The company behind the tourism venture has consent to build and use a new wharf in Queenstown Bay.
Under former owners Lee Exell and David Lynott, Hydro Attack Ltd sought a consent for the wharf so its semi-submersible "shark" vessels could continue to speed about Lake Wakatipu.
It wanted to build the wharf, including a kiosk and public berth, on a site accessed from St Omer Park.
The proposal became more urgent after Mr Exell and Mr Lynott learned the company would cop a massive rent hike in June at its berth on the council-owned Lapsley-Butson wharf.
When council commissioners refused consent for the proposal in 2022, the pair appealed the decision to the Environment Court.
Now, following a two-day hearing in the resort town in May, the court has granted consent for the wharf after a series of changes were made to the proposal, including moving the structure further away from existing wharves, changing the position of a kiosk and improving public access.
However, Mr Exell and Mr Lynott sold the business in June to Silicon Valley entrepreneur Iraj Barabi, who has added it to his growing stable of Lake Wakatipu-based businesses under umbrella company Watersports Ltd.
Mr Barabi, who developed Queenstown Marina, has recently bought RealNZ’s jetboat company, Queenstown Jet Boat (formerly Thunder Jet), Queenstown Paraflights and Queenstown Boat Charters.
The resource consent was only one of two hurdles Hydro Attack had to leap over.
In 2021, the council declined its request to review the reserve management plan for the bay, which does not allow commercial activity on the proposed wharf site.
However, the council now has the discretion to grant a lease over the land.
