Four years’ planning for marine rescue centre could be scuttled
COASTGUARD Wanaka Lakes’ four years of planning towards the construction of a new marine rescue centre at Eely Point Reserve could be scuttled by a consultant planner’s report.
President Jonathan Walmisley said they had been working closely with Queenstown Lakes District Council departments in their application for resource consent for the Eely Pt facility and had the full support of parks and reserves.
He said, ‘‘I feel somewhat blindsided as the site was that which Wanaka Community Board wanted, we have fulfilled all the requirements put on us by QLDC and now a different arm of QLDC says ‘No’.
‘‘I cannot get my head around it,’’ he said.
Novo Group, principal planner Kim Seaton, prepared the council’s planning report for independent RMA commissioner Bob Nixon.
The report agreed the new marine rescue centre would have significant benefits for the wider community in terms of provision for an important emergency service facility.
However, ‘‘the adverse landscape and visual amenity effects of the activity in its current form will be more than minor and inappropriate.’’
The resource consent application should be refused, the consultant planner’s report said.
Mr Walmisley said they had ameliorated the design and landscape in line with the resource consent officer’s recommendations and suggestions where they could and their evidence was now submitted.
He said if resource consent was granted they hoped to start applying for funds, firming up the building design and building, starting in six months.
Coastguard Wanaka Lakes was due to take delivery of its new rescue vessel next August and it would be too big to fit in the current A&P Showground coastguard boat shelter.
The resource consent process opened to the public earlier this year and 77 submissions were received; 75 in support and two opposed.
The application for resource consent to construct the marine rescue centre on Eely Point Reserve will be heard by RMA commissioner Bob Nixon at the Lake Wanaka Centre on September 17 at the Lake Wanaka Centre.