The plan to build a new information centre in Cromwell is facing another hurdle after an appeal to the Environment Court claimed an unfair process had been followed.
In April, independent commissioner Denis Nugent backed his interim decision of 2012 and granted conditional resource consent after the Central Otago District Council applied to itself to build the proposed $1.3 million visitor and information centre between Murray Tce and State Highway 8B, near the fruit sculpture.
Shona Rae, of Cromwell, has appealed the decision to the Environment Court. She was also one of the three opposing submitters when Mr Nugent heard the application in August 2012.
When Mr Nugent made his interim decision after that hearing, he asked the council for more information on several aspects, including parking arrangements and the design of the car park; landscaping; and the effects of the centre on the existing lay-by on SH8B.
That lack of information was one of the things spurring her appeal, Mrs Rae said.
''I would question the decision to close the hearing and make an interim decision when so much information was lacking in the original consent. I made comment about the lack of detail in my first submission and was told I would have to go to the Environment Court to address this,'' she said in her appeal.
She had emailed the council with a further submission on the lack of information but it got ''lost in the system'', meaning Mr Nugent did not have it when he made his final decision, she said.
''By losing my submission and allowing Ms [Pam] Broadhead [representing the applicant] to comment compromises the issues of natural justice and fair process.''
Other reasons were that the information concerning the resource consent was difficult to find and may have been reason for the low number of submissions; and signage plans for the centre changing ''radically'', which those submitting were not informed of in the papers sent to them to comment on.
Mrs Rae has suggested the consent process be restarted.
''I feel the whole consent was of a poor standard, especially when it has been done by a council to apply to itself for a change of land use. Not a good example for others.''
Mediation between the two parties will take place in Cromwell next month with an Environment Court commissioner.
The new centre is intended to be a replacement for the present one, which is combined with the town's museum in the Cromwell Mall.
The new centre would breach rules concerning minimum floor area, maximum building height and the total area of signs allowed per site.
There were 13 conditions imposed with the consent, including restricting what could be sold at the centre to Central Otago-branded products; souvenir items; small travellers' items such as sunscreen, adapters and locks; special-interest books on the area; travel guides and pamphlets; and phone cards, stamps and postcards.
Other conditions concerned signs, a footpath and parking, and limited the use of the land and building to that of a visitor information centre.
