A prominent Queenstown farming family’s bid to rezone part of its land to enable a 34-lot luxury housing development began in the Environment Court yesterday.
Queenstown Hill Station owners the Middleton family, now overseen by former Highlanders rugby player and Otago captain Kelvin Middleton, is appealing a decision by a Queenstown Lakes District Council proposed district plan hearings panel that rejected their submission for a low-density residential or rural residential zoning for part of the farm.
In the trust’s opening legal submissions, counsel Bal Matheson said the remaining area of disagreement with the council related to landscape-related issues and whether the lifestyle precinct zoning should apply to the whole site or only a "Lower Terrace" portion, where it was proposing 25 residential lots.
The Tucker Beach Residents Society is participating in the appeal hearing as an interested party.
The hearing continues today.
