PBPL, a partnership of Glendhu Station landowners Bob and Pam McRae and Queenstown-based golf course designer and developer John Darby, wants to build a $75 million 18-hole championship golf course, a lakeside clubhouse, luxury lodge and accommodation units, and 42 residential homes on land at Parkins Bay on the southwestern shoreline of Lake Wanaka.
The golf resort's resource consent - granted by the Queenstown Lakes District Council in May 2008 - was appealed to the Environment Court by the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust, the Upper Clutha Environmental Society and Wanaka holiday home owner Dennis Thorn.
An interim decision by the Environment Court in December said PBPL had only addressed environmental compensation "as an afterthought", and should be given a chance to redress that.
The court directed the company to submit further evidence of mitigation and environmental compensation at the development's proposed site and address some of the appellants' concerns.
The landscape impact of the development and its "comparatively large scale" of 42 houses in a rural area; concerns about accumulative effects of possible further development east of the golf course; and the lack of attention to the natural environment of Glendhu Station were stumbling blocks for the court, unless other environmental compensatory benefits could be offered, Judge Jon Jackson said at the time.
Anderson Lloyd consultant Warwick Goldsmith, speaking on behalf of PBPL, confirmed additional environmental compensation evidence would be circulated to all parties involved in the matter early this week.
Compensatory conditions recommended by the Environment Court included providing additional public walking tracks on Glendhu Station and management of pest weeds and wilding trees.
Mr Goldsmith said QLDC had until July 22 to respond to the new evidence, while the appellants' response was required by August 19. The cut-off for rebuttal evidence from PBPL is September 23, before all evidence is lodged with the Environment Court by September 30, with a potential date for another court hearing to be confirmed.
