During the first day of a resource consent hearing for the Queenstown Country Club, proposed by the Sanderson Group as a Special Housing Area, Vanessa Hamm, of Holland Beckett, Tauranga, said proposed upgrades to the intersection were ``a proportionate response'' to the effects of the development.
The upgrades would increase the queuing space on State Highway 6 for right-turn movements into Howards Dr, widen the road and provide separate left and right turn out lanes on to Ladies Mile.
Sanderson Group proposes to establish a 244 residential-unit retirement village with hospital care and commercial facilities, along with an 88-unit residential retirement village and 26 residential lots in Onslow Rd on the 53ha beside Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country.
Ms Hamm said only 11 submissions were received through the limited notification process. the vast majority no longer wished to be heard because the proposed conditions had since been agreed.
They included Queenstown Airport Corporation, which had concerns about the increased risk of bird strike from the development, and the effects of dust and temporary lighting during its construction.
Ms Hamm said the only submitters who still wished to be heard were represented by lawyer Warwick Goldsmith. They included Shotover Country and the Milstead Trust.
Mr Goldsmith's submission said it was ``not appropriate'' for the council to grant consent knowing an intersection upgrade ultimately would be required and the application would contribute to that needing to be advanced sooner.
``The applicant's proposal to upgrade the intersection only by widening it is not appropriate given that the current [level of service] is `at or close to capacity'.''
The New Zealand Transport Agency - which controls the state highway network - did not oppose the application.
Ms Hamm said a full intersection upgrade to introduce another roundabout, or a contribution to that would ``not be reasonable,'' given the effects of the development would only affect ``about 2% of the vehicles using the intersection, and then only during the evening peak''.
Ms Hamm said the decision to build a roundabout would be made by the NZTA.
``If the council issues a decision saying `put a roundabout there', Sanderson Group can't just go and put a roundabout there. That is NZTA's [decision].''
The hearing continues today.
