Plan Change 24 - Queenstown Lakes District Council

The Queenstown Lakes District Council will invite members of the community to form a consultation working group to further discuss the provision of affordable housing in the district, QLDC general manager policy and planning Philip Pannett said.

The QLDC would also be asking the Environment Court to put the appeal against its affordable housing plan change (24) on hold pending further mediation.

The decision was taken in a public excluded session at the full Council meeting in Hawea last week after the Council resolved in August to seek legal advice on the process and implication of withdrawing the plan change.

“The matter was discussed in public excluded because of the need to traverse legal proceedings. At the end of deliberations the Council resolved that the agenda item, the legal advice and the recommendations should be made available to the public,” Mr Pannett said.

All documents were now available on the Council website www.qldc.govt.nz

“In essence the Council resolved it did support the general thrust of the objectives and policies of the plan change,” he said.

It further resolved to:

• Instruct the Strategy Committee to reconsider with urgency PlanChange 24 in accordance with the following general terms:

a. To undertake a collaborative process with a consultation working group comprising the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust, appellants and other stakeholders;
b. To develop a solution that includes a range of mechanisms to support housing affordability through the District Plan and through other means;
c. To provide amended instructions for mediation;

“Council also took the decision to ask the Environment Court to put the appeal by appellants (Infinity Investment Group Holdings and Others) on hold pending mediation,” Mr Pannett said.