Commissioners 'shocked' at visibility of billionaire Peter Thiel's Wānaka luxury lodge plans
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:
US billionaire Peter Thiel’s proposed Wānaka luxury lodge has been rejected, after commissioners were shocked to find it would be plainly visible from a nationally-recognised walkway.
They turned down his plans due to the “significant adverse landscape and visual effects” it would have on the sensitive environment.
Thiel’s company Second Star Ltd proposed building a lodge on a 193-hectare section at Damper Bay to accommodate up to 30 guests across three buildings.
Three independent commissioners, on behalf of the Queenstown Lakes District Council, made the decision.
The site was classified as an Outstanding Natural Landscape (ONL), which meant it could accommodate only a small-scale of development, the decision says.
The proposed development would be clearly visible from the Glendhu Bay track, which is part of the national Te Araroa trail.
Commissioners walked along the trail and were “shocked” by how often the lodge would be in plain view, including a continuous length of 1-2 storeys of glass walls.
“The commission did not see the re-vegetation area likely to provide any visual screening effect of note,” the decision says.
The commissioners found the positive effects for the local Wānaka economy and ecology of the area did not offset the adverse effects.
A public hearing was held on the proposal in May, when Thiel’s legal team failed to convince a Queenstown Lakes District Council planner to change her opposition to the plan.
Environmental groups and some neighbours also opposed.
After the hearing, plans for a meditation pod at the lodge were dropped in an effort to win approval.
The proposed lodge would sit near the centre of some of Wānaka’s most intensely debated and sought-after landscapes.
It has been designed by Tokyo Olympic Stadium architect Kengo Kuma and Associates.
It would be set into the landscape, with “green” roofs covered with plants.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?
Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag
On the range
Venetian plaster finishes are on-trend at the moment, so why not recreate this look at home and cover that unsightly rangehood at the same time? Find out how to create your own with Resene Sandtex and these easy step by step instructions.
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