A $75 million golf resort approved for Parkins Bay, near Wanaka, is expected to help drive Central Otago into position as New Zealand's premier golfing tourism destination.
The Parkins Bay Golf Resort, next to Glendhu Bay, is predicted to pump $10.7 million a year into the Upper Clutha economy and create up to 210 jobs.
The resort, on 200ha of Glendhu Station farmland owned by Bob and Pam McRae, is being developed by Queenstown-based company Darby Partners Ltd, which is responsible for the design of courses such as Michael Hill's private course and home of the New Zealand Open, The Hills, Millbrook Resort, both in Arrowtown, and the recently-completed Jacks Point in Queenstown.
The centrepiece of Parkins Bay resort will be an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Sir Bob Charles.
However, the proposed resort will face further delays, with Upper Clutha Environmental Society president Julian Haworth confirming yesterday an Environment Court appeal would be lodged.
The long-awaited decision, released yesterday by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, included a dissenting decision from commissioner Jane Taylor.
Mrs Taylor, of Queenstown, who opposed the application in its entirety, was over-ruled by fellow commissioners Neville Marquet, of Queenstown, and David Clarke, of Arrowtown, who granted the proposal resource consent by way of their ma-jority.
Mr Marquet and Mr Clarke ordered the removal of eight of the visitor and accommodation dwellings because of the adverse effects on the landscape, which could not be sufficiently mitigated.
Parkins Bay project manager Brett Thomson said planning for the resort had taken four and a-half years and the applicants were prepared for any appeal against the resource consent.
A development such as Parkins Bay would help cement Central Otago as New Zealand's "first true" golf destination and would bolster "year-round" tourism in Wanaka, he said.
University of Otago department of business and tourism professor James Higham said golf was the latest sport to bring visitors to the region and was being closely followed by multisport events, such as long-distance triathlons, mountain biking, and endurance races.
