Big development plans near airport - rental cars need to find a new home

Developer Alastair Porter has told Crux that the rental cars parked on his land is a temporary and permitted activity, but says that soon a new subdivision will require the cars and camper vans to be shifted. Mr Porter is CEO/Director of Remarkables Park Ltd (RPL).

Queenstown Lakes District Council has told Crux that the rental car stockpile of thousands of cars and camper vans needs resource consent.

Thousands of rental vehicles are parked on RPL land.

In his reply to Crux, Mr Porter said that a new 56 lot subdivision using the balance of Lot 6 land that was not sold to the airport, will mean big changes requiring the removal of the rental cars.

Alastair Porter - CEO/Director of Remarkables Park Ltd (RPL)

"The subdivision will substantially reduce the capacity for rental car parking in this area. RPL has allowed rental car parking in this area as a win/win solution. This is an activity which has continued for a number of years and we believe has provided a ‘green’ solution for rental car companies. The close proximity of RPL land to the airport means that large numbers of rentals moving from other parking locations to the airport are kept off the highway, in particular the daily congestion on State Highway 6. The parking of rental vehicles on RPL land is a permitted activity and we have never received a complaint from anyone with regard to this temporary use."

Crux has subsequently asked QLDC to clarify their position. They have previously said the rental cars need resource consent but they can't access their records due to a "remapping" exercise.

In a separate series of questions, Crux asked RPL what was happening with the much vaunted gondola and convention centre projects that have been conspicuous by their absence. Some market observers have been sceptical that Mr Porter will deliver either project given the length of time that has elapsed since both were launched as concepts.

Here's Mr Porter's full response.

Gondola /Convention Centre

The gondola development is progressing well with all engineering design very close to completion. We now expect a resource consent application will be filed in 2020.
The Convention Centre resource consent has already been granted, but RPL plan to move the approved location a short distance to better integrate it to the immediate north of the Remarkables Park Gondola Base Station. For that purpose we expect the resource consent to move the convention centre will be able to be lodged once the gondola consent application has been filed. In the meantime RPL has been working with a major conference management company to operate the Convention Centre.

The Remarkables gondola could allow commuters to connect from LHE to a fast Kawarau ferry service

Other Developments in progress.

Current Buildings under construction include:

Mountain Ash Drive, developer Mountain Ash Trading Trust, hotel and hotel residences – construction company Safari Group Limited.
Red Oaks Drive – new Holiday Inn under construction – construction company Naylor Love Limited
Red Oaks Drive – Quest Apartments under construction – construction company Envision 8020
Cherry Blossom Avenue, developer New Ground Capital Limited, residential apartments adjacent to Remarkables Park Town Centre, construction company Naylor Love Limited

RPL's prime land to the south the airport runway.

Future Buildings – design in progress – adjacent to completed roading

Pin Oaks Avenue – The Salvation Army complex, resource consent granted, title issue is pending and construction is anticipated 2020/21
Corner Market Street and Golden Elm Lane, Well Smart Hotel, currently awaiting resource consent, anticipated very soon.

Subdivisions

Title has now been issued for the 15.5 ha boundary adjustment for the land QAC has recently acquired from RPL that was part of Lot 6.
Subdivisions pending resource consent
Balance of Market Street comprising 11 Lots
Balance of Lot 6 – a 56 lot subdivision. A number of lots in this subdivision have already been sold and we expect will be developed as soon as roading and services are completed and a contract has been let to Fulton Hogan Limited for these works. Further to your article today re rental car parking this subdivision will substantially reduce the capacity for rental car parking in this area. RPL has allowed rental car parking in this area as a win/win solution.
This is an activity which has continued for a number of years and we believe has provided a ‘green’ solution for rental car companies. The close proximity of RPL land to the airport means that large numbers of rentals moving from other parking locations to the airport are kept off the highway, in particular the daily congestion on State Highway 6. The parking of rental vehicles on RPL land is a permitted activity and we have never received a complaint from anyone with regard to this temporary use.