Development Pressure Mounts in Queenstown

Masterplanning is under way at a gateway suburb to Queenstown as the New Zealand property market continues to surge.

The 160-hectare Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile site is largely flat, close to Frankton and next to the largest residential estates in the city.

The pressure to build more housing “is mounting and difficult to stop”, the Queenstown Lakes District Council said. The council has devised a new plan and re-zoning to give developers clarity.

Council also purchased a 14-hectare site for NZ$13.8 million in Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile for community use in 2019, using it as a catalyst for planning in the region.

“The area has been under increasing development pressure since 1998 when Lake Hayes Estate was rezoned into a low density area for housing,” council said.

“Since then, a number of other key planning decisions, mean the area is now home to around 1,600 sections.”

Related: Will Restrictions Be Enough to Cool NZ Housing Market?

These decisions include the approval of the Shotover Country residential area, the Queenstown Country Club, Bridesdale and Shotover Country extension.

Community consultation is in progress on three preferred plans for the Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile site located 11 kilometres from central Queenstown.

The plan will then have to be presented to council for final approval before being incorporated into the district plan in mid-2021.

Queenstown town centre is currently undertaking $85 million in upgrades to arterial routs, pedestrian facilities and a facelift to the general streetscape.

Nearby a 900-hectare site was also recently donated to a conservation charity to protect it from development.

New Zealand’s residential market has boomed during the pandemic with property values increasing 12.8 per cent in the past 12 months.