Waka Kotahi opposes Central Otago housing and commerce development

The Fulton Hogan proposal is for a Lake Dunstan shoreline tract of more than 90ha land to be developed into housing and a commercial precinct beneath the Pisa Range. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has come out against a proposed residential and business development near Cromwell.

The government agency said, in a plan change submission, it opposed the Parkburn proposal because of climate change concerns and the relatively isolated location of the development.

Fulton Hogan runs a large quarry in the area — about 10km west of Cromwell — but it is nearing the end of its life.

The company had applied to the Central Otago District Council for a plan change to develop a residential/business centre where the quarry now sits. The planned site is beside Pisa Moorings.

Fulton Hogan's planned development at Parkburn Quarry has waterways and waterfront apartments. Illustration / Fulton Hogan

The council had started the process of a plan change and had asked for submissions.

Fulton Hogan would look to develop the site with more than 90ha of land used for residential development and nearly 5ha of land for business/retail.

Nearly 25ha of land would be earmarked for industrial development.

The area is bounded by Lake Dunstan on one side and State Highway 6 on the other.

Early plans had shown more than 500 residential sections would be in the development and there would be space for shops and a restaurant/bar.

Waka Kotahi said in its submission it considered the proposed location of the site was quite remote from the existing main urban environments within the Central Otago district.

The Waka Kotahi submission said the subdivision would be about 10km from Cromwell, 40km from Alexandra and 45km from Wānaka and, since there was no public transport, heavy reliance on the use of private vehicles was expected.

The proposed Parkburn residential and business development is on the shore of Lake Dunstan and beneath the Pisa mountain range. Illustration / Fulton Hogan

It also said the proposed development was outside the future growth areas identified in the Cromwell spatial plan.

The area was not identified for future residential zoning recently notified in plan change 19 of the Central Otago district plan. The spatial plans were developed to manage urban growth in a manner that promotes an accessible walking and cycling town.

It also highlighted further consideration had to be made for carbon emissions and potential climate change effects for the future development.

It said the development of the site was unlikely to result in a significant uptake of active transport modes such as walking and cycling nor a reduction in a reliance on private vehicle trips. There was no provisions made for public transport.

Nearby Cromwell was growing so fast it would soon lead to the council, and the town, coming under central government national policy statements and having to consider plans to control development and provide more infrastructure.

In its submission, the Ministry of Education said the proposal would place pressure on schools in Cromwell with an influx of people coming into the region.

“The boost in dwellings constitute a sudden large addition to the number of total dwellings and total rating units, at a scale and pace that is larger than projected numbers. This growth is at a faster rate than that anticipated by the Ministry of Education,” it said.

Christchurch International Airport Ltd is looking at a potential airport at Tarras. In its submission it supported the proposal, saying the development was what was needed in a high population growth area such as Central Otago.

The council is now calling for further submissions, which will close on August 10. A hearing will then follow.

Fulton Hogan has not said when it is looking to develop the area.