Alpine Village Site Five Miles From Hermitage

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31770, 29 August 1968, Page 20

Alpine Village Site Five Miles From Hermitage

An alpine village with accommodation for more than 1000 will be sited near Birch Hill Stream about five miles and a half from the Hermitage at the southern entrance of the Mount Cook National Park.

The Minister of Lands (Mr Maclntyre) announced yesterday that the Cabinet had approved the site which, he said, lay in one of the sunniest parts of the area and was largely free front avalanches, snowdrifts and floods.

The village will be primarily a servicing one to complement development on the hermitage promontory. “1 am asking plans for establishment of the village to be pushed ahead as quickly as possible,” Mr Maclntyre said.

The Mount Cook National Park Board has welcomed the Minister’s announcement The board had strongly opposed the siting of the village within the Hermitage area for

fear of jeopardising the natural beauty. The village site will cover about 90 acres and will meet the needs of people wishing to build their own cottages in the area. The Mount Cook National Park Board will offer sections on long-term leases, demanding orderly development and a high standard of housing. The site will be on a slight incline and will be served adequately by water and sewerage. The village will ultimately come under the general supervision of the Mackenzie County Council, which will help in its planning. Other Possibility Mr Maclntyre said that the only likely site near the Hermitage promontory would have been on the Hooker flat below the Hermitage and in direct line of view of the mountains from the tourist ’ accommodation. This area had other shortcomings in being much colder, wetter, more exposed and more enclosed by the surrounding mountains.

A village on the Hooker flat would be a mile from the Hermitage, necessitating, in this climate, vehicular transport anyway. The extra distance to the Birch Hill area was a small price to pay for a superior site. “It is essential that the limited area of land available for building on the Hermitage promontory be used for tourist accommodation, essential services and housing of key staff," said Mr Maclntyre. “This meant that a place had to be found elsewhere for other staff housing, for plant depots, ancillary commercial use, club huts and

community facilities with provision for supplementary visitor accommodation,” he said. The chairman of the Mount Cook National Park Board (Mr N. S. Coad) said that now that the general site had been decided the planning and preparation of sites to meet the demand for servic-. ing that could not be included in the Hermitage area could proceed. The Mount Cook area would be able to expand to meet the needs of tourism without endangering the attractions which people could see, he said.

Although a village in the area decided on would not be a dominating feature of the landscape, the board would

make sure that it was attractive in layout and building standards and would welcome the views of those interested as to how this could best be achieved.

“I cannot say when sites will be available for there is much planning to be. done before the site preparation and the provision of reading, water supply and sewerage,”