Rural Visitor Zone submissions now open as part of the Proposed District Plan

Following the Council decision on 10 October 2019, submissions have opened today (Thursday 31 October) on proposed changes to the Rural Visitor Zone. This forms part of Stage 3 of the Proposed District Plan.

The Rural Visitor Zone currently covers Arthurs Point, Arcadia (near Paradise), Walter Peak Station, Cecil Peak Station, Blanket Bay, Cardrona, and the ‘Windermere’ land next to Wānaka Airport.

QLDC Planning and Policy Manager Ian Bayliss said the aim of the Rural Visitor Zone is to manage visitor accommodation and tourist recreation activities in relatively remote rural locations many of which are within outstanding natural landscapes.

For the areas which will be zoned Rural Visitor zone at Arcadia, Walter Peak, Cecil Peak, and Blanket Bay, buildings would be encouraged to locate within specified areas and would also be limited to a scale and height that protects the key qualities of the landscape in that area.

Zoning changes are also proposed at Arthurs Point, Cardrona and Windermere. Cardrona would be rezoned to Settlement Zone (Townships) to ensure the township grows in a cohesive way as the community grows.

The rezoning of the Rural Visitor land in Arthurs Point to a mix of Medium Density Residential and Rural Zone, is to reflect that the area is part of urban Queenstown, while some land on the slopes of Mt Dewar and the Shotover River may not be suitable for urban development.

The Windermere land adjoining Wānaka Airport is located within the air noise boundaries and has not been developed for rural visitor activities to date, so it is proposed to rezone it to Rural Zone. This also avoids having the district plan review jump ahead of the proposed Spatial Plan and Wānaka Airport master planning processes which are yet to be completed for this area.

All property owners within the Queenstown Lakes District will be sent a notification letter, including a fact sheet summarising the proposed changes and details about how to get involved in the process. The proposed changes have also been advertised in local newspapers, and information is available on the QLDC website: www.qldc.govt.nz/proposed-district-plan-stage-3b.

For those needing clarification on the proposals, a duty policy planner will be available every workday until submissions close. They can be reached by phone at 03 441 0499 (Queenstown) or 03 443 0024 (Wānaka), and by email at pdpenquiries@qldc.govt.nz.

“We encourage our community to take part in the Proposed District Plan process. This is when you can tell us if we have the balance right with things like land use rules that trigger resource consents, and if you agree or disagree with the proposals. And if you have any questions, please pick up the phone or drop in to see us,” Mr Bayliss added. 

The deadline for Rural Visitor Zone submissions closes a later than the rest of Stage 3, and must be submitted by 5.00pm on 2 December at: www.qldc.govt.nz/proposed-district-plan-stage-3b.

ENDS|KUA MUTU.

Media contact: communications@qldc.govt.nz or call 03 441 1802.

To view a copy of the Rural Visitor Zone factsheet and supporting documents, please visit: www.qldc.govt.nz/proposed-district-plan-stage-3b.

To view more details on the other chapters of Stage 3 of the District Plan review, please visit: www.qldc.govt.nz/proposed-district-plan-stage-3.