Future uncertain but paint job likely

The future of stages two and three of the troubled $1 billion Kawarau Falls Station development at Queenstown is still a mystery, but repainting all five buildings in stage one in less reflective paint is likely to happen from 2016.

Melview (Kawarau Falls Station) Developments is seeking permission to change a single condition in the original resource management plan, after painting stage one - soon to be the luxury Hilton Queenstown - in a paint colour that was too reflective.

Some parts of the stage one buildings are painted white, which can have a reflectivity value up to 80%. The Queenstown Lakes District Council reflectivity guide says paint colours with a reflectivity value above 35% are not appropriate for the district.

In a bid to comply with condition 36 of the original land-use consent and meet the conditions of the council's reflectivity guide, the application sought to vary the consent so the buildings could be progressively repainted to have a reflectivity value of 35% or less.

Melview Developments, which went into receivership in May 2010, declined to comment on the application yesterday but KordaMentha receiver Grant Graham said the change in the plan was "nothing major".

"While the council is fantastic, on a project of this size there are a lot of processes you have to go through - we're just ticking all the right boxes."

He said there were some "slight" colour changes from the original plan and the issue was being addressed.

Repainting the five buildings in stage one would begin in 2016 and finish in 2021, with one building painted each year.

Originally, Kawarau Falls Station was planned as a 6.4ha resort village of four hotels, 1100 units and 13 major buildings, boulevard-style streets, restaurants and parks, and was expected to be completed this year. Mr Graham said the future of the delayed stage two and three developments was still uncertain.