Council to Appeal Mitre 10 Mega store

The Queenstown Lakes District Council will appeal an Environment Court decision in an attempt to preserve the integrity of Frankton planning and land set aside for industrial use, QLDC Mayor Vanessa van Uden said.

At the full Council meeting today a decision was taken to appeal against the Court’s decision to grant resource consent for a Mitre 10 Mega store.

“I want to make it clear that neither I nor my fellow Councillors have any stomach to enter the fray of appeals around Frankton-based proposals but this decision presents us with a problem,” Mayor van Uden said.

Unlike Pak ‘n’ Save, which was also recently granted consent by the Environment Court, the Mitre 10 Mega store is planned to be built on land set aside under the Frankton plan change (19) for industrial activity.

“We all welcome the concept of a mega store, brilliant, but it’s not about that. Right now, today, that store could be built at Frankton with a non-notified consent on land identified for just that purpose within Remarkables Park. Instead, as it stands, it will eat into land set aside to meet the future needs of our business community,” she said.

It was about stepping back and looking at the big picture.

Council had been attempting to zone land for industrial activities for some time and keep the activities within the zone restricted to industrial uses, QLDC planning and policy general manager Philip Pannett said.

“There is a clear need for industrial land in the Wakatipu and we have seen many business have to relocate to or establish in other areas such as Cromwell over the last ten years because there isn’t the land available locally. This decision puts even more pressure on that problem,” he said.

The last thing Council wanted was to further frustrate the community through more litigation at Frankton.

“I want a solution for Frankton Flats, period. It’s unfortunate but I am now convinced it is essential to that solution that we maintain the integrity of the industrial zone,” Mayor van Uden said.

Should the Frankton plan change (19) decision, due in the next few weeks, change the allocation of industrial zoned land, then Council would review its position about appealing the mega store.