The plan aims to turn the lakeside village into a ‘‘self-sufficient’’ township for about 10,000 residents.
Kingston Village Ltd (KVL) aired its proposal at a Kingston Community Association meeting.
Local golf club president, secretary, bar manager and groundsman Jeff Rogers said locals ‘‘were quite blindsided by just the numbers’’.
‘‘What’s worrying ... is we’ve got limited infrastructure and that’s going to have to change.’’
KVL has been successfully selling its first stage of 217 ‘‘affordable’’ sections behind the existing township, with zoning approval to go to about 750.
But to reach its 10,000 target — about four times Kingston’s currently zoned population — KVL would expand its subdivision to about 1500 homes.
It would also add another 1000 on adjoining Glen Nevis Station land it also owns.
A KVL press release said the extra 2500 homes would create about 5000 local jobs and contribute an estimated $1 billion to GDP.
It believed 10,000 residents was the threshold needed to support a supermarket, healthcare, childcare, community facilities, local services and public transport options — reducing, in turn, the reliance on Queenstown for jobs, services and travel.
However, it cautioned this growth would occur over about 20 years.
Mr Rogers, who moved to the village 15 years ago, said ‘‘I just don’t think Kingston is going to be any better with 10,000 people living here’’.
He estimated about 500 lived there now, and thought the plan by Kingston Village Ltd to max out with 750 homes was ‘‘doable’’.
‘‘And another 2000-odd, that’s a big ask,’’ he said.
‘‘Ten thousand people still isn’t going to get us a hospital, it still isn’t going to get us a full secondary school.
‘‘People are still going to go to the likes of Queenstown because that’s where the centre of everything is — you’re not going to move the centre of everything to Kingston.’’
Mr Rogers was aware the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi was already concerned about what KVL’s plan for 750 sections would do to highway traffic.
‘‘They’ll have some concerns because it is a dangerous road, and it’s just a busy road, especially with the tourist numbers we’ve got, which are increasing.’’
KVL general manager Nicola Tristram stressed the plans were still in the early stages.
‘‘Early engagement is under way with the community, Ngāi Tahu, local government, agencies and stakeholders, and their feedback is vital to getting this right.’’
KVL also intended to apply to the minister for infrastructure to see whether the concept would qualify for the fast-track consenting process.
‘‘If the referral is accepted, 2027 will involve a full year of extensive community workshops, iwi engagement and ongoing collaboration with council, Ngāi Tahu, agencies and stakeholders as the proposal is developed in more detail.
‘‘What we’re working towards is a standalone, connected community residents can be proud of, one that retains Kingston’s character rather than becoming a commuter suburb of Queenstown.’’
