Queenstown residents will be consulted on a proposal to open up Queenstown’s rural gateway for special housing.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council decided yesterday to seek feedback on including the Ladies Mile as "category 2" land in its special housing policy.
Sharply opposing views were aired at the meeting’s public forum, with most speakers opposed to the fast-tracking of housing in the area.
Two landowners praised the council’s concept plans for the area, and urged councillors to press ahead.
They were referring to an "indicative master plan" for the Ladies Mile, unveiled earlier this week, against which special housing proposals would be assessed. It shows that more than 2800 residential units, mostly medium and high density, could be built in the area.
Ladies Mile Pet Lodge owner Keri Lemaire-Sicre said the master plan was "pie in the sky" and the council was bowing to Government pressure for more affordable housing.
"There is no affordable housing in a tourist resort such as Queenstown, certainly not for the ones that need it.
"We are the jewel in the tourism crown for New Zealand, and therefore we should be planning our development with the greatest care."
Lake Hayes Estate Community Association chairman Clark Pirie said the eight-week period for feedback was unreasonable for the resort’s "gateway".
The master plan needed to be considered as part of the proposed district plan (PDP) process so the community could be consulted properly.
Ladies Mile resident Raymond Key said he supported high-density housing, but it had to be built in areas where it fitted into existing infrastructure.
Lake Hayes Estate resident Jenny Carter said there was already enough residentially-zoned land in the resort, but if the council wanted more, the Wakatipu Basin Land Use Study was the best means of identifying which land was suitable.
However, Glenpanel Homestead co-owner Mark Tylden said the Ladies Mile was the "obvious corridor for growth" in the resort.
"Let’s get on with it."
Ladies Mile landowner Kristan Stalker said the council’s "strategic approach" to developing the area was laudable, but he was critical of the master plan’s stipulation of a 75-metre setback from the highway and 10% affordable housing contributions.
That would use up so much land that what remained would have to "work much harder", increasing costs for developers and the final buyers.
Cr Scott Stevens said the council risked putting the "cart before the horse" by rushing to open up the area for special housing, and it would be better to consider it as part of the Wakatipu Basin Land Use Study.
That study would soon feed into the PDP, giving the public the opportunity to make submissions on the issue.
Planning and development general manager Tony Avery said it would take about three years for the PDP to be completed, whereas taking a special housing approach to Ladies Mile allowed "speed of delivery".
The number of houses in Queenstown needed to double in the next 30 years to accommodate population growth.
"Everyone at this table knows about the difficulties with zoned land and bringing that to the market."
Mayor Jim Boult said if councillors decided against including the Ladies Mile as category 2 land, he would have no problem telling the Government.
"We can’t do this".
"They can’t point a gun at our head."
The council expects to make a decision on August 17.
