Skyline may refer car park directly to court

An artist’s impression of Skyline Queenstown’s proposed expanded upper terminal, part of its $100...
An artist’s impression of Skyline Queenstown’s proposed expanded upper terminal, part of its $100 million-plus redevelopment. Image: supplied.
Skyline Enterprises Ltd has indicated it is likely to apply for a direct referral to the Environment Court over its proposed multistorey parking building, estimated to cost between $10million and $12million, associated with its massive Queenstown redevelopment.

Before that,  the company will make inquiries about an alternative option to provide the 350 car parks it needs.

Yesterday, Environment Court Judge John Hassan and commissioners Kate Wilkinson and Russell Howie adjourned the direct referral hearing on the original proposal — which has a price tag of more than $100million — after giving legal counsel an opportunity to comment on a minute the court issued on Wednesday afternoon.

Judge Hassan gave Skyline several options to consider — one of those was applying for a direct referral to the court over its parking building.

Another "theoretical" approach could involve an existing, consented building, within a five-minute walk of the bottom terminal, capable of providing the parking spaces required.

The only viable option, it appeared, was the private Man St car park.

It had been developed to its capacity of 500 car parks, but Southern Planning Group lodged a resource consent application several years ago seeking to add additional floors.

That application had been on hold since 2006, pending further information.

Yesterday, Skyline counsel Graeme Todd said inquiries would be made about "an alternative ability to provide a car park".

"There’s probably one opportunity and we’re going to find out pretty quickly if that’s an option or not".

If not, the company would apply to have its resource consent direct referred to the court — something the Queenstown Lakes District Council had indicated it would not oppose.

Provided that was the case, the application would need to be publicly notified, enabling residents to make submissions, before it could go to the court.

Mr Todd said  that would mean the matter could   resume in October.

That would also give Skyline time to deal with the other primary matter of contention,  stormwater disposal, which the Otago Regional Council believed may require consent.

Skyline originally applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council in October last year for the initial direct referral, having unveiled its redevelopment plans in June.

The company intends to essentially double the total area of its complex on Bob’s Peak, including a wrap-around 430sqm viewing deck, rather than the present 68sqm platform.

The two-seat luge chairlift would be replaced by a four-seat chairlift with  34 new 10-seat gondola cabins.

A new two-storey base terminal building is also planned.That terminal was in addition to the proposed parking building.

At the time the company announced the redevelopment it hoped to have started work in April this year and aimed to have it completed by July or August 2018.

However, during the four-day Environment Court hearing in Queenstown the company said the construction period would now be three to four years, subject to all the consents required.

tracey.roxburgh@odt.co.nz

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