- Hon Chris Bishop
Fast-track approval has been granted for a screen hub, a full-service film and television production village in Queenstown.
Waterfall Park Developments Limited lodged a substantive application for the Ayrburn Screen Hub in February 2025. The proposal is for a 7,200m2 film and television hub with studios, offices, and 201 accommodation units on the applicant's 26-hectare Ayrburn Farm property in the Wakatipu Basin, Queenstown Lakes District.
"Approval has taken around 5 months following the commencement of an expert panel," Mr Bishop.
"Waterfall Park Developments Limited expect building Ayrburn Screen Hub to inject about $280 million into the local economy and support around 640 jobs across the wider Otago region. Once operating, it is expected to support about 370 local jobs each year.
"The screen sector makes a significant contribution to the economy. Once complete, Ayrburn will allow Queenstown to attract international productions and provide high-quality facilities for local filmmakers. Purpose-built infrastructure will help New Zealand compete for high value international productions.
"The panel assessed landscape, traffic, noise, servicing, ecology and cultural effects. It found that while some landscape effects would be more than minor, they are not significant, will reduce over time, and could be managed through conditions.
"The panel also gave weight to proposed water quality improvement measures, including riparian planting and sediment controls. It also found the project's environmental benefits would be regionally significant, specifically through enhancing water quality in Mill Creek and Lake Hayes.
"This is the second project in the Otago Region that has gained fast-track approval."
Notes to editors
For more information about the project: Ayrburn Screen Hub
Fast-track by the numbers:
- 17 projects approved by expert panels.
- 20 projects with expert panels appointed.
- 45 projects currently progressing through the Fast-track process.
- 42 projects have been referred to Fast-track by the Minister for Infrastructure.
- 149 projects are listed in Schedule 2 of the Fast-track Approvals Act, meaning they can apply for Fast-track approval.
- On average, it has taken 126 working days for decisions on substantive applications from when officials determine an application is complete and in-scope.
Fast-track projects approved by expert panels:
- Arataki [Housing/Land]
- Ayrburn Screen Hub [Infrastructure]
- Green Steel [Infrastructure]
- Homestead Bay [Housing/Land]
- Bledisloe North Wharf and Fergusson North Berth Extension [Infrastructure]
- Drury Metropolitan Centre - Consolidated Stages 1 and 2 [Housing/Land]
- Drury Quarry Expansion - Sutton Block [Mining/Quarrying]
- Kings Quarry Expansion - Stages 2 and 3 [Mining/Quarrying]
- Maitahi Village [Housing/Land]
- Milldale - Stages 4C and 10 to 13 [Housing/Land]
- Rangitoopuni [Housing/Land]
- Southland Wind Farm Project [Infrastructure]
- Sunfield [Housing/Land]
- Tekapo Power Scheme - Applications for Replacement Resource Consents [Renewable energy]
- Takitimu North Link - Stage 2 [Infrastructure]
- Waihi North [Mining/Quarrying]
- Waitākere District Court - New Courthouse Project [Infrastructure]
Expert panels have been appointed for:
- Ashbourne
- Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project
- Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project
- Central and Southern Block Mining Project
- Delmore
- Downtown Carpark Site Development
- Haldon Solar Farm
- Hananui Aquaculture Project
- Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme
- Lake Pūkaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience Works
- Mahinerangi Wind Farm
- North West Rapid Transit
- Pound Road Industrial Development
- Ryans Road Industrial Development
- State Highway 1 North Canterbury - Woodend Bypass Project (Belfast to Pegasus)
- Stella Passage Development
- The Point Mission Bay
- The Point Solar Farm
- Waitaha Hydro
- Wellington International Airport Southern Seawall Renewal
