Latest news with #ChrisMeehan
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
$200m film hub plan for Queenstown
The backer of a proposed $200 million Queenstown film studio earmarked for fast-track approval says it will create hundreds of jobs and boost the local economy. 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."
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
$4.5m pricetag for homes in Wānaka retirement village
A peek inside one of Northbrook's luxury homes. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Homes in Northlake's newest retirement village will cost up to $4.5 million and it is hoped owners from across the country will be attracted. Winton is the main developer behind the Northlake division in Wānaka which will soon include Northbrook, the town's latest retirement homes. The homes will include 131 residences as well as shared residents' spaces and wellness facilities. Construction began about 18 months ago and many homes along with the wellness centre are yet to be completed, however, stage one, which includes 32 residences, is now ready for residents to move into this month. The completed homes reflect an image of luxury and relaxation as they overlook the banks of the Clutha River, which have attracted many Kiwis looking for a high-end, comfortable retirement. Chief executive Chris Meehan said the team was looking forward to having their first residents move in soon. "After years of planning and designing to get the Northbrook offering just right, I am beyond thrilled with the result and to welcome our first residents to Northbrook Wānaka," he said. The many years of planning seemed to have paid off as the village has caught the attention of retirees from New Zealand and Australia. Sales manager Ursula Porter said they were expecting 17 people to move into nine homes over the next month, half of whom were not Wānaka locals. "There is a real mix of where residents are coming from," she said. "This is reflective of the mix of ongoing inquiry, which continues to build with potential residents and their families being able to visit the completed stage one." Around half of the residents expected to move this month are from other parts of the country including Auckland, Te Anau and Christchurch. The sizes of the residences vary from 244sqm and up to 607sqm. The homes vary not only in size but in price, with the smaller homes starting at $1.25 million and the larger three-bedroom homes going up to $4.5 million. The price of the home also includes access to the village's facilities. The wellness centre, which is not complete yet, is set to offer a gym, spa and cafe open to all residents. Socialisation would also be a key part of the village with activities such as community gardens, pottery and woodworking, being available to residents. Residents who will be moving into the homes this month have also had the opportunity to meet one another to make resettling easier. Ms Porter said the philosophy behind the village was to ensure residents had everything they might need, including easy ways to socialise. The village will also soon include 35 suites for high-end care, which will be completed by the end of the year along with more homes and the wellness centre.
Otago Daily Times
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Car giveaway canned after 2000 tickets sold
No-one drove away with this spot prize - a Fraser Clubman Lotus 7 replica - at the inaugural Ayrburn Classic car show in Queenstown. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The man behind Queenstown's inaugural Ayrburn Classic car show says a promised car giveaway did not happen because ticket sales failed to reach a certain threshold. Every ticket buyer was to go into a draw to win a Fraser Clubman Lotus 7 replica, worth about $60,000 - and VIP ticket buyers got four entries. Ayrburn hospitality precinct developer Chris Meehan said ''there was a rider on the ticket that said we had to sell a certain number of tickets, and we didn't get to that number''. They sold just over 2000 tickets to the two-day late-March event, against a hoped-for 4000. He put that down to rain on the Sunday, although the event also clashed with a Porsche meeting in Hawke's Bay. However, feedback was still ''fantastic'', Mr Meehan said. To lessen the chance of rain, the 2026 classic - for which tickets go on sale today - will be held on February 20-22, the weekend before the NZ Open golf tournament at the neighbouring Millbrook Resort. ''We've already got very strong indications of support for next year, and it'll just be one of those things that get better and better.'' As for whether there will be a car giveaway, ''we're considering whether we jackpot the car to next year''.
Otago Daily Times
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Threshold not reached for car giveaway
No-one drove away with this spot prize - a Fraser Clubman Lotus 7 replica - at the inaugural Ayrburn Classic car show in Queenstown. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The man behind Queenstown's inaugural Ayrburn Classic car show says a promised car giveaway did not happen because ticket sales failed to reach a certain threshold. Every ticket buyer was to go into a draw to win a Fraser Clubman Lotus 7 replica, worth about $60,000 - and VIP ticket buyers got four entries. Ayrburn hospitality precinct developer Chris Meehan said ''there was a rider on the ticket that said we had to sell a certain number of tickets, and we didn't get to that number''. They sold just over 2000 tickets to the two-day late-March event, against a hoped-for 4000. He put that down to rain on the Sunday, although the event also clashed with a Porsche meeting in Hawke's Bay. However, feedback was still ''fantastic'', Mr Meehan said. To lessen the chance of rain, the 2026 classic - for which tickets go on sale today - will be held on February 20-22, the weekend before the NZ Open golf tournament at the neighbouring Millbrook Resort. ''We've already got very strong indications of support for next year, and it'll just be one of those things that get better and better.'' As for whether there will be a car giveaway, ''we're considering whether we jackpot the car to next year''.
Otago Daily Times
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Threshold not reached for giveaway: organiser
No-one drove away with this spot prize - a Fraser Clubman Lotus 7 replica - at the inaugural Ayrburn Classic car show in Queenstown. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The man behind Queenstown's inaugural Ayrburn Classic car show says a promised car giveaway did not happen because ticket sales failed to reach a certain threshold. Every ticket buyer was to go into a draw to win a Fraser Clubman Lotus 7 replica, worth about $60,000 - and VIP ticket buyers got four entries. Ayrburn hospitality precinct developer Chris Meehan said ''there was a rider on the ticket that said we had to sell a certain number of tickets, and we didn't get to that number''. They sold just over 2000 tickets to the two-day late-March event, against a hoped-for 4000. He put that down to rain on the Sunday, although the event also clashed with a Porsche meeting in Hawke's Bay. However, feedback was still ''fantastic'', Mr Meehan said. To lessen the chance of rain, the 2026 classic - for which tickets go on sale today - will be held on February 20-22, the weekend before the NZ Open golf tournament at the neighbouring Millbrook Resort. ''We've already got very strong indications of support for next year, and it'll just be one of those things that get better and better.'' As for whether there will be a car giveaway, ''we're considering whether we jackpot the car to next year''.
