Queenstown protest about land use

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32627, 8 June 1971, Page 14

Queenstown protest about land use

(Neto Zealand Pres* Association) DUNEDIN, June 7. A group of Queenstown people have banded together to protest against the possible use of public reserve land near the middle of the town for the construction of a s3m private enterprise mul|i-storey hotel complex.

The protest group, known as Guardians of the Reserve, is headed by a Queenstown businessman and former Waikato farmer, Mr H. H. J. Miller.

He says it would be a major disaster if the reserve beside the Queenstown park, was "lost by its rightful owners, the people of New Zealand and their successors.” The hotel is being planned by a consortium representing the Mount Cook and South-

em Lakes Tourist Company, the Shaw Savill Line and Dominion Breweries. The group had hoped to begin construction of the 250bed building by early summer. MONEY GIVEN Mr Miller said that about 80 people had given the group support in the last two or three days. They had given money to help to pay legal fees to fight against the use of the public land for the hotel building. Tonight, Mr Miller said it was most heartening that so many people in Queenstown were prepared to “take up

the fight to save this reserve from commercial use.” The reserve was one of the few places where the elderly “and many of our overseas visitors here are past middle age” could walk in natural surroundings without having to climb a hill. Mr Miller emphasised that the people who supported the group had 'not been asked to sign a petition. He said he wanted to make it clear that the group he represented did not oppose the construction of hotels, they simply felt that as a number of alternative sites were available, no hotel should be built on the reserve. The land had become a public reserve in 1875, but in 1966 it was turned over to the Tourist Hotel Corporation for possible hotel development, Mr Miller said. The corporation was not now proceeding with any hotel, but this was being undertaken by the consortium. The Minister of Lands (Mr Maclntyre) has written to the group which Mr Miller represents pointing out that he is aware of the important issues involved in the possible future use of the land, and is keeping the feelings of the people of the district very much in mind during his deliberations on the matter. MAYOR’S VIEW The Mayor of Queenstown (Mr W. E. Cooper) said that he felt the borough council had a “moral obligation” to support the proposal to build a hotel on the reserve. Mr Coopt r said the reserve site had been suggested by the council as an alternative to the present Eichardt’s Hotel. For the Mount Cook Company, MT M. L. Comer, the assistant general manager, said that he could not comment on the situation; it was beyond his sphere and that of the company.