Devel Developers elated

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 230, 9 February 1988, Page 8

Devel

Developers elated

Railway Hotel developer Ro Middleton was elated with th news of council approval. "We're very pleased as this means we ea now go ahead as planned," he told the Bulleti yesterday. The five conditions of approval were nc unexpected, though he wanted to negotiate on point over the location of a bar. Mr Middleton said he and his partners wer not daunted by the threat of appeal. "We've put 12 months and a colossal amour of expense into getting the project this far an we're not going to give up without a fight." His company had so far invested aboti $100,000 in cash plus a good deal of time. The Railways Department had also put a lc of energy into it, he said. Told that local people were sceptical abou large-scale projects and promises, he said th best reassurance he could give the Waimanu region was to disclose facts and figures abou costs and commitments. He hoped there would be tangible evidence o their intentions in the form of site activit; within the next few months and six or s wagons in place for this winter. Stage One of the scheme would cost abou $14 million and would be completed within k months from the start of site work. Stage Tw was worth another $6 million. Already hi company has 40 percent of the funding ar ranged. This is apart from the contribution o property and facilities by the Railway Department, which will have an equity interes of 20-49 percent in the development. On February 21 Mr Middleton will bi travelling to Asia to tie up details related t funding of the balance of the project. "We have had several funding offers, so it' now just a case of linking everythinj together." The company KM Developments Ltd is ; partnership between Mr Middleton, a 40-year old Welshman with a backgrpund in buildinj and farming, and a New Zealand businessmai named Steve Knewstubb. Their firm has been involved in small-scal projects such as building refitting an commercial construction. They also operate as Eastpac Partnership an have been involved in setting up New Zealani investment schemes for Asian companies ove the last 18 months. Mr Middleton said the partnership ha arranged about 40 deals in farming and tourist related fields with $80-90 million currentl; invested. This figure would increase to $200 $300 million in the future. The Ohakune Railway Hotel and village woul be one of three or four railway-related resort to be developed by his company. It was envisaged that Asian tourists fron countries like Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong Malaysia and Japan would comprise up to 5( percent of the occupants of accommodatioi and users of facilities. Sufficient occupancy for the local hotel had already been sourced abroad to make it a viable development, Mr Middleton said. Initially his calculations were based on a 100-day season and 50 percent occupancy. Thc domestic market would provide surplus oi "cream". Obviously trains would bring many of theii tourists to town. Commenting on the quality of the development, he said many people had £

oper Roy with the val. means we can ld the Bulletin val were not ' negotiate one partners were ;al. alossal amount :ct this far and >ut a fight." ivested about ;al of time. also put a lot ceptical about :s, he said the he Waimarino figures about >le evidence of site activity md six or so lld cost about eted within 15 >rk. Stage Two . Already his le funding aratribution of he Railways equity interest nent. eton will be I :ails related to I oject. I ; offers, so it's " every thing icnts Ltd is a ton, a 40-year- I nd in building | d businessman K in small-scale L efitting and 'artnership and 3 New Zealand :ompanies over ■tnership had ng and touristlion currently rease to $200d village would related resorts r, tourists from Hong Kong, iprise up to 50 commodation ocal hotel had ake it a viable e based on a ccupancy. The le surplus or many of their ality of the people had a

negative impression when old carriages were spoken of. "People think of old carriages rotting ir paddocks, but it won't be like that," he said. The carriages are beautifully constructed Mitsubishi guardsvans built in Japan and

rvorea i r o m 1970 to 197 6. They have double skins or layers of quarter-inch steel and are in excellent condition. They were taken out of service 12 months ago and are waiting for refurbishing in s i d ings and railway y ar ds throughout New Zealand.

Railway hotel explained

Cont'dfrom p. 8 3. V. Pohl, who stated that the application was "so unspecific and nebulous" that a formal objection was quite unrealistic. However the objector asked the council to consider the lack of parking, noise

level of the proposed facilities and the standard of buildings proposed. 4. J.D Broadbent, on the grounds that the proposal did not give sufficieirt protection for public safety and enjoyment of the area. Mr Tony Christiansen,

appearing for the objectors T.B and M.E Leggatt, said no details were provided by KM Developments to show density site coverage or height of dwellings. Plans submitted were inadequate as they did not properly inform the public of the nature and extent to which the proposal would affect them, he said. Mr Christiansen said the use of the site of the proposed complex had dimin-. ished substantially and was unlikely to be used again for railway purposes. "That implies that the present zoning is incorrect and therefore a zoning change may be required," he said. Mr Christiansen said the application should not preempt a consideration o f those matters that Council should properly address upon a scheme change or upon a view of its District scheme. Criteria that should be considered include desired traffic flows, noise and general disruption factors, the visual impact on mountain views and any other factors that may be relevarit.