Malaghans Valley Protection Society

Who is Malaghans Valley Protection Society?

We are a community group who is dedicated to protecting the natural landscape and rural character of Malaghans Valley from inappropriate development. Our goal is to ensure that community voices are heard in decisions affecting the valley’s future.

What are our concerns about Coronet Village Fast-Track?

We have serious concerns about the Fast-track process and the now approved ‘Coronet Village’ proposal for a new subdivision in a ‘rural amenity’ zoned area at the upper catchment of Lake Hayes.

We need responsible and well-planned development that makes sense for the people of Queenstown. We owe it to future generations and our environment.

Our biggest concerns are:

1. The proposal is essentially for a new town.

2. There is no infrastructure in place for a development of this size.

3. This scale of development would have long-lasting negative effects on Lake Hayes.

4. The development would have knock-on effects on the roading system and infrastructure already under strain.

5. No environmental impacts were considered, and there was no independent ratification or information from third parties when Coronet Village was approved.

What is Coronet Village?

‘Coronet Village’ is a proposed subdivision which has recently made it to the list of Fast-Track projects to be considered by an expert panel.

It is not just a gondola, as initially fed to the press and local community groups. It is a major urban development.

This scale and location of this development isn’t suitable for Fast-tracking and our view is that the Queenstown community needs to be a part of the process and forward decision-making. This is the duty of the Council’s Spatial Planning Team and the Proposed District Plan outlines the Council’s work to date.

Destroying this rural corridor would be a serious blow to the uniqueness of the Whakatipu Basin, closing the urban gap between Arthurs Point and Arrowtown.

What’s included in the Coronet Village proposal:

780 dwellings up to 16 metres high (or 5 storeys)
A commercial centre
A 300-bed hotel
Private primary school and an international private boarding school
Mountain bike facilities/hub
A gondola to Coronet Peak
A restaurant at the summit of Coronet Peak
600 - 700 car parks
Visible from Malaghans Road, Coronet Peak Road, Coronet Peak Ski Field and Dalefield Hill

View the images below or head to the Coronet Village plans page to view in more detail.

Screenshot-2024-09-23-073131__FillMaxWzEzNzUsOTI2XQ.jpg

Who is behind the Fast-track application?

‘Coronet Village’ has been put forward via the controversial Fast-Track process by Ben Farrell (town planner and sole shareholder in the newly formed “Coronet Village Ltd”) alongside Bernard Cleary, Rod Drury, and NZ Ski.

We understand they currently have the support of Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers and National MP Joseph Mooney. However, there has been no local consultation or transparency about the true scale of this project.

Several members of MVPS met with Rod Drury and Jana Davies (Te Tapu o Tāne) regarding the proposal. They voiced their own concerns at the scale of housing proposed but feel their contribution to the proposal (primarily the gondola and rewilding projects) holds value for the community.

Unfortunately, the developers are not prepared to separate the Fast-Track application, meaning that all aspects of the development need to be considered together as one project. If approved, there is essentially nothing locals can do to stop the development going ahead in its entirety.

In light of growing pressure, there have been claims they are happy to scale back development however this has not been quantified and the fact remains Malaghans Valley has been protected by the council against development with a minimum 80ha subdivision restriction. Ironically, Bernard Cleary does not have enough land to subdivide once under Council rules, let alone 780 times.

What are the environmental issues?

This area is zoned by QLDC as ‘Rural’ (where minimum subdivisions are 80ha) and is deemed to have a ‘very low capacity to absorb development’. Part of the land is within an Outstanding Natural Landscape and protected by a QEII Trust covenant.

This area doesn’t have sewerage infrastructure or the roading to sustain a development of this size. This area is in the upper catchment for Lake Hayes and two key sediment traps are located in the vicinity of this proposed development. The run-off will be devastating to Lake Hayes and the pressure on the roads would be worsened.

In the QLDC District Plan Review hearing, commissioners recommended that land in the Mill Creek catchment needed to be as low density as possible (Rural Amenity Zone) to protect Lake Hayes from further deterioration.

What else concerns us?

The lack of transparency is concerning and a development of this size is not suitable for Fast-Track. We want a transparent process and a full community decision. We need a chance to voice concerns and protect part of what makes our region so beautiful.

We consider there needs to be a discussion on where the community wants urban development to occur, rather than having it forced on the community.

The plans also go against the objectives of QLDC’s Spatial Plan in “that future growth happens in the right place and is supported by the right infrastructure, whether that’s pipes in the ground, ways of getting around, access to schools, healthcare or other community facilities”.

In addition to the environmental issues, we have concerns about the roading which would need to be in place for this development and the traffic that would result from it. There are already major bottlenecks at the Shotover Country roundabout, and the one-lane Edith Cavell bridge struggles.

The argument around the proposed gondola’s effect on carbon reduction is also currently unsubstantiated and we think it could be considered as a ‘greenwash’ in light of the larger proposal as a whole. There is no evidence that a gondola at the end of Coronet Peak Station Road would reduce vehicle traffic, rather the reality is that it would increase it and concentrate it in a location that is not fit for purpose.