A two-day hearing for a 30-lot subdivision at Bendigo in an ‘Outstanding National Landscape’ will be heard by an independent commissioner in Cromwell this week.

Central Otago District Council’s planning consultant Adam Vincent has recommended the development be declined, despite applicants TKO Properties amending the original application.

The proposed development at Rocky Point is for residential housing and travellers accommodation, and of the 13 submissions received by council, 11 were opposed.

Bendigo Station was one of the affected parties and supported the initial application.

In his report Adam said while the applicant had reduced the proposal from 33 to 30 lots, and some building platforms reduced in size, he still had concerns.

The current environment was predominantly undeveloped vegetation covered hillside, and the District Plan anticipated a “reasonably highly modified rural environment” for the Rural Resource zoned area, with provisions for residential development.

On the one hand, a compliant subdivision in the development zone would be a controlled activity that council would not be able to refuse, Adam said.

“This would create an anticipation that dwellings could be built on the lots. 

‘’However, dwellings on most of the land in the western half of the development zone, in particular, would not be able to comply with the requirements for building.’’

That was because of the significant earthworks or landscaping of the area, because it was an open hillside and terrace view in plain view of Lake Dunstan, he said.

“This may significantly affect the character of the area. 

‘’As a result, there would be no guarantee that a dwelling could be built there,’’ he said.

‘’In order to manage this dissonance, I consider that more weight should be given to how the visual effects of buildings within the development zone will be reduced to acceptable levels, accepting that the plan anticipates buildings in this area.”

In the outstanding natural landscape, he considered more weight should be given to avoiding buildings where they would be visually prominent from outside the site, particularly from Lake Dunstan and State Highway 8. 

One submitter asked that council consider a ban on owning cats in the development, to help reduce the predation on lizards.

A consultant herpetologist also suggested council could reasonably impose that as a condition, either as a consent notice or a covenant.

Additionally, a lizard management plan would be added to the consent conditions if the application was granted.

In its amended application, TKO Properties also proposed adding two public walking tracks along a ridgeline and to a viewpoint.

The tracks would both traverse parts of the site that allowed for views over the Bendigo area and the upper reaches of Lake Dunstan.