Waitaki Member of Parliament Jacqui Dean has been accused of attempting to influence the decision of two independent resource consent commissioners in favour of Wanaka celebrity cook Annabel Langbein.
Upper Clutha Environmental Protection Society treasurer Julian Haworth told the Otago Daily Times this week it was ‘‘inappropriate'' for Mrs Dean to ‘‘get involved in a resource consent application'' that was under consideration.
Mr Haworth said she was ‘‘clearly'' attempting to influence the decision of commissioners Bob Nixon and Jane Taylor.
The two commissioners heard an application on Friday from Ms Langbein and her husband, Ted Hewetson, to add three buildings to their 9ha property in an outstanding natural landscape at Dublin Bay, Lake Wanaka, and make other changes.
Queenstown Lakes District Council planners recommended the application be refused.
On the eve of the hearing, Mrs Dean issued a press release calling for ‘‘common sense'' over the application, saying she was ‘‘concerned at the attitude of the planners'', believing they should be ‘‘less precious and more realistic'' in their decision-making.
In their reports, and at the hearing, the planners considered the new buildings, in addition to the extensive planting already done, would make the property overly domesticated for its location.
Mrs Dean said the planners' concern was ‘‘quite frankly, silly and reflects a mind-set that is hard-headed and does little to encourage growth in the Wanaka area''.
Mr Haworth, who was the only submitter against the application, said Mrs Dean's comments were ‘‘based not on resource consent reasons but based on celebrity reasons''.
‘‘If this had been Joe Blow, she wouldn't have said anything.
‘‘Because [Ms Langbein] is a famous celebrity chef she's in the media supporting her. That is not a resource management reason.''
Mrs Dean went on to say the planners' approach added to the time and expense for resource consent applicants, something that had been ‘‘consistently highlighted as an impediment to developers'' during her time as rules reduction task force co-chairwoman last year.
‘‘Unfortunately, when planners get caught up in excessive regulation it has the potential to put the brakes on residential development in a region like the Upper Clutha which badly needs more housing.''
Mrs Dean said the property was used for filming Ms Langbein's television cooking programmes, which screened in 90 countries, and that in itself was a useful marketing and promotional tool for the Wanaka area.
Mrs Dean did not attend the hearing.
The commissioners reserved their decision.
