A Queenstown councillor says a plan to expand the town both outwards and upwards is excessive.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council has voted to dramatically extend the central business district, allowing for buildings up to 15 storeys high.
Artists' impressions show the low-rise town centre dwarfed by blocks of apartments, hotels and offices stretching up the mountainside.
The council also wants to extend the CBD to include a planned convention centre.
The mayor, Vanessa van Uden, said the plan was about securing development for the next 50 years.
"I think it's a huge opportunity for Queenstown. I think it's reflective of how much we're growing and the vibrancy about the place. I think we're looking to the future and making provision for the future."
The only councillor to vote against the plan, Simon Stammers-Smith, said it went too far and the visual effect on the environment would be too great.
"Frankly, it's too great. To suggest that we can go up to 16 or 18 metres or 26 metres, at least, is far too excessive."
