The seventh recommendation for a special housing area (SHA) for Queenstown will soon be on its way to Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith.
Yesterday the Queenstown Lakes District Council voted in favour of recommending Queenstown Country Club, a retirement village on two tracts of land between Arrowtown and Frankton, be established as an SHA, subject to execution of an amended draft deed and 11m height and three-storey limits for qualifying developments.
The decision came after almost an hour of discussion around the council table, including a public excluded session, and a lengthy public forum.
Ten people, including QCC developer Fraser Sanderson, addressed the council before it made its decision yesterday.
All but one of those was in support.
Ben Espie, on behalf of the Lake Hayes Estate Community Association, said the association's primary issue was the location.
The total land area was about 52ha, with one tract on the Frankton-Ladies Mile Highway and another beside Jones Ave, connecting Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country.
Mr Espie said that land was zoned rural and to develop it as proposed would contravene the council's lead policy on SHAs and "flies in the face'' of the operative and proposed district plans and the growth strategy.
"It is clearly in the wrong location and therefore in discord with the lead policy.
"We say this really will set that precedent and then urbanisation ... is [inevitable].''
However, all others were supportive, particularly given an assurance dementia care would be provided at the site.
Lorraine Cooper told the council there had been a meeting in May 2007 in Queenstown to discuss issues for the elderly who "were being shipped out''.
Since then, little had been done to address the growing problem.
"The time is well overdue. I fully support the proposal ... I urge you, as councillors, to do the same.''
In committee Cr Scott Stevens said it was "absolutely crucial'' the development was built for residents of the Wakatipu and wider Queenstown Lakes district and not "imports''.
Cr Stevens said Sanderson Group advertised nationally, which indicated people living outside the district, with no relationship to it, might move to the Wakatipu for their later years.
Given they were not already resident, it would not free up any housing stock and it would not provide the full benefits to the area's ageing population.
Mr Sanderson, of Tauranga, had made a commitment at least 50% of the residents would need to be people who had resided in the area.
Cr Stevens said he was keen to see that in the draft deed.
Following a public excluded session, the council further amended the recommendation, removing any reference to "urban'' in relation to recognising the precedent the decision set for future development on that section of Ladies Mile.
It was moved by Cr Simon Stamers-Smith, seconded by Cr Mel Gazzard and passed unanimously.
