Hāwea residents may still have months to wait until they find out the outcome of an Environment Court appeal on the town’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), Queenstown Lakes District Council says.

Last week the Hāwea Community Association (HCA) said it had reached an agreement with all parties “regarding the UGB and the future development of the town” and scheduled a meeting for Sunday (February 19) to share the outcome with the community.

However, the meeting was cancelled days later and QLDC media and channels advisor Sam White said residents may still have a long wait before the outcome becomes public.

“These proceedings are still part of the confidential and without prejudice mediation process that all parties agreed to enter. Hence it could not be publicly discussed at the HCA’s proposed meeting on Sunday,” Sam said. 

“Until the consent documentation has been lodged with the court, the content remains strictly confidential and subject to the mediation process. The process then still relies on the court endorsing the draft consent order which could potentially take several months.”

The Hāwea Community Association identified Cemetery Road as the preferred boundary for the township back in 2015 and it has fought against residential development outside that boundary. 

The decision to retain the boundary was approved by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) councillors in 2021 as part of a raft of decisions on stage three of the Proposed District Plan (PDP), but that decision was appealed by Universal Developments and Streat Developments, both of whom own land on the south side of Cemetery Road.

It is understood Universal Developments, Streat Developments, QLDC, Otago Regional Council and the HCA are involved in the current Environment Court appeal and mediation.

PHOTO: Wānaka App