The Environment Court has given the green light for Queenstown’s largest and cheapest-price supermarket.
In a decision released today (Tuesday), the court has granted Foodstuffs (South Island) Ltd consent to build a 6603sq m Pak ‘N Save supermarket on the Frankton Flats land – zoned rural general – near Glenda Drive.
Pak ‘N Save stocks the cheapest groceries in the Foodstuffs chain.
Foodstuffs took its case to the Environment Court after Queenstown Lakes District commissioners last year rejected the Pak ‘N Save plan, including a fuel facility.
Queenstown council commissioners argued the proposal would have “significant adverse effects” on the environment.
However the Environment Court states that the 2.2 hectare site is “surrounded by urban activities and falls into the third (lowest) of the district’s landscape categories”.
The site is clearly marked for urban development and Queenstown Airport Corporation, which runs the nearby airport, didn’t have any concerns, the court notes.
Access to the supermarket will be from the proposed Eastern Access Road off State Highway 6 and from a proposed road between the Eastern Access Rd and Glenda Drive.
There’ll be carparking for 355 cars and a fuel facility with four unmanned pumps.
The supermarket will operate from 7am till midnight seven days a week and employ up to 80 staff on site at any one time.
The court notes that Pak ‘N Save will be twice the size of Foodstuffs’ New World supermarket at Frankton’s Remarkables Park and possibly a third bigger than the proposed Countdown supermarket at ‘Hendo’s Hole’, also at Frankton.
The court’s decision includes two reservations from one of the three commissioners, Ken Fletcher.
Fletcher supports the decision but points out the supermarket will diminish the limited supply of industrial land and questions the need for so much above-ground carparking.
Queenstown Alastair Porter, whose company Shotover Park Ltd owns the Pak 'N Save site, says the decision will deliver cheaper groceries and more choice to the local community.
"This will be a $30 million investment at a time when business development is seen as relatively stagnant.
"In the short short-term it will provide construction work for local companies, and ultimately 250 permanent jobs for the district."
Your say
Wasted Money
I still laugh as yet another project goes to the EC you really need to get your act together QT, waste of money like Patron has said. It is well overdue that you need to get a plan for the future growth of QT so people wanting to do some good there can go ahead without all the paper work, this has been going on for to many years, and the council needs to pull there finger and do it, thats if you have the guts!!!!!!!! So pleased I left QT and live in a normal well run town.
17 Jul 2012 11:30AMYEA RIGHT
Two articles same story
Article one, Council wasting a mill on a dead horse project, article two council have just wasted probably the same on court costs no wonder we are broke
10 Jul 2012 02:42PMPatron
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