A complex hearing to rezone one of Queenstown's biggest undeveloped areas began yesterday - four years after it was first notified.
Plan Change 19, the rezoning of the Frankton Flats, has followed a complex history of development proposals and environment court hearings since 2007.
Environmental Court judge Jane Borthwick and commissioners David Bunting and Ross Dunlop will decide over the next two weeks the future of undeveloped land bordering Queenstown Airport, the failed Five Mile development, commonly known as Hendo's Hole, Glenda Dr and the Queenstown Events Centre.
Macalister Todd Phillips lawyer Jayne MacDonald opened submissions on behalf of the Queenstown Lakes District Council stating the land was the last remaining greenfields site within urban Queenstown.
Ms MacDonald said the court decision on the proposed development would play an important role for additional housing opportunities in both the medium and long term.
She outlined several outcomes the council was seeking such as "a good-looking entrance to Queenstown and preservation of significant views", a maximum use of the land, provision for industrial activities and careful consideration over the location and type of retail activities on the development.
The council sought to "protect the town centre, existingzonings and to avoid the creation of further retail areas in the greater Queenstown".
The land had been divided into five different activity areas; an open space buffer to protect views, a Limited Development buffer (a transition area with height restrictions and a proposed 15% coverage), the Village Centre (commercial, business and residential area), an industrial yard-based activity area and an industrial area.
The council sought relief on whether the "Village Centre" land would be used to create a small village or whether it should be designed to be part of a larger Frankton town centre.
"The council is seeking a structural approach to retail activities enabling retail to establish in the area ... but in a way that ensures other activities are not disabled," she said.
Other major parties at the hearing were Shotover Park Ltd, Queenstown Airport, Air New Zealand and Foodstuffs Ltd (South Island), which had its application declined for a Pak'n Save supermarket.
Last week Crossroads Properties Ltd received agreement from the council to have its resource consent application for a Mitre 10 Mega store heard in the Environment Court.
The hearing is expected to run over the next two weeks.
