Plans for fourth Whakatipu retirement village pulled by Winton
A prominent Queenstown developer has pulled plans for one retirement village, but is still pressing ahead with a similar-sized second village, nearby.
Chris Meehan’s company, Winton, had proposed a 162-unit village, with 36 care units, on the western paddocks of his historic Ayrburn farm, between Arrowtown and Lake Hayes.
During a recent Environment Court hearing, however, this proposal was withdrawn.
Winton’s ‘‘instead elected to pursue a rezoning for lifestyle lots on this part of Ayrburn,’’ its Queenstown GM, Lauren Christie, says.
Meanwhile, the company’s still pursuing another retirement village — comprising 162 units, 17 serviced apartments and 23 care units — at nearby Waterfall Park.
Winton originally planned a 380-room hotel and spa on this site.
‘‘Winton’s base-case was always to convert our existing consent for a 380-room hotel in Ayrburn’s northern precinct into a retirement village,’’ Christie says.
‘‘Site works and roading works in this area are well underway and are progressing well.’’
‘Aged care industry important diversification’
In 2020, during the first Covid lockdown, Meehan told Mountain Scene he was parking his hotel/spa plans due to the hit the tourism industry was taking, due to closed borders.
He said: ‘‘The expansion of Queenstown’s aged-care industry is an important diversification away from Queenstown’s traditional tourism base and will positively impact the local economy both financially and socially.’’
Despite the existing Queenstown and Arrowtown retirement villages, he was in no doubt another one would be viable ‘‘due to the ageing population and current undersupply’’.
‘‘Forecasts expect demand growth over the next decade of about 1000 units from existing retirees and future retirees currently living in the region.’’
However, his plans for a village on his rural land — now abandoned — didn’t progress smoothly.
He wasn’t successful getting approvals via either ‘special housing area’ rules or a fast-track resource consent.
The council also would not approve a residential zoning through the district plan review process, a decision he appealed through the Environment Court appeal process.
Friends of Lake Hayes argued the land should remain rural, arguing it’s an important catchment for Lake Hayes.
Meehan, however, said scientific experts believed his retirement village would improve water quality in Lake Hayes and its Mill Creek tributary ‘‘by preventing any future commercial stock farming activities on the land, including related fertiliser application, and extensive
revegetation’’.
He also said the village would cover only 6% of a 42-hectare site.
