Arrowtown Boundary on agenda

 A proposed Arrowtown boundary Plan Change will be on next week’s Queenstown Lakes District Council agenda, QLDC statutory committee chairwoman Councillor Gillian Macleod said.

Consultation on the Arrowtown Boundary discussion document took place over the summer.

“We had an excellent response with a total of 266 comments received and around 100 people attending the two drop-in sessions held at the Athenaeum Hall,” Cr Macleod said.

The responses highlighted the unique qualities and special character of Arrowtown, its village atmosphere, compact size, historic values and attraction to tourists.

“In general the golf courses were considered to provide a buffer around the town and a fairly conservative view towards growth was expressed,” Cr Macleod said.

Those views, along with a range of technical data on matters such as growth projections and infrastructure had been taken into account when the proposed Plan Change (29) was being prepared.

“It is intended that the Plan Change will define the urban boundary for Arrowtown in the District Plan and provide policies that assist with its implementation,” Cr Macleod said.

The proposed boundary had been drawn tightly around the existing urban zones and included the reserve areas at Feehley’s Hill and along Bush Creek and the Arrow River, as these formed an important part of the towns recreational and amenity areas.

“The Plan Change process will give the public an opportunity for further input,” Cr Macleod said.
The Council would be asked to give approval that the Plan Change be publicly notified.

“This will provide a formal opportunity for submissions to be made on the proposal which will then be considered at a hearing,” Cr Macleod said.