The Cromwell Parkburn residential subdivision has passed another hurdle, with the Central Otago District Council approving the decision for the private plan change, which will now be publicly notified.

Plan Change 21 (PC21) is a private plan change by Fulton Hogan, which was approved in August by an independent hearings panel to rezone about 120 hectares of land at its Parkburn quarry. 

The site is bordered to the west by SH6 and adjoins Lake Dunstan to the east, while the boundary to the south is the edge of the current urban area of the Pisa Moorings settlement. 

The panel approved 81.15ha of land to low density residential, a further 10.09ha as medium density residential, 4.72ha of land to new business as well as 2.32ha and an additional 22.28ha of land to new industrial.

Once completed, the new business resource area will provide for convenience retail activities serving the local community within the area. 

Fourteen original submissions and three further submissions were received in response to the notification of PC21.

Seven original submissions were in support, three were neutral and four were opposed.

In its decision, the panel noted that a key driver for PC21 was to respond to an identified shortfall in residential housing supply in the wider Cromwell area.

Evidence submitted to the hearing identified that in Pisa Moorings, sufficient supply would not be provided to meet projected demand in the absence of further areas, including the PC21 site, being zoned for residential development.

The new development would give provision for up to 559 sections, while the new business area also provided for a small amount of commercial activity, so residents didn’t have to drive into Cromwell.

The proposed plan change included the possible development of a residential lagoon area to provide waterfront amenities with a surface water connection to Lake Dunstan (Te Wairere).