A proposal to build a 1200sqm house on part of an Outstanding Natural Landscape (ONL) near Cromwell has been dismissed in the Environment Court.

Larksbay New Zealand Trustees appealed their resource consent decision from two years ago, against the Central Otago District Council, after an application on their 20ha vineyard site was declined.

Environment Court Judge Prudence Steven released her decision on February 20, following a hearing in Queenstown on November 26 last year.

The original application was for a 1988sqm house but had been reduced in size, and planned to be closer to the vine-covered slopes behind it.

The application had been supported by landscape artist Sir Grahame Sydney and his wife Fiona, who spoke at the original hearing.

Te Kano Estate owners Keith and Rhonda Lloyd applied for their consent back in 2021, on a historically significant site once mined for gold in the 1860s.

The couple had owned the land since 2016 and established a vineyard on the lower foothills of the Dunstan Range. They also own vineyards within the district and in the Waitaki Valley.

They currently resided in Singapore but stayed in Queenstown at a family home on trips to New Zealand.

The CODC declined the application for reasons including the proposed dwelling would have unacceptable adverse effects on the open space and visual amenity values of the prominent hillside on which it would be located.

The Environment Court decision accepted the opinions of the experts called by the council, and brought attention to the fact the original consent for 17 rural lots were only to be used for viticultural purposes.

The consent included an applicant volunteer restrictive condition that any future dwellings within the subdivision should not be visible from State Highway 8 directly adjacent to the site.

A recent District Plan Change (PC5) had also introduced greater protection for landscape character and had changed the activity status for residential activity from controlled to restricted discretionary.

Have a story to share?

Contact [email protected]