Satellite map of land parcels outlined in red, near Kawarau River and Lake Hayes in New Zealand, showing roads, water bodies, and surrounding agricultural land.

Committed to ensuring our community has a voice in shaping appropriate development in the Arrow Junction area.

Who We Are

Arrow Junction Residents Association has been formed to represent the community in response to the Ridgeburn fast-track application at 122 Morven Ferry Road. We believe that a subdivision of this size is not appropriate for the location and would have significant negative impacts on the area. We advocate on behalf of residents who share our concerns to ensure their voices are heard in the fast-track process. We still have an opportunity to have a say.

What is Ridgeburn?

Ridgeburn is a fast-track application for a small town 122 Morven Ferry Road. The application seeks to build a new town with 1,242 residential lots, a supermarket, commercial space and worker accomodation. The area in question sits 10KM from Frankton and 5KM from Arrowtown and is currently Rural Amenity Zoned and Outstanding Natural Feature land. The site does not sit within the area that QLDC has earmarked for growth within their district plan.

The application led by Kurt Gibbons through his company Gibbons Co, is attempting to bypass local council planning through the Governments Fast-track process.

Comparison images Arrowtown boundary and Ridgeburn.

What impact will Ridgeburn have on the area?

More details of the impact are still being explored. Initial concerns are:

The land is rural-Amenity zoned and Outstanding Natural Feature land; specifically created to prevent urban sprawl and protect high-value landscapes.
Undermines the integrity of QLDC’s Spatial Plan, setting a dangerous precedent for rural development in the basin.
All sewage to be disposed to surrounding land, 150m from Kawarau River.
No access to public transport ultimately means all residents will be reliant on private vehicles to access employment, schooling, healthcare etc.
The predicted 8,000 vehicle movements per day the subdivision will produce, will put enormous additional stress on our roads already at capacity.
Will push more traffic towards Ladies Mile and the two lane Shotover Bridge.
Will impact bike trails that use Arrow Junction Road for access.

Map of a community development project showing trails, roads, and connections. Features include twin rivers trail, arrow river bridges trail, proposed walking and cycling trails, primary and secondary roads, community lanes, and potential trail connections. The map highlights retail and community hubs, upgraded and new trail connections, and a summit at Morven Hill. Key routes are marked with different colors and dashed lines, with labels and a legend explaining various trail types and connections.

What is Fast-track?

The Fast-track process is a new government process designed to expedite approvals for large projects deemed to have significant economic benefits. In this instance fast-track would allow the project to bypass the usual local council planning processes and public consultation that normally apply under the Resource Management Act.

While the government has claimed Fast-track will cut red tape and boost the economy, it also reduces transparency and public input, giving out-of-town experts the ability to approve projects that don’t necessarily reflect the needs of the area.

Fast-track shifts decision-making from local hands to central government. It raises important questions about who decides what gets built, and where.

Who can have a say in Fast-track applications?

There’s no open public submission stage in the fast-track process.

Only certain groups are invited to provide comment; this includes local and regional councils, iwi, government bodies like NZTA, DOC and direct or adjacent neighbours.

The final decision will be made by the expert panel and ministers. The expert panel is chosen by the panel convener and will be composed of four individuals, three of which do not have 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 all we can to ensure that the community voice will be heard.

Our role in the process?

Challenging a fast-track application takes time, expertise, and resources, and it requires a joint effort from the whole community. The Arrow Junction Residents Association is committed to gathering clear, credible evidence to understand the true impacts a subdivision of this size will have on our area. While the window for public input in the fast-track process is extremely limited we will do everything we can to ensure that our collective voice is heard. That’s why we need full community support, every person who joins strengthens our ability to respond effectively. Please join in the form below, so we can work together to secure the right outcomes for the area.