A proposal to develop the junction of State Highways 6 and 84 near the entrance to Wanaka has now been publicly notified with Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), and public submissions are open regarding the development.

Last November Mt Iron Junction Ltd directors Steve Shikker, a local businessman, and Peter Greene, a Christchurch property developer, lodged a resource consent application with the QLDC for a proposed mixed-use development on six hectares of land at the base of Mt Iron, bounded by the state highways.

The plans are a response to Wanaka’s growing pains, Steve told the Wanaka App at the time.

The development is designed to provide terraced housing with 17 two and three-bedroom two-storey villas, as well as equip Wanaka’s first dedicated workers’ village with accommodation and amenities for up to 90 seasonal and long-term working residents. Also included in the proposal is the relocation of Caltex Wanaka from Ardmore Street to the site.

The developers said the “jewel in the development’s crown” is the construction of a roundabout at the SH6/SH84/Riverbank Road intersections, which they said will improve the safety and visibility of the intersection, which can act as a bottleneck at peak traffic times.

Last year Steve said New Zealand Transport Agency has been consulted from the beginning and they were at an “advanced design stage” with the Agency.

An NZTA spokesperson told the Wanaka App yesterday she was aware a resource consent had been lodged for the development, and said “as an affected party it [the NZTA] will be responding to that consent”.

Yesterday (Thursday May 22) the developers said in a statement the proposal “has been enthusiastically welcomed by many locals in the community”.

“Upper Clutha residents have been crying out for years for a better way to connect our roads, and especially want to see the Riverbank Road intersection made safer,” Steve said.

“We envision this project to really provide for our community’s growth; including a workers’ accommodation village, terraced housing, an upscale motel, a childcare centre, a service station, a mini-golf course and a small, niche retail area. We welcome feedback on this proposal, which will help us to provide a community-driven development that has Wanaka’s best interests at heart.”

The submission period ends June 14, 2019.

IMAGE: Supplied