressed, he said.
A zone would give more certainty to the developers and allow for better management of the provisions set by the Environment Court.
The zone would also provide better protection of the station’s landscape and secure the environmental protection provisions set in the original consent.
As this part of the station was no longer used for farming, it was logical to remove it from the rural zone, allowing the McRaes to diversify the use of the station while keeping it financially viable.
Commissioner Calum MacLeod questioned the minor description given to the additional eight sections proposed in the submission, when it was 20% increase on what was already consented. Mr Darby said the minor description was the impact the eight additional homes would have on the landscape and environment of the area.
If adopted, the zone proposal would hopefully encourage other landowners, particularly farmers, to diversify the use of their land.
Diversifying land use meant it remained economically viable while at the same time giving further protection to the landscapes and environment the public valued, Mr Darby said.
QLDC senior planner Craig Barr has recommended the re-zoning request be rejected because it did not provide appropriate management of activities within an outstanding natural landscape.
Mr Barr said the benefits to the developer in terms of flexibility and development activities were outweighed by the costs associated with the proposal and it did not provide certainty in terms of environmental outcomes.
