Decision for Kirimoko - notified today

The Queenstown Lakes District Council has ratified Plan Change 13 - Kirimoko Block in Wanaka. The decision has been notified today (Wednesday), Queenstown Lakes District senior policy planner Alyson Schuler said.

The Plan Change, first aired in 2004, involved the re-zoning of rural general land bounded by Aubrey Road and Rata Street and owned by 13 separate landowners (Kirimoko Group). The area was made up of 12 lots ranging in size from four to seven hectares and was currently referred to as the Kirimoko Block.

“The Plan Change was notified for public submission last April and a hearing was held in November, with the council accepting the decision of the hearings panel last Friday” Ms Schuler said.

The area, situated on the north east outskirts of Wanaka, had earlier been identified by the community in the Wanaka Structure Plan as being appropriate for further development, QLDC strategy chairwoman Councillor Gillian Macleod said.

“However the upper reaches of the block, including the spurs will be protected from any development,” Councillor Macleod said.

 

A number of submissions on the Plan Change addressed the use of the upper reaches of the development.

 

“The hearings panel concluded that the Plan Change provided an acceptable compromise between provision for the logical extension of the residential zone, and protection of surrounding landscape values,” Cr Macleod said.

One of the outcomes sought by the council in allowing the new zoning to proceed was to secure a walkway through the land between Scurr Heights at Aubrey Road and Peninsula Bay.“ This has been provided by the landowners and will be completed before resource consents for residential development can be applied for,” Ms Schuler said.

The council also negotiated with the Kirimoko Group to secure a contribution towards affordable housing of five percent possibly resulting in the opportunity for 17 affordable housing units within the block. “The proposed change in zoning will result in low density zoning, which in turn could see around 350 sections developed over time,” Ms Schuler said.

Submitters had 30 working days to appeal the council's decision to the Environment Court, if this does not happen, the Plan Change will be made operative in June or July of this year.