Queenstown Smart Growth Initiative
We believe growth in the Wakatipu Basin must be well-planned and in the right locations. We are a community-led initiative engaged in ensuring the Expert Panel has access to independent, credible evidence on the Ridgeburn fast-track application on Morven Ferry Road.
We need your help
Now that the Ridgeburn substantive application has been lodged, we have assembled a team of independent experts. They are engaged and the evidence is being built. But expert evidence costs money and the timeline is tight.
Without a full team, the Panel does not have the full picture. This is the community's one opportunity to put independent evidence before the Panel.
Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ensure we can present the most complete and independent evidence possible on behalf of the wider Queenstown Lakes community. Donations are kept anonymous.
Donations can be made to:
Queenstown Smart Growth Initiative Inc
Account: 02-0673-0185863-000
Who We Are
The Queenstown Smart Growth Initiative (QSGI) is a community-led incorporated society whose purpose is to ensure the Expert Panel deciding the Ridgeburn fast-track application has access to independent, credible evidence.
There is no doubt that more homes are required for our region. The Fast-track reforms are already considering some excellent and much-needed projects in the Queenstown Lakes area, and we fully support development that is well-located and aligned with the long-term strategic growth plan for the region.
However, the careful location of that growth is crucial. The Council's own Spatial Plan already identifies well-located, serviced land capable of accommodating growth of this scale. This represents smart development that prioritises the needs of the wider community, both now and into the future.
Many of us are professionals in the planning, architecture, economics and engineering fields who have worked on developments ourselves. Our purpose is to coordinate expert input and present a credible, evidence-based response to the Expert Panel on behalf of the wider Queenstown Lakes community.
What is Ridgeburn?
The Ridgeburn fast-track application seeks to develop 1,210 residential lots on 212 hectares of land, alongside a commercial precinct comprising of a supermarket, daycare, shared office space/retail and hospitality, and a 220-room Accomodation with pool, spa, gym and dining facilities. The site sits approximately 10km from Frankton and 5km from Arrowtown, with no connection to existing council infrastructure networks and no access to public transport.
The land is zoned Rural Amenity and Rural under the Queenstown Lakes District Plan, and sits outside the areas identified for growth in QLDC's Spatial Plan; a framework developed through years of community consultation specifically to direct growth to well-located, well-serviced areas.
The application is being progressed through the Government's Fast-track Approvals Act 2024, outside of the usual Resource Management Act planning processes.
Comparison images Arrowtown boundary and Ridgeburn.
What impact will Ridgeburn have on the area?
The full extent of the impacts are still being assessed. Key areas requiring independent expert scrutiny include:
The site is zoned Rural Amenity and Rural under the Queenstown Lakes District Plan, zoning that does not provide for residential development of this scale, and sits adjacent to areas of Outstanding Natural Feature and Outstanding Natural Landscape.
The development sits outside QLDC's Spatial Plan, which was developed through years of community consultation to direct growth to well-located, serviced areas, raising questions about precedent for rural development across the basin.
Treated wastewater will be disposed of on-site through spray irrigation onto Morven Hill, with the treatment plant located approximately 150m from the Kawarau River, with no connection to existing council wastewater networks.
The absence of public transport means all residents would be reliant on private vehicles for access to employment, schooling and healthcare.
The developer's own traffic assessment confirms the key SH6 intersection is already beyond capacity, and no network-wide assessment of effects through to Frankton and Ladies Mile has been undertaken.
The development is adjacent to the Arrow Bridges Cycle Trail and Twin Rivers Trail, and the traffic impacts on Arrow Junction Road and Morven Ferry Road raise questions about safety for the estimated 87,000 annual cyclists using these routes.
Queenstown's tourism industry is worth $2.8 billion annually, and visitor feedback already identifies traffic congestion as the single biggest negative in the visitor experience. Development outside the Spatial Plan on land adjacent to Outstanding Natural Landscape areas puts that economy at risk, not just for residents, but for the entire region.
We believe this development has the potential to set a significant precedent not only for our area but for New Zealand as a whole. We are committed to ensuring the most complete and independent evidence possible is put before the Expert Panel.
What is Fast-track?
The Fast-track process is a new government mechanism designed to expedite approvals for large projects deemed to have significant economic benefits. In this instance, it allows the project to progress outside of the usual local council planning processes and public consultation that normally apply under the Resource Management Act.
While the Government has indicated that Fast-track will reduce red tape and boost the economy, it also reduces transparency and public input, with the primary consideration being economic benefit rather than alignment with local planning strategy.
Fast-track shifts decision-making from local hands to central government, raising important questions about who decides what gets built, and where.
Who can have a say in Fast-track applications?
There is no open public submission stage in the Fast-track process. Only certain groups are invited to provide comment, including local and regional councils, iwi, government bodies such as NZTA and DOC, and direct or adjacent neighbours.
The final decision will be made by an Expert Panel and ministers. The Expert Panel is selected by the panel convener and will be composed of four individuals, three of whom are not required to be from the local area.
Despite projects like Ridgeburn having significant impacts on the wider community, the public is not given a direct opportunity to participate in the application process. However, we will do everything we can to ensure the community voice is heard.
Our role in the process?
Challenging a fast-track application requires time, expertise, resources and a united community response. The Queenstown Smart Growth Initiative is committed to gathering clear, credible evidence to understand the true impacts a development of this size would have on our region. Preparing this type of evidence-based response requires significant investment, and is not something individuals can reasonably be expected to do alone.
The consequences of inadequate evidence are already clear. At the Homestead Bay fast-track application, NZTA advised it did not have sufficient time to respond at the level required, and the Panel placed full weight on the applicant's uncontested transport evidence. QSGI exists to ensure this does not happen with Ridgeburn. While the window for input in the Fast-track process is extremely limited, every person who joins and every contribution made strengthens our ability to respond effectively.