Ben Farrell
In the interest of full transparency, please note that Ben is the owner of “Coronet Village Limited”, the company that submitted the Coronet Village Fast-track application. -MVPS
Q1 It is well known that one of the key contributors to the historic issues with Lake Hayes water quality has been from upstream land development. What is your position on intensification in the Lake Hayes catchment area?
In respect of Lake Hayes water quality, I think land use intensification can be appropriate when fundamental concepts like contributing positively to the water quality can be achieved. I do not support intensification everywhere within the catchment – each case will be different. FYI, I have spent much of my career working in both urban and rural planning including freshwater management. I have undertaken a lot of work for environmental authorities and NGOs on the side of protecting and restoring freshwater. I even helped draft QLDC District Plan Policy 24.2.4.2 (which relates to land uses intensification and impacts on Lake Hayes), working collaboratively with parties involved in that Environment Court proceeding, including the Friends of Lake Hayes and relevant experts.
Q2a Do you consider the current Coronet Village Fast-Track application that includes 780 residences positive or negative?
Positive.
Q2b Why do you say that?
The purpose of the project is to develop Coronet Peak as a globally leading and impactful destination whilst providing considerable social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits. The project, as listed, would convert about 3% of the Malaghans Valley Landscape Unit Area from rural to urban and would have significant socioeconomic benefits – hence its listing by the Government on the fast-track legislation.
The project shouldn’t have significant adverse effects on the natural environment, and I’m a bit surprised more hasn’t been said publicly about the anticipated ecological benefits of the project, like improvements to the streams and wetlands on the site including about 30ha of ecological restoration. To avoid any doubt, the project will contribute to water quality improvement in the Lake Hayes Catchment.
Also, I’m aware there are many people who support or are not opposed to the project. I acknowledge some people oppose the fast-track legislation and I acknowledge the Malaghans Valley Protection Society opposes the project. Valid concerns will be addressed as the process unfolds.
Thinking more broadly, there is also an opportunity to capture significant revenue streams from all the fast-track projects in the Otago Central Lakes area as a source of private investment to support the necessary infrastructure improvements we need but our government and councils cannot realistically afford.
Q3 What infrastructure would you like to see in place to address our traffic and sewerage issues in Queenstown? Please provide specific examples.
For traffic: (1) tech solutions so road users have real time information about traffic congestion and potential delays, and any type of management technique that might realistically reduce the amount of traffic in the problems areas during the problem times; (2) support for improved and expanded passenger transport services (public and private) across the existing network; (3) new transport developments that provide alternatives to the current State Highway roading network, for example: improving and expanding our trail networks, upgrading existing rural roads, a second bridge at Arthurs Point, investigating the merits of gondola/ropeway options, and investigating the merits of a new road along the bottom of Remarkables Station with new bridges over the Kawarau River;
For wastewater: (1) upgrading the existing treatment plant and disposal area with consideration of additional disposal areas to accommodate growth without discharging offensive odours to air or contaminates to our lakes and rivers; (2) allowing new private wastewater treatment and disposal solutions to alleviate demands on the public reticulated network.
