Development on hill

The Queenstown Lakes District Council is in line to net millions from the development of reserve land high above the Queenstown town centre.

Council contractor APL was last week granted non-notified consent to slice a section off 70ha of Crown-owned recreation reserve land above Vancouver Dr on Queenstown Hill.

Mostly zoned high density residential, the 9ha site can now be reclassified freehold, paving the way for residential housing development.

APL director Joanne Conroy said there were ''no firm plans'' for the site as yet. However, in 2013 Ms Conroy told the Mountain Scene the Queenstown Lakes council planned to subdivide the site into 64 sections, with a mix of smaller and larger sites of up to 1200sq m.

A real estate agent familiar with the area said if a subdivision of that density proceeded, the sections could be expected to sell for between $300,000 and $750,000 depending on views, sun and contours.

New sections on Queenstown Hill were sought after because of their proximity to the town centre.

If the council began a development immediately, it would take at least two years for the first sections to go on the market, he said.

The way was cleared for the lucrative development by a deal last August between the council and the Department of Conservation after 13 years of spasmodic negotiations.

The council agreed to swap 6ha it owns above the Commonage Villas on Kerry Dr for the 9ha of reserve land.

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