Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has taken a rare decision to make a submission on a private plan change because of stormwater concerns.

The Northlake Special Zone (NSZ) Private Plan Change 54 was requested by developers Northlake Investments Ltd (NIL) earlier this year and it is currently being processed by QLDC’s planning and infrastructure team.

If approved, it would provide legal access and an infrastructure services corridor to Sticky Forest, which is one of the conditions of the fast-tracked consent for the Northbrook Retirement Village.

It would also expand the land available for residential building at NSZ with rezoning, which could result in up to 63 additional dwellings.

Northlake and its contractor were fined in 2019 for discharging silt and sediment-laden water - which could be seen as far as 500m downstream - into the Clutha River in 2017. 

At last week’s full council meeting QLDC chief executive Mike Theelen said it was “not usual” for the council to make corporate submissions.

“…but in this instance the situation, specifically seeking assurances about the competency of the stormwater provisions, meant that this was undertaken,” he said. 

Stormwater runoff issues at Northlake have been the source of ire for both residents and the council in previous years.

In 2019 Northlake, as well as its contractor Civil Construction Limited, was fined $42,500 by the Queenstown District Court for discharging silt and sediment-laden water (generated by earthworks in the subdivision) into the Clutha River two years earlier.

The discharge resulted in discoloration in the Clutha River for more than 500m downstream.

QLDC’s letter on the plan change, signed by Mike, says the council supports the rezoning only if it is done “in a manner that ensures appropriate roading, water and stormwater servicing”.

He said QLDC wants to see that stormwater can be appropriately conveyed and disposed of “in a way that avoids adverse flooding, erosion and other stormwater effects”.

To maintain functional separation between QLDC’s functions as an infrastructure operator and a consenting regulator processing the plan change, the submission was made in QLDC’s “corporate capacity”, and the planning and development team did not author the submission, Mike said.

Public submissions on the private plan change closed at the end of November.

PHOTO: Wānaka App