Buildings on this 160-year-old farm have been restored and re-purposed.
Video / Supplied
Plans for a $200 million Central Otago film hub were referred for fast-track by a minister yesterday, after United States President Donald Trump’s 100% foreign film tariff announced this month.
Chris Meehan is the chief executive of Winton Land which owns the hospitality precinct Ayrburn where the new screen hubis envisaged.
Its inception was well in advance of Trump’s tariff announcement, he said.
“At this stage, the film tariff issue remains unresolved and should probably best be looked at as a potential short-term imposition on a very long-term asset.
“In any event, we expect to have clarity before we commence construction,” Meehan said today.
Plans for the new Ayrburn Film Hub at the hospitality precinct near Arrowtown. Plans were approved for fast-tracking on May 13. Photo / Winton Land
Earlier this month Trump ordered new tariffs on all films made outside the United States, claiming Hollywood was being “devastated” by a trend of US filmmakers and studios working abroad.
Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announced he had referred the Ayrburn screen hub to the fast-track process.
Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop announced the next step for Ayrburn's film hub. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“This application is for the construction and operation of a film and television production facility on about 26ha of land between Arrowtown and Lake Hayes, Central Otago,” Bishop said.
The project could now move to the next stage: a substantive application with the Environmental Protection Authority to be considered by an expert panel, Bishop said.
Meehan welcomed that.
Winton Land chief executive Chris Meehan.
“This will be great for Queenstown jobs and it’s great for New Zealand’s economic growth,” Meehan said.
The project would increase New Zealand’s ability to attract high-quality films from around the world, and also meant local film-makers would have quality facilities at one of the world’s most unique and sought-after locations, he said.
The internal courtyard at a planned film studio hub at Ayrburn in Central Otago. Photo / Winton Land
The new hub was planned to be an all-inclusive film studio, enabling people to work and stay onsite during filming, production and post-production.
Studio buildings, workrooms, office space for film departments, dressing rooms, a screening room and meeting spaces were planned.
A 185-room accommodation building for workers and visitors was also planned.
Winton Land plans this film studio at its Ayrburn hospitality precinct just outside Arrowtown. Photo / Winton Land
The hub is earmarked for land adjacent to the Ayrburn hospitality precinct and the new retirement project, Northbrook Arrowtown.
In its construction phase, the hub is estimated to inject almost $280 million into the local economy and support 640 fulltime jobs across the wider Otago region, Meehan said.
The Burr Bar at Ayrburn is one of the smallest buildings restored - but one of the most important historically because it is was the original Paterson family home. Photo / Jason Oxenham
“Diversifying Queenstown’s economy is key to its sustainable growth. An anchor project like the Ayrburn Film Hub will underpin approximately 370 jobs locally every year, with flow-on benefits into the wider community and labour market,” he said.
The minister’s decision to refer it for fast-tracking meant it was “one step closer”.
Yesterday, Bishop also referred a second project for fast-tracking: Ashbourne at Matamata in Waikato.
This application is for a residential and retirement development project of 530 new homes and 250 retirement units, along with associated commercial development and infrastructure and two solar farms with the capacity to power 8000 homes, Bishop said.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
