Sticky forest in Wanaka can remain a community asset while still providing economic value to its owners, a hearings panel was told yesterday.
Treaty of Waitangi claims were intertwined with traffic management, basic economics and urban development during the hearing on the Queenstown Lakes District Council's proposed district plan.
The 50ha plot of land is being held by the Crown for the descendants of 57 Maori it was transferred to in a settlement claim under the South Island Landless Natives Act of 1906.
There were now about 1300 known descendants and the contact details were known for about 1200 of them.
One of those descendants, Christchurch-based Michael Beresford made a submission to the proposed district plan to have the land rezoned from rural to rural lifestyle.
If the rezoning was accepted, about 20ha of the 50ha would be set aside for residential development and the rest would remain undeveloped.
There would be some impact on the many mountain-biking trails inside the forest but overall, the public would still be able to access them if the proposal was accepted.
The case for rezoning was heard by commissioners Calum MacLeod, Trevor Robinson and Jenny Hudson.
While he did not represent all the descendants Mr Beresford said he was in regular contact with the larger shareholders, who were generally in agreement with the proposal, he said.
Several other options for the land had been discussed, such as forestry and commercial recreational opportunities around mountain biking, but the submission was likely to be the best outcome economically.
If the proposal was declined and another option was needed, public access to the site and the biking trails could not be guaranteed.
Mr Robinson asked Mr Beresford if the beneficiaries would be open to the council being compelled to buy the land through a provision in the Public Works Act, if no suitable economic outcome could be achieved.
Mr Beresford said the owners would accept the best offer from whomever, so that situation would be a last resort.
Since there was no cultural value to the land the best possible economic return was of most importance, which was the reason the land was provided under the treaty settlement.
Complicating the submission was the lack of access to the site, which is surrounded on three sides by residential developments and on the remaining side by the Clutha River outlet.
Commissioner Robinson asked if the lack of access meant the submission was premature.
The Office of Treaty Settlements was investigating the access issue and how it would be addressed, Mr Beresford said.
