Hearing starts on plan bid to create new zones

PART of a proposed district plan (PDP) to limit development in the Wakatipu Basin by creating two new zones is being put under the microscope.

A fourmember hearing panel met at the Copthorne Hotel in Queenstown yesterday to start considering the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s plans to protect rural land by creating a rural amenity zone and a lifestyle precinct in the area.

Senior planner Craig Barr said two of the main concerns raised by the hundreds of objectors were that the plans were ‘‘too restrictive’’ and parts of the proposed district plan conflicted with each other.

In his summary of evidence, Mr Barr said the key areas of disagreement included the requirement of future residential builds in the rural amenity zone, the need to obtain resource consent to undertake certain gardening works in part of the lifestyle precinct and whether policies should protect landscape character rather than aim to maintain or enhance it.

New sections of land within the 4672ha rural amenity zone must be at least 80ha.

In the 2198ha lifestyle precinct, sections need to be at least 6000sq m.

The existing rural, rural residential and rural lifestyle zones will be replaced by the new sections that make up the lifestyle precinct.

The hearing on stage 2 of the proposed district plan, which is expected to last until July 26, will also consider referred submissions from stage 1 concerning zoning in Arrowtown and Lake Hayes Estate.

These submissions relate to the location of urban growth boundaries and landscape classification lines in those areas, as well as on the Crown Terrace.

Mr Barr said the level of intervention to limit development is ‘‘appropriate in order to achieve the strategic directions of the PDP’’.

The panel will make recommendations based on public submis sions about variations to parts of the plan and those seeking additional objectives will be added to fit in with proposals for the two zones.

Panel members will also consider submissions relating to the plan map, including those seeking the rezoning of the rural amenity zone and lifestyle precinct, as well as land in the Arrowtown and Lake Hayes areas.

Some submissions also called for new bespoke or ‘‘special zones’’ to be included to allow for more flexible development rules.

As part of the proposed plan, all buildings, except small farm buildings, will need a resource consent in the two zones.

Critics say the proposals would remove or restrict some landowners’ rights, including the right to extend or alter houses on residential building platforms, as well as building on approved but unbuilt platforms.

The changes would also impact existing rural residential lots in the variation area.

Panel chairman Denis Nugent questioned whether it was necessary to make people apply twice to be able to carry out a residential development.

Mr Barr said the reason behind the proposed resource consent policy was likely to do with ‘‘resource management’’ rather than increasing property values.

Plans to introduce setbacks from public roads and landscape features were also discussed yesterday, the panel questioning which roads were deemed public and would therefore be affected.

The hearing follows a public consultation on the proposals, which closed in February.

A hearings panel told the council last July the current subdivision system might not be able to preserve key landscapes in the area.

Appeals against stage 1 of the proposed district plan, which was approved last month, have closed.

These included appeals by Cardrona Alpine Resort Ltd, Gibbston Valley Station, Real Journeys, Queenstown Airport and Queenstown Park Station.