Several Arawata Tce and Moss Lane residents raised concerns at a Queenstown Lakes District Council planning and strategy committee meeting on Thursday about the loss of native trees and birds, noise, vibration, drainage and traffic effects.
Most of them said they were totally unaware of landowner Steve Xin’s plans until this week.
Mr Xin’s request, to get about 5ha of his 6.47ha site, on the Glenorchy-Queenstown Rd, changed to enable the development, was before the committee in August, but the matter was left lying on the table so planners could get further information.
A neighbouring resident, Paul Currie, a consultant geologist, said one report referred to the land as being an "isolated pocket", which he said was a "method of stealth".
Former mayor Vanessa van Uden — a Sunshine Bay resident — asked councillors to "stick to the process" and honour it, by not putting plan changes in the district plan review.
"People don’t understand the process ... to members of the public it’s very easy for it to be hidden because they’re not watching public notices all the time.
"A plan change of this nature needs to have its own separate process that people outside of Sunshine Bay as well ... have the opportunity to be part of.
The councillors were, ultimately, unanimous in their decision to reject the proposed rezoning.
Cr Quentin Smith cited several issues, including the single accessway proposed.
"If you cannot provide practical access to the site then the land is not developable.
"Additional access is either very difficult or unlikely and if that’s the case, either the scale of the development or the development of the site is not appropriate."
Cr Niamh Shaw said based on the information she had read there were "no outstanding benefits" of the development, specifically regarding affordable housing, and said accessibility was "problematic".
"I’m always happy to support responsible and appropriate development, I do not see that this is such an example."
