Queenstown Lakes district councillors yesterday agreed the request from Northlake Investments Ltd for a private plan change to the Northlake special zone should proceed to public notification.
Council senior planner Craig Barr recommended the council authorise the plan change.
The request seeks to amend the boundaries of activity areas, including increasing the size of the commercial zone by 4.2ha to accommodate space for further retail development and provide flexibility to develop a retirement village in the future.
Elsewhere, housing would be intensified on the flatter areas of the northern residential zone.
Northlake Investments is also requesting a change to the retail rules in place in the Operative District Plan.
In a report prepared by Queenstown planner John Edmonds, the adjusted retail rules provides for a total retail space of 2500sqm, more than double that of the current 1000sqm, and a single retail activity within that area with a space of 1250sqm.
The single space is likely to be a supermarket.
The report said the proposed plan change process and construction of a supermarket would take about two years to complete.
It believed there would be no adverse effect on businesses in central Wanaka or Three Parks, and would have positive effects on traffic management.
"Wanaka is currently served by a single supermarket, located in the centre of the CBD. That location is highly inefficient from a consumer and traffic management perspective, as it requires all shopping to occur in the one location, and places strain on the local roading and parking networks," the report said.
"There is currently a significant under-supply of retail floor space in Wanaka built and projected; and ... the alteration of the retail rule to enable a supermarket, and to increase the overall allowable retail gross floor area, will not result in any adverse effect on Wanaka CBD and Three Parks."
Construction of a medical centre, childcare facilities and cafe is due to start in Northlake soon.
- Sean Nugent
