The consortium behind Queenstown’s controversial billion-dollar Lakeview-Taumata development has until today to get revised development plans to a fast-track consenting panel.
The tallest proposed building in QT Lakeview Developments’ plan is a 13-storey, 51.3-metre accommodation block, part of five inter-connected buildings on a site with a 26m height limit.
Last month, the panel considering the application for the first two stages — comprising 224 apartments, 96 ‘‘co-living units’’, 432 square metres of ground-level retail space, 2068sqm of hospitality space, and 148 carparks — indicated it will reject the proposal unless the height of the buildings is lowered.
The panel has to give its decision by December 16.
Queenstown mayor Glyn Lewers says if the revised application’s rejected, he expects the developers will look at their consenting pathways, and apply through the Resource Management Act.
Regardless, the council will continue to uphold its side of the deal, which involves providing the horizontal infrastructure to create titles for the lots.
‘‘We still own the land, so the risk of consenting, and the vertical infrastructure, lies with the developer.
‘‘If they can’t meet their side of the deal, there are triggers within the development [agreement].’’
In September, council’s strategic projects manager, Paul Speedy, told a finance, audit and risk committee each stage of the development will be progressively developed in line with a programme, which outlines key milestones and dates.
The dates can move as a result of circumstances outside the developers’ control, but there are less flexible sunset dates for key milestones that, if missed, give rise to a project review and, potentially, termination rights in respect of the future land parcels, or ‘‘super lots’’.
Council has a sunset date of September 30 next year to complete its works, but Lewers says despite some delays, in part due to Covid, ‘‘we’re on track to meet our obligations’’.
He expects titles for stage one by mid-next year, which was ‘‘one of the big milestones’’ and ‘‘starts the clock ticking’’ on development.
