Located near Queenstown and Coronet Peak ski field, the proposed Mount Dewar development sits on remnants of wilding pine forest and tussock land.

The 132ha site has been subject to prior proposals but encountered public and council opposition due to its visually exposed nature and to the fact that its flanks are located within the Wakatipu Basin — an Outstanding Natural Landscape.

Location

Otago

Worked with

Darby Partners
Patch Landscape

Project date

2018 - 2019

The proposal consists of 11 chalets and 43 cabins for visitor accommodation and residential purposes, as well as a mountain lodge and communal amenities. The environment-conscious client plans to initially re-establish pockets of native beech trees along the mountain flanks as well as around each of the proposed dwellings. The long-term vision being to remove all pines and re-establish a Beech forest on Mount Dewar.

The landscape and visual assessment evaluated all aspects of the proposal throughout removal of the wilding pines, planting of mountain beech trees, construction and long-term effects of the proposed cabins and chalets, and mountain lodge buildings; and other related effects, such as earthworks, access roads and lighting.

Along with providing landscape planning services, Boffa Miskell was able to provide tailored advice for the submission of a sensitive site development application. Through our experience in such projects and in QLDC consenting processes, the team was able to suggest the most suitable consenting approach to increase the likelihood of being approved.

In 2019, the proposal gained consent from Queenstown Lakes District Council.

Our role included landscape planning and consent advisory advice.