Housing proposals gain slight support

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) staff have thrown their support behind only 175 of more than 900 new properties proposed under the Queenstown Lakes Housing Accord.

Uncertainty remains over an extra 232 properties proposed in the Arrowtown area, after council staff left it up to councillors to weigh up the pros and cons of those proposals.

Councillors are to decide on Wednesday next week which proposals to recommend to Minister for Building and Housing Dr Nick Smith for final approval.

This comes after QLDC agreed to a housing accord with the minister last year, aimed at addressing housing supply and affordability issues in the district.

In a report, released last night and to be tabled at the meeting, district plan manager Matthew Paetz recommended councillors vote in favour of four of 13 proposals for special housing areas, adding to a total of 175 properties.

The largest of the proposals - a 320-property development at Homestead Bay - was among those which did not receive support from staff.

However, Mr Paetz left it to councillors to weigh up proposals in the Arrowtown area, which have prompted significant backlash from the local community.

Mr Paetz said councillors needed to weigh the ''meaningful'' difference the Arrowtown proposals would make to housing supply and affordability against the fact they were outside Arrowtown's urban growth boundary and infrastructure ''complexities''.

He warned councillors that not recommending the highest-ranking Arrowtown areas meant the council ''would likely fall short'' of the housing accord target of 1300 new houses over the next three years.

The report comes after an evaluation panel made up of Mr Paetz and an independent external planning adviser experienced in special housing areas in Auckland and Wellington judged the merits of each proposal.

Each of the four areas recommended for approval - Shotover Country, Arthurs Point North, Onslow Road and Highview Terrace - were given the highest of four possible ratings.

Two of the four Arrowtown proposals - Brackens Ridge and Rafa Trust (owned by QLDC chief executive Adam Feeley) - were also given the highest possible rating and, if approved, they would add another 82 properties. A third Arrowtown proposal, Ayburn Farm, was the only area to be given the second-highest rating, and if approved would add another 150 properties.

QLDC also released the results of ''informal feedback'' on the issue, and 56 of 67 responses related to the Arrowtown proposals.

''I do not believe the proposed special housing area on the boundaries of Arrowtown will deliver a single affordable house,'' one submitter said.

''Like elsewhere, the land will be snapped up by speculators and cashed-up baby boomers.''

Most of the remaining submitters raised concerns about the Highview Terrace development, which was among those supported by staff.

vaughan.elder@odt.co.nz

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