Battle to curb urban sprawl

Three appeals to the Environment Court on the proposed Queenstown Lakes district plan could result in the urban area of Hawea expanding. IMAGE: MAT PATCHETT

Chairwoman Cherilyn Walthew said the association was seeking legal and expert planning advice in preparation for three Environment Court appeals to the proposed Queenstown Lakes district plan.

Development companies Universal Developments Hawea Ltd, Streat Developments Ltd and Quartz Commercial Group Ltd have asked the Environment Court to reject new planning rules affecting the Lake Hawea and Hawea Flat towns.

The association is also considering whether to comment on an appeal by Nga Runanga regarding significant sites.

Cherilyn Walthew

"It really is a David-and-Goliath event,’’ Ms Walthew said of the court cases, expected later this year.

Lake Hawea’s population was 1200 at Census NZ 2018, up from just over 500 at Census 2006.

Ms Walthew said there did not appear to be any assistance for community associations to appeal district plans, so the association would use its own funds.

The main issues included residential intensification versus urban sprawl, building and paying for town infrastructure and affordable housing, she said.

"The reality is, [new housing] is not affordable for the people who live here. It is still outside their budget ... We will end up with a broken community,’’ she said.

Ray White Real Estate’s latest figures reveal that in May, the company sold eight Lake Hawea residential properties for between $735,000 and $1.2million.

Universal Developments has a 480-lot special housing area (Longview) under way at Lake Hawea.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council rejected Universal Developments’ district plan submission of two options to extend the southern edge of the urban growth boundary over rural land on Cemetery and Domain roads.

Streat Developments is also appealing the decision not to extend the urban growth boundary.

That developer has been releasing Hawea sections for years and has resource consent to develop 36 more rural residential lots over four stages.

Quartz Commercial Group wants changes to the low density suburban residential zone at Cappell Ave and also opposes the prohibition of an informal airport within the visitor accommodation subzone.

Nga Runanga represents four Otago iwi groups. The appeal addresses sustainable management of resources, relationships between iwi and ancestral lands, and the most appropriate way to exercise council functions in relation to wahi tupuna (significant sites to iwi).

Nga Runanga seeks input into zone scale, location and design, and also a council policy that would give iwi more ability to have input, as an affected party, to district-wide developments.

Universal Developments director Lane Hocking said the appeals would be a mediated attempt to find common ground between all parties.

The extent of future development at Longview depended on what happened in mediation, he said.

Universal Developments supported the concentration of urban development in a few specific locations, to avoid broader urban sprawl, he said.

"We are confident Longview is an important contributor in helping to solve affordability issues,’’ he said.

- By Marjorie Cook