The Environmental Court hearing for the Frankton Flats Zone is expected to finish on Thursday in Queenstown, however a result will not be reached until after two further hearings this month.
The hearing is dealing with Plan Change 19, which seeks to provide for the comprehensive rezoning of the Frankton Flats area to allow educational, residential, visitor accommodation, commercial, industrial, business and recreational activities.
Witness Jeff Brown, a planner on behalf of developers Shotover Park Limited, appeared in front of Judge Jane Borthwick and commissioners David Bunting and Ross Dunlop yesterday and will continue this morning.
The dispute between developers and the Queenstown Lakes District Council began in 2001 when Shotover Park began consultation over the site with the council and surrounding landowners such as Queenstown Airport.
Plan Change 19 had come after a decade of developer plans, council hearings and public submissions over how the 69ha should be developed.
Shotover Park has plans worth $100 million that would rival some of the largest retail centres in New Zealand, such as Auckland's Sylvia Park and Christchurch's Riccarton Mall.
Also to be heard this week in the Environment Court before Judge Borthwick and the commissioners is Plan Change 35, a proposal to amend the existing air noise boundaries of the neighbouring airport for future developments.
The private plan change was adopted in part by the council, but was appealed by Air New Zealand, Remarkables Park Limited, Shotover Park and Wakatipu Residents Against Air Noise Inc - the latter withdrawing during the February hearing.
Remarkables Park and Shotover Park, the Queenstown Airport Corporation, the council and Air NZ reached an agreement over changes made to the plan change during the February hearing.
The final matter to be dealt with this month is the airport's direct referral to the Environment Court, a notice of requirement to alter its existing aerodrome designation, to expand the aerodrome designation over 19.1ha of Remarkables Park on the south side of the airfield.
