$200m film hub plan for Queenstown
The Ayrburn Screen Hub proposed by developer Chris Meehan envisages a film and television production facility on about 26ha of land between Arrowtown and Lake Hayes.
Mt Meehan said the application by his company Winton Land was now one step closer after being accepted for government's the fast-track approval process.
'This will be great for Queenstown jobs and it's great for New Zealand's economic growth," he said in a statement.
'The project will increase New Zealand's ability to attract high quality films from around the world, and also means that local film makers will have the best quality facilities available to them at one of the world's most unique and sought after locations.'
The hub would be an all-inclusive film studio enabling users to work and stay onsite through filming, production and post-production.
It would include studio buildings, office space, dressing rooms, a screening room and meeting space, with 185 room accommodation foe workers which could double as visitor accommodation during quiet periods.
During its construction, the project would inject an estimated $280 million into the local economy and support 640 full-time jobs across the wider Otago region, he said.
The hub would "underpin approximately 370 jobs locally every year, with flow-on benefits into the wider community and labour market,' he said.
'Diversifying Queenstown's economy is key to its sustainable growth.
The screen hub is among the first two non-listed projects to go into the new fast-track approval process.
It was referred under the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 by Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop.
The Act contains two pathways for projects to enter the government's new one-stop-shop approvals process.
"The first pathway, Schedule 2 of the Act — commonly referred to as the fast-track list — contains 149 projects which can apply directly to the Environmental Protection Authority to have an expert panel assess the project, decide whether to consent it, and apply any relevant conditions.
"The first three expert panels are already under way and more are expected soon."
The second pathway was for project owners, such as the Ayrburn project, to apply to the minister for infrastructure for referral into the fast-track process, Mr Bishop said.
"For this pathway, the minister for infrastructure must consult the minister for the environment and any other ministers with relevant portfolios, along with iwi and the relevant local authority, before deciding whether to refer the project."
Yesterday, Mr Bishop referred the Ayrburn Screen Hub application into the fast-track process.
The other project was Ashbourne, in Matamata, Waikato.
"This application is for a residential and retirement development project of 530 new homes and 250 retirement units, along with associated commercial development and infrastructure, and two solar farms with the capacity to power 8000 homes.
"These two projects may now move to the next stage in the fast-track process by lodging substantive applications with the EPA, to be considered by expert panels."
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