Queenstown’s council may look to work with the Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce and employers to help make worker accommodation ‘‘a more palatable option’’.
Council CEO Mike Theelen says councillors asked for, and were recently given, a briefing from staff on accommodation issues, particularly what could be done about peer-to-peer rentals, like Airbnb, given the concerns over a lack of rental accommodation for the resort’s workforce.
While there’s a ‘‘relatively comprehensive list’’ of things the council’s tried to do over the years, ‘‘there are limits … when we’re operating in a free market environment’’.
‘‘But, there may be other things we can do, or other agencies we can partner with.
‘‘That’s what we’re going to go away and have a look at over the next couple of months.’’
Theelen uses the example of a proposed $30 million development on Gorge Road, which was ultimately scrapped Roy Thompson’s New Ground Capital applied for, and received, consent in 2016 to construct two six-storey buildings on Gorge Rd, comprising 143 residential units, either one- or two-bedroom studio apartments.
He hoped to get some of the resort major employers to buy, rent or lease units — to be used for worker accommodation, at that point being described as a ‘‘crisis’’ — to underwrite the cost of development.
It was parked soon after being green-lit because Thompson couldn’t make it stack up financially.
Theelen believes part of the issue with that proposal was a reticence from employers to come on board.
It may be time, he says, to revisit that idea.
‘‘There may be things we can do working with the Chamber or working with employers to look at ways to broker opportunities that make worker accommodation a more palatable option for people.’’
Regarding the broader issue of peer-to-peer rentals, Theelen says there is no easy fix.
He suggests the new healthy homes and Residential Tenancies Act are playing a part in more properties entering, for example, the Airbnb market, while council’s tried to amend rules under the Resource Management Act ‘‘a number of times’’, which has never really solved it.
It’s also tried to constrain the short-term rentals through a plan change variation — decisions were issued and appealed, mediation has taken place and council’s waiting a final decision, Theelen says.
‘‘It won’t be as tough as what we proposed, but it won’t be as loose as what the industry thought they could get away with.’’
He notes they also can’t introduce a bylaw due to the ‘‘strict rules’’ around them under the Local Government Act.
Theelen’s expecting council staff will provide another update to councillors on the issue early next year.
