A special stage of the Targa New Zealand rally has been scrapped after protest from locals.
Organisers failed to get permission from the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) to close the Glenorchy-Queenstown road on the morning of October 27.
Paul Shanahan, Targa NZ media spokesman, said there was strong objection from some of the residents along the route, "despite the massive economic benefit Targa Rally brings".
The rally will still take place locally on the Crown Range road between Queenstown and Cardrona, near Wanaka, and on Littles Rd, near Arthurs Point.
Unlike those roads, the Glenorchy-Queenstown road has no alternative route.
Glenorchy Community Association chairman John Glover said they opposed it.
"We only have one road and to have it closed for a private motorsport event didn’t bring any benefits to the community and only brought inconvenience.
"It’s the opening weekend of the Routeburn Track so there’s a huge number of people heading into the hills.
"There’s also a couple of big weddings on and the usual bits and pieces. So, from a community point of view, there wasn’t anyone saying ‘it’s a really good idea, it should happen’.
"All we got were people saying ‘this is crazy, it shouldn’t be happening’."
Mr Glover said much had changed since the rally used the road in 2014.
There was opposition then, too, including from Closeburn resident Doug Bailey.
This time, when the letter arrived asking for residents’ views on the potential closure he threw it straight in the bin, he said, as he believed it was a fait accompli from the "pro-growth council".
The road was closed for three days last month when a snowstorm brought down trees and powerlines. The rally closure would have been from 7am to 3.30pm.
"If there was another way in or out of Glenorchy, then it might be a different story," Mr Glover said.
QLDC communications adviser Sam White said: "It is a busy road with no alternative access and the Glenorchy community told us they would not support a closure, given they felt any benefits did not outweigh the drawbacks."
Due to staff absences yesterday, Mr White could not confirm how many residents opposed the road closure.
Mr Glover said: "I hear anecdotally around the country Targa has faced similar problems."
Mr Shanahan did not respond to questions about opposition to the rally elsewhere.
But he said the Glenorchy decision was "sad", as the road was "very popular with the foreign and North Island drivers".
"Without local support we cannot stage such events. It certainly will be a consideration for where we next stage a South Island Rally."
The rally will cover 30 stages over five days in the South Island, from October 23 to 27.
It will feature 61 cars in the "competition" class, everything from a 1972 Ford Escort MK1 to a 2016 Porsche 991 GT3RS; 44 in the tour class and 21 in the vintage class, including a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom. All up, it is about $25 million worth of cars.
The rally begins in Gore and travels to the Catlins, Balclutha, Milton, Mosgiel, Palmerston, Oamaru and elsewhere.
The organisers estimate it will bring $2 million in economic benefit to Queenstown alone.
