As part of the Queenstown Lakes District Council district plan review, Gibbston Valley Station Ltd succeeded in establishing the Gibbston Valley Resort Zone, which covers 330ha on either side of State Highway 6.
The zone is bounded on the northern side of the road by AJ Hackett Bungy Kawarau and Peregrine Wines and on the southern side from Gibbston Valley’s vineyard to Resta Rd.
The original resource consent for Gibbston Valley Station’s resort, granted in June 2009 — to lapse in June 2024 — enabled a "Vintners Village" with 13 buildings, a total of 106 visitor accommodation units in various parts of the site, staff accommodation, a spa complex with six buildings, and a luxury lodge near the winery, all on the southern side of the highway.
A daycare facility was also planned and a key part of the development was worker accommodation. Approval had been given for 90 beds for short and long-term stays.
On the northern side, consent was received for an 18-hole golf course, 30 more visitor accommodation units, a community building and 10 more buildings containing 13 residential units.
A further consent, granted in 2018, enabled a visitor accommodation facility with 33 cottages and associated facilities, and an underpass. That consent has already been activated and the first stage, the $25million Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa, opened in December.
Gibbston Valley Station chief executive Greg Hunt said plans within the zone were still largely consistent with the original proposal. However, the consent for development on the northern side of the highway, including part of the golf course, fell outside the newly established resort zone.
It had now reapplied for consent for a nine-hole golf course, in a different location, earthworks and 14 building platforms — 13 residential and one associated with a community facility containing a swimming pool and lounge for residents — on 33ha which abuts the resort zone, "to bring it in line with the resort".
The community facility would be accessed via the proposed underpass.
"If we do a golf course — and that’s still an if — that would be in both areas [the resort and Gibbston character zones]," Mr Hunt said.
At present, the Greg Turner-designed course is pegged on the northern side of the highway. Part of it had been used for parking during the annual Gibbston Valley concert.
"I used to be at Millbrook many years ago and what we did there was park over the golf course — just not on the greens.
"This is more of a country-style course — still a quality golf course, but it’s not intended to hold a PGA Championship on it."
The concert space would be retained and used for that event, wine and food festivals, community and sports events.
While detailed plans were still being finalised, Mr Hunt said promotion of the resort would begin in "two or three months".
The earliest construction would start would be 2022, he said.
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Of couse we once again see the modus operandi of developers. The minute a lucrative development envelope is approved they apply for just a "small" enlagement of the scheme and their profits.
Great, a whole lot more development, interruptions on the road, dust, reduction in open space, just like the recent development, and zero benefit to Gibbston residents. And please don’t tell me we will be lucky to get some more minimum wage jobs locally because that’s not a benefit.