An ambitious resort complex - including a hotel, backpackers, townhouses, apartments, shops and a winery - has been proposed for a prominent area of Three Parks.

The plans for ‘Mount Iron Resort’, proposed for the corner of Sir Tim Wallis Drive and Sir Cliff Skeggs Drive diagonally opposite BP, are on hold with the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) awaiting an external report.

Mount Iron Investments Limited (MIIL) is seeking consent for a resort complex, with mixed use residential, visitor accommodation and commercial development contained on a single section to be subdivided at a future date.

The central focus of the resort would be a five-story hotel with 126 rooms and a restaurant; a conference centre, and swimming pool and spa facility in landscaped grounds.

The main hotel building would be set back from Sir Tim Wallis Drive. The restaurant and conference space buildings are located between the accommodation building and the road, at a maximum height of 6.75m. 

The hotel would be surrounded by residential townhouses and apartments, and commercial activity would front the main streets.

A three-storey backpackers, with a tavern and shops, is proposed for the corner of Sir Tim Wallis Drive and Sir Cliff Skeggs Drive. It would have 34 rooms, and a restaurant.

The hotel takes centre stage, and is flanked by townhouses, apartments, and the proposed backpackers (front, to the right).

A bar and winery is also proposed in the northwestern corner of the site, accessed from Sir Tim Wallis Drive.

“This will be a licensed premises and it is envisaged it will be themed on the region’s wine production,” the application says.

Main access to the resort would be from Sir Tim Wallis Drive with a spine road splitting and linking through to two points on Sir Cliff Skeggs Road. 

Two apartment blocks are also proposed; one three-levels and one four-levels, which would be used for a mixture of residential and visitor accommodation. 

MIIL directors Jade Kirk and Damian McMillan.

Twenty-five townhouses are proposed around the northern and eastern boundaries of the site, and MIIL is seeking consent for them to be used as residential premises or visitor accommodation. 

The development would include more than 100 car parks, a coach drop off point and bicycle parks. 

MIIL has two directors: Jade Kirk, CEO of Kirk Roberts Consulting Engineers Limited in Christchurch; and Damian McMillan, chief operations officer and principal structural engineer of Kirk Roberts Consulting, Tauranga. The company was incorporated in May 2021.

IMAGES: Supplied