Motueka farmer Lester Rowntree, who has applied to the
Central Otago District Council for consent to establish and
operate a farming tourism enterprise fronting State Highway
6 near the entrance to Cromwell. Photo by Sally Rae.
An independent commissioner will preside over a hearing
for a proposed $4 million tourism venture at Cromwell later
this month.
Motueka farmer Lester Rowntree applied to the Central Otago
District Council for consent to establish and operate an
"agridome" and farming tourism enterprise fronting State
Highway 6 near the entrance to Cromwell.
The council received five formal submissions on the
application - two in support, two neither supportive nor
opposed, and one in opposition.
An independent commissioner will consider the application
during a hearing at the Golden Gate Lodge in Cromwell from
2pm on March 26.
Under applicant New Zealand Heritage Farm Show and Museum, Mr
Rowntree last year gained support in principal for the
attraction from the Cromwell Community Board.
He was also granted consent from Minister of Conservation Tim
Groser to lease the land.
The community board had indicated it would enter into a lease
with Mr Rowntree for part of the Cromwell Racecourse Reserve
if consent was granted by the minister, as the 5.5ha site was
Crown-derived and vested to the board.
Mr Rowntree's planned development includes the agridome,
bullock teams, blade shearing, chaff cutting, horse and wagon
teams in action, and a museum of farm machinery.
A heritage farm show would also include demonstrations of cow
milking, butter making, ploughing with a horse team, as well
as other items of vintage machinery in action.
Deer and tahr would also form part of the display.
Consent was needed to construct, operate, and maintain the
farm show and museum, which would include the construction of
buildings.
Retail and associated activity within the rural resource area
was non-compliant with the council's operative district plan,
and consent was also sought for discretionary activities
associated with commercial recreation capable of attracting
more than 30 vehicle movements a day on public roads.
Proposed signs would also breach conditions of the council's
rules for limited sensitivity landscape.
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