A residential subdivision has finally been given the go ahead in Bannockburn after four years.

The Central Otago District Council announced the decision from hearings panel chair Rosalind Day-Cleavin and Gary Rae on May 31, for the 25-lot development on Terrace Street.

DJ Jones and NR Searell Family Trust first applied for consent to subdivide into 35 lots in 2021, but 80% of submitters opposed it, and the application was withdrawn.

An amended application for a scaled down version of 26 lots over the 17ha of land west of the Bannockburn inlet, last year, attracted 38 submissions.

At the hearing in March 2025, the panel heard from neighbouring residents who expressed concern at the development on the closest lots adjacent to their property.

Some were worried about their views along the street towards the natural features of the hilltop.

The majority of submissions in opposition raised concerns regarding the lot size. For the residential resource area, a minimum lot area of 1500m2 and an average allotment size was no less than 2000m2 was required.

After carefully considering the effects on the surrounding neighbourhood, and the character of the streetscape, commissioners decided that the effects were either no more than minor or could be suitably avoided, remedied or mitigated by the imposition of appropriate conditions of consent. 

“We find that the proposal is likely to result in positive effects in respect to provision of additional housing, open space and recreational needs of the community along with positive effects on heritage values.”

The applicants volunteered a consent notice condition which would prohibit buildings on Lot 40, and thereby prevent any future development.

They would also be vesting a reserve to council, providing a connection to the informal public trail and a lookout area to the north and east towards Cromwell, with information about the mining history and geological features of the landscape.

There was evidence of former gold mining works dating back to pre-1900’s through a network of historic water races and deeply incised sluice gullies in the northwest with sluice faces and channels.