Resort expansion a ‘brutal privacy invasion’
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A Methven resident says his privacy and views will be ruined if a resort's expansion plans go ahead.
Mark Brownlie lives by Methven Resort and is one of the neighbours objecting to the consent application for the hotel's expansion.
Independent commissioner Darryl Millar is deciding on the consent application, with a public hearing held in Methven on Thursday.
During the meeting, Brownlie described the proposed expansion plans as a “brutal privacy intrusion”.
The development plans would deny him “privacy, outlook and daylight”, with the effects “much more than minor”, he said.
Brownlie said he didn't oppose the resort owners developing of the site, but was against the positioning and height of the proposed new accommodation wing.
His view of the mountains – one of the main reasons he bought land and built there - would be ruined by the proposed development, he said.
The resort wants to build two new accommodation wings, one on the north boundary and one on the west.
The application was lodged by The Methven Limited, which is controlled by Ultimate Hospitality Limited. The company is a subsidiary of The Ultimate Global Group, which is run by entrepreneur Levin Da Costa.
The commissioner will determine if the plans are as intrusive as the neighbours say or if the applicant and its panel of experts are correct in their description of the affects as being “less than minor”.
The commissioner is being asked to consider whether the original resource consent granted in 1982 is still applicable.
Legal advice provided to the council in 2007, the last time an expansion of the site was considered, was that the original consent could no longer be implemented without further consent.
The applicant’s solicitor, Gerard Cleary, argued the consent remained valid and that it “does not include a condition requiring development be in accordance with specific plans”.
The 1982 consent granted permission for four three-story wings extending from the central hotel area, but only one wing was originally built to the south.
The commissioner must also weigh up whether the plans are non-compliant with the district plan, as the site is residential zone C.
A series of conditions have been proposed by the applicant to mitigate the effects of the expansion.
There was also discussion of the potential height reduction of the west wing from three storeys (10.4m height) down to two storeys (7.3m).
If the configuration could be changed, Brownlie suggested the entire expansion could be one block along the northern side, which wouldn’t impact any neighbours.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the commissioner said he would issue a minute asking the council to seek legal submissions, with the applicant then able to have a right of reply.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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