Although the council announced it had reached an agreement to purchase almost 100 hectares of land around Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron last December, there are still a couple of hurdles it must leap before the purchase can be called a done deal.

Those hurdles include gaining a resource consent and officially reclassifying Mount Iron’s status from privately owned land to a recreation reserve, with settlement date still a year away. 

A resource consent is required for the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) to erect a 1.1km boundary fence on the north-western side of Mount Iron, delineating the line between the proposed recreation reserve and private property.

In due course, council will be seeking quotes from local fencing contractors to clear the vegetation and erect a two metre high deer fence, QLDC media spokesperson Sam White said.

The resource consent application hasn’t been lodged yet, Sam said, but council has until early November to gain all necessary consents to facilitate the purchase.

In addition to the consent, the QLDC must also apply to the Ministry of Land Information (LINZ) to gain approval under the Public Works Act to acquire the land and reclassify it as 'Recreation Reserve'.

“The process requires development and approval of the survey plan, confirmation that conditions of the purchase agreement have been met, formal approval of the acquisition by the Minister for Land Information, submitting a notice in the New Zealand Gazette, and final settlement of the transaction,” Sam said.

Settlement may take another six months following the granting of consent and LINZ approval, which would mean a tentative purchase date around May 2023, he said.

Provided consent is granted, the QLDC plans to consult with the community early next year, seeking feedback on what locals would like to do or see in the new Recreation Reserve.

The council worked with land owner Allenby Farms Ltd for about 18 months to reach the agreement announced last December. The agreement covers 67ha on the north, west and southern flanks of Mount Iron plus land adjacent to State Highway 84, as well as an additional 27ha centred on Little Mount Iron.

Council hasn’t revealed the purchase price but last December the QLDC’s contract’s register recorded $8M “for the purchase of Mt Iron reserve land” had been approved.

Future updates on the Mount Iron acquisition will be available online here.  

PHOTOS: Wānaka App