The developer behind a controversial Queenstown fast-track application says the new homes he is proposing will help ease some of the issues the resort town is facing, rather than contribute to them. Kurt Gibbons’ Ridgeburn development proposes 1250 dwellings, a commercial village precinct, office space and 60ha of landscaping at Arrow Junction. The application was withdrawn in July after the panel convener decided the application was not ready to be passed on to the expert panel. Now, Mr Gibbons says the application will be re-submitted next month — and he has responded to community concerns raised at a public meeting when the project was described as “a folly of history”. “Teachers, nurses, police officers, hospitality workers, builders, retail staff and young families should have a realistic opportunity to live in the community they serve,” he said. “If the people who keep Queenstown running cannot afford to live here, that affects far more than the housing market.” The issues Queenstown was facing — traffic congestion, housing shortages and infrastructure pressure — had been building for years and would not disappear if Ridgeburn did not proceed. To help address existing roading and transport infrastructure issues, he was committing $27 million for safety-focused upgrades and had plans for a private bus to service a park-and-ride operation. Within the development, 135 homes would be rent-capped for “key workers”, such as police officers, firefighters, teachers and others, he said. Another 45 homes would be set aside for first-home buyers, who would be supported by an interest-free deposit contribution. The village precinct would boast a 4000sq m supermarket, a gym, a daycare centre with capacity for 100 children and 3000sq m of office space, with a mix of retail, visitor accommodation, a health spa and hospitality. And Ridgeburn would have its own wastewater treatment plant, he said. “Ridgeburn is not about changing what makes Queenstown special. “It is about planning responsibly for the Queenstown we know is coming and making sure the people who teach our children, care for our families, run our businesses and keep this region moving can continue to call it home.” tracey.roxburgh@scene.co.nz [Missing Credit]Part of the 208ha Ridgeburn site at Morven Ferry, near Arrowtown, for which 1210 new homes and a commercial/community centre, among other things, are planned. Photo: Supplied
