Appeal filed over Northlake

A view of the area of the proposed subdivision in Northlake. Photo by ODT.
A view of the area of the proposed subdivision in Northlake. Photo by ODT.
A group of Wanaka residents is appealing to the Environment Court to stop the major new Northlake residential subdivision going ahead.

In July, the Queenstown Lakes District Council approved private plan change 45-Northlake Special Zone, allowing Queenstown resident Michaela Ward Meehan to develop 220ha of land between the existing town and the Clutha River.

The council's decision followed a plan change hearing last year when commissioners Lyal Cocks and David Whitney heard 123 submissions, including 85 opposed.

Now, 26 submitters have filed an appeal.

The notice of appeal says the plan change allows up to 1720 new dwellings at Northlake, although the commissioners' decision uses a figure of up to 1600 residential lots.

The appellants' lawyer, Jan Caunter, said the main areas of concern were the total number of dwellings, the density of houses and the appellants' belief the plan change goes ''right against the general thrust of the planning strategies for Wanaka''.

Ms Caunter said the council had ''endless amounts of planning documents'' including the structure plan and growth management strategy ''directing Wanaka's main urban growth to the south of the town''.

''There's no debate that some growth would occur on the Northlake land. That's quite clear from the Wanaka structure plan, but nothing like this.''

Ms Caunter said the structure plan had been revised in 2007 and discussed by the council many times.

The document filed with the Environment Court lists 16 grounds for appeal.

They include the council's alleged failure to consider:

• whether the site was the most appropriate for medium residential development;

• the merits of the development of the site against other sites; and

• the ''potential significant costs'' on ratepayers arising from water and waste water infrastructure.

The document also argues the council decision ''incorrectly assesses'' section 7 (b) of the Resource Management Act which governs the efficient use of land in a district.

The appeal group - known as ''Appealing Wanaka'' - members are: K. and L. Warburton, N. and L. Webster, M. Hill, J. and M. Reveley, P. Jones, A. Cutler, E. Muir, K. Vollebregt, A. Coote, M. Gilchrist, G. and F. Tate, T. and S. Popperwell, P. and I. Shore, R. Rainsford, M. Fraser, B. Paulson, M. L. Schroder, T. O'Donnell, and T. and N. Davidson.

The group wants the plan change ''cancelled in its entirety'' but failing that, the development reduced in area, capped at between 442 and 710 dwellings with lot sizes not less than 800sq m.

It also calls for the zone change to be deferred until December 2019.

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