Lakeview Development
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Lakeview concept and vision
In October 2019, we signed a development agreement with Melbourne-based developer Ninety Four Feet and Auckland-based investment company Augusta Capital for development of the Lakeview land. Through this partnership, and others with Ngāi Tahu Tourism and Well Smart Ltd, the Lakeview Precinct will become a vibrant and complementary extension of the existing town centre. The site will offer residential buildings, hotels, co-working and co-living spaces, hospitality and retail, and a hot pools attraction. Construction will be phased over seven stages and is estimated to take more than ten years to complete.
Lakeview precinct early concept video
This image represents the aspects of the Lakeview site being developed under the Development Agreement, shown in phases:
A copy of the full subdivision please is available to download by clicking here.
Project History
In July 2016, the Lakeview land in central Tāhuna Queenstown was rezoned from high Density Residential to Queenstown Town Centre (under Plan Change 50). This was based on an identified need for the expansion of the Queenstown town centre, in order to provide for and facilitate economic growth. Both visitor and population growth continue to exceed expectations and the town centre requires continued investment to accommodate that.
Project Objectives
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Maximise financial return in a manner that minimised risk to ratepayers
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Establish a thriving residential focused, mixed-use precinct, which is stitched into the Queenstown town centre context and;
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Exhibits best-practice urban design principles, is walkable, activated, liveable and authentic;
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Exhibits a consistent design language and high-quality built form outcomes that complement the natural environment, fit into the Queenstown context and are of human scale;
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Provides a diverse retail mix which complements and provides for the natural expansion of the existing town centre core and will appeal to locals and visitors;
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Provides for the intensification sought via Plan Change 50 and delivers a variety of housing outcomes and/or a diverse residential community;
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Considers opportunities for visitor accommodation and/or visitor facilities where these are economically viable.
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Ensure Lakeview's development potential is unlocked in a timely and efficient manner.
The fundamental purpose of local government is to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities in the present and for the future. Optimal use of the Lakeview land goes to the core of that purpose, providing both financial and non-financial benefits for the community. The Lakeview programme has particular significance given that current rates-based approaches to investment are limited i.e. the release of investment property to bring down council debt, while also enabling wider economic and social benefits (including significant private sector investment) for the Queenstown Lakes District community.
Some of the benefits of the proposed development are outlined here:
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A commitment from QLDC to provide the Queenstown Lakes Affordable Housing Trust 5% of gross land proceeds, realising the Councils material infrastructure investment in high value serviced (improved) subdivision lots and their development potential;
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Opportunity to support the Queenstown town centre, and to deliver an integrated urban development form within walking distance of the Queenstown town centre;
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Indirect non-financial benefits associated with delivery of a variety of housing options and diverse residential community including innovation and commitment from the developer to deliver a mixed outcome of activities, built form and price points;
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Forecast total private sector investment in the Lakeview land of circa. $1B over 12 to 15 years. By the end of the development, spending will generate annual economic impacts equal to regional GDP of $100M, employment for 1,800 people and house hold incomes of $52M.
Plan Change 50
In September 2014, QLDC notified a proposed plan change (PC50) to the Operative District Plan to rezone the Lakeview site as "Queenstown Town Centre". The purpose of the plan change was to provide an extension of the existing Queenstown Town Centre by rezoning:
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The Council-owned Lakeview site;
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Some privately owned land adjoining the Lakeview site and bounded by Thompson and Glasgow Streets;
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34 Brecon Street site;
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Two additional blocks bounded by Camp Street, Isle Street, Man Street, and Hay Street; and
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The Lake Street/Beach Street/ Hay Street/ Man Street block.
Following a public consultation, hearings and appeals process, the plan change was made operative in July 2016.
All notifications, reports and submissions on the plan change can be found under here under "Plan Change 50 Queenstown Town Centre Extension".
Project news and updates
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Please note, any links to papers considered with the public excluded will only reflect the reasons for considering the matter as such, and not the papers themselves.
Project Milestones
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Date |
Milestone |
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September 2014 |
Public notification of Plan Change 50 to rezone the Lakeview site as "Queenstown Town Centre Extension" |
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June 2015 |
Council decision made to adopt Plan Change 50 |
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July 2016 |
Plan Change 50 made operative |
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March 2019 |
Evaluation of Developer proposals completed |
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March 2019 |
Melbourne-based developer Ninety Four Feet and Auckland-based investment company Augusta Capital confirmed as Developers |
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April 2019 |
Heads of Agreement executed with Developers |
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July 2019 |
Development Agreement executed with Developer |
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June 2020 |
Site clearance contract awarded following open tender process in February 2020 |
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July 2020 |
Site clearance commenced |
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November 2020 |
Master Development Plan approved |
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July 2021 |
Infrastructure improvements contract awarded to the Wakatipu Transport Alliance |
Infrastructure upgrades
Kā Huanui a Tāhuna has been engaged to lay the underground services and to create the streets that will enable the future development of this land.
What's the latest?
Good progress is being made to provide new infrastructure for the Lakeview development. We have completed the install of a new water main, sewer main and stormwater services along Man Street and above the ground works including the rebuild of footpaths and a new road. Work will be completed at the end of March with the Thompson Street connection on Man Street to open early April.
Frequently asked questions
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The Lakeview sale and development plan is the culmination of almost 20 years of planning, public consultation and Council decision making.
- Tomorrow’s Queenstown Strategy (2002); Growth Management Strategy (2007); The Town Centre Strategy (2008); and a further business zones capacity study (2013)
- Plan Change 50 rezoning the Lakeview Precinct (2016)
- A land swap of Council-owned freehold land for an equal area of reserve land approved by the Minister of Conservation
- An Expression of Interest (EOI) and Request for Development Proposal (RFDP) for development of the Land (2018)
The project was included in the formal community consultation on three successive QLDC Ten Year Plans in 2015, 2018 and 2021.
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Council chose not to simply sell the land because we wanted greater control to ensure the best possible outcomes for the community in areas such as housing mix and community spaces (i.e. the wider, non-financial community benefits).
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To expand on this, Council committed to delivering roads, infrastructure and public spaces at Lakeview because it enhanced the nominal land payments we received, after accounting for the cost of infrastructure.
It also significantly reduced complexity because it has allowed full control over the subdivision process. In turn this approach has helped attract a progressive and innovative developer rather than restrict the market response only to developers with experience in infrastructure delivery.
Finally, the model for Lakeview with QLDC as a development partner gives Council more control to better manage risk alongside successfully achieving our development objectives for this key local project -
Third party advice from Colliers in 2017 valued the land in aggregate at $42 million. This value assumed transferring the land upfront under freehold title to a single purchaser. It was also based on Council clearing the site and completing the subdivision capital works in order to get freehold title.
This valuation only relates to the seven lots that relate to the Ninety Four Feet /Augusta development and lot 10 which will be developed by Well Smart. This equates to approx 4ha not the whole 10ha site.
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QLDC has communicated with the Ministry under the provisions of the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast Track Consenting) Act 2020. As such the timing and extent of disclosure of this information is a matter for the Minister.
The government’s fast-track consenting provides for a speedier process for developments. It does not alter the level of scrutiny to which all such applications are subjected. It will be for the Minister to decide if the application meets the test in that legislation to allow it to be fast tracked. If not, the normal resource consenting process will apply.
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The stated intention of the legislation is “to fast-track projects that can promote employment, while promoting sustainable management, to support recovery from the economic and social impacts of COVID-19”.