The creation of a 2834ha ‘‘Glendhu Station zone'' is being proposed to the Queenstown Lakes District Council by Queenstown property developer John Darby.
A company of which he is sole director, Glendhu Bay Trustees Ltd, has made a submission to the council's district plan review that would alter the way in which the company's land can be developed for residential and tourism purposes.
In its submission, planner Chris Ferguson said the land extended west from Glendhu Bay to the confluence of the Matukituki and Motatapu Rivers.
The proposed district plan shows it is within an area of ‘‘outstanding natural landscape''.
Mr Ferguson said a ‘‘resource study'' of a 5000ha corridor running across both Glendhu Station and Cattle Flat Station had evaluated the landscape, ecological values, geographical constraints and opportunities.
The study, he said, was designed to be an ‘‘informed platform'' for consideration of land use opportunities and to ‘‘avoid piecemeal and unco-ordinated planning decisions''.
It identified nine landscapes within the corridor and assessed their ability to ‘‘absorb change''.
Areas with ‘‘varied potential'' to absorb change were the Glendhu Station flats and the foreshore of Parkins Bay.
The new zone would include the 180ha development proposed by another company connected to Mr Darby, Parkins Bay Preserve Ltd.
It obtained Environment Court approval in May 2012 for an 18-hole golf course, located either side of Mt Aspiring Rd, and various lakeside buildings including a clubhouse, restaurant, cafe, visitor accommodation and a jetty.
In addition to the proposed Parkins Bay development, Mr Ferguson listed other facilities that were part of a structure plan for the Glendhu Station zone.
They included ‘‘50 residences and/or visitor accommodation units'', a lodge activity area, expansion of the existing camping ground, a farm homestay activity area, and a mixture of ‘‘small-scale'' commercial activities including facilities for conferences, events and functions, farm tours, and staff accommodation.
A ‘‘small-scale'' abattoir, butchery, packing shed and tannery was also proposed.
An ‘‘open space farm preserve activity area'' would provide for recreational activities, public access trails, areas of ecological enhancement, small-scale ‘‘eco-themed'' visitor accommodation, an airstrip and some ‘‘limited provision'' for residential accommodation.
‘‘The basis of the structure plan is to enable limited amount of careful development within those parts of the landscape with lower natural character, and the protection of other areas with higher natural character,'' Mr Ferguson said.
Creation of the zone wold enable the development of ‘‘significant tourism infrastructure'' which would have a ‘‘significant positive effect'' on tourism.
Mr Ferguson considered creating the Glendhu Station zone would lead to more efficient planning, while retaining the rural general zone would lead to ‘‘ad hoc'' development via the resource consent process.
