Frankton site work can start

Auckland developer Nigel McKenna got consent this month to start earthworks on his $300 million Queenstown project but is yet to get development approval for the large number of buildings he is planning on his 7ha Frankton site.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council said this month that in allowing earthworks to proceed, it had issued its largest non-notified consent.

McKenna's Melview Developments can now start site works on the Kawarau Falls Station site where it wants to build four hotels and private and serviced apartments, but a council spokeswoman said the building consent was yet to be approved.

The Kawarau Falls Lakeside Holiday Park operates a camping ground and cabin accommodation on the site.

Council chief executive Duncan Field said the site was earmarked for high-density residential development some years ago, after the council issued a draft district plan.

He said McKenna had used that zoning and matched his proposal to the site. The plans conformed with the rules and much effort had been invested to achieve that result.

The earthwork excavation phase required careful management and conditions were put on the consent, which called for the retention of heritage trees planted in the 1870s and two historic buildings dating from an early settlement era.

One of Queenstown's founders, William Rees, had owned the land and put the first buildings there in 1864.

In September last year, McKenna said Peninsula Road, a Melview subsidiary, had bought the site from Christchurch businessman Philip Carter and that the land was the only north-facing, high-density residential property available in the area.

McKenna said he planned to build a low-rise alpine community which he would call Kawarau Falls Station. Many of the original buildings on the site would be restored.