The 14.2ha site purchased by Summerset Group. Photo: Photo / Supplied
A Rotorua retirement village - complete with bar, cafe and theatre - has been green lit under the Covid-19 Recovery Fast Track Consenting act.
Summerset Group, for its first foray into Rotorua, is allowed a maximum 260-units, 20 assisted living suites, 20 hospital-level care beds and 30 care suites.
The Fairy Springs village will be based on a 14.2-hectare section of land where the Rotorua Heritage Farm and 3D Trick Art Gallery operate.
It applied for resource consent under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 in December 2023.
An expert consenting panel appointed by environment judge Laurie Newhook approved the consent with conditions last Thursday.
The decision detailed how the project also included lounges, a theatre, bar, cafe, therapy rooms, a salon, shop, pool, a health/wellness centre, library, and outdoor amenity areas.
Summerset would build on its plans on a section of the land in a separate consent process to provide for commercial uses such as medical facilities, offices, cafe, and/or convenience retail.
The company's New Zealand acquisitions and development general manager Oliver Boyd told Local Democracy Reporting the project represents about a $180 million investment in Rotorua.
It previously anticipated welcoming new residents from 2026 but delays in the consenting process meant there was no project start date. Boyd said it focused on securing the consent prior to advancing design and works planning.
Asked if it would find any conditions challenging and why, he said the process involved "significant external consultant input leading to a decision with 'comprehensive' conditions.
"We are ultimately happy that resource consent has been secured."
Boyd said it was keen to bring its retirement village offering to the city, which he said had a strong 75-plus population expected to increase by 30 percent in six years.
Census data from 2023 showed there were 11,571 people aged above 65 in the Rotorua district, up from 10,365 in 2018.
Rotorua Lakes Council's consent conditions included that a maximum of 260 units be established on-site, along with a maximum of 20 assisted living suites, 20 hospital-level care beds and 30 care suites within the proposed "main building".
Other conditions relate to traffic management, both during construction and when the units become occupied.
An upgrade to State Highway 5 is proposed with the centre island to be modified to stop right-turns when exiting the village.
Only light vehicles may exit to Barnard Rd.
The road to Barnard Rd was previously reserve land, but will be sold to Summerset following consultation and a council decision last year for emergency vehicle access and as an exit.
Sale funding was to go towards local open spaces or recreation areas.
The council confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting the sale had not been finalised.
Council community and district development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said in 2023 it had been working alongside Summerset since early 2022.
Rotorua Lakes Council destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston. Photo: Photo / Laura Smith
The council's role in the fast-tracking process was to ensure the development could be adequately serviced with water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, he said, and to ensure the assets met standards before the council took ownership.
Market Economics completed the economic assessment for the application.
The consent decision detailed the construction of the site infrastructure will equate to about $9.2 million in value added.
The panel was satisfied the project would "contribute positively to the future economic and social wellbeing of Rotorua, and through flow on effects, other areas of New Zealand" and would help sustain construction sector jobs.
"The economic impacts of the development are significant, both in terms of direct and induced impacts, as well as job opportunities."
The application was projected to contribute to sustaining the equivalent of about 2725 full time workers working for one year, when the indirect and induced effects are considered.
It was estimated to stimulate a total of $147.8m in value added (GDP) across the duration of the development.
Market Economics also assessed the potential economic effects of loss of commercially zoned land and found there was enough vacant appropriate land and therefore would not "result in any shortfall" of large scale tourism activity growth in the medium to long term.
Among Bay of Plenty Regional Council consent conditions was that the applicant, 40 days before works begin, invite and work with Ngāti Whakaue to develop a Tikanga Management Plan.
This plan also applied to aspects of the district council conditions.
It would cover things like managing archaeology sites, ecology practices, methods to monitor and report potential adverse effects and methods to mitigate them.
It also needs to prepare an Overarching Ecological Management Plan (OEMP) for the site which should include things like the area and type of offset wetland and contaminant management wetland, area and type of bat roost mitigation and bat connectivity, lizard mitigation, areas of riparian revegetation, lighting and planting schedules.
The general public can not appeal and those who meet criteria and wish to appeal must do so within 15 working days of the decision notification.
Rotorua Heritage Farm operations manager Robyn Van den Hurk said the attraction would stay open for the foreseeable future.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
