A proposed housing development near the Queenstown central business district has largely been welcomed in the town. The ODT understands the first homes are targeted for completion in 2022, with the overall development to be finished in 2026. Mr MacDonald was also the chairman of the Mayoral Housing Taskforce, established by Mayor Jim Boult last April. "One of the key parts of that was to get the council to write a proper housing strategy, or update the old Hope (Housing Our People in our Environment) strategy, as it was. "To demolish a valuable school for rental accommodation will not realistically be able to be suggested as affordable housing because of the residual land value and cost of ... replacement infrastructure," he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 02, 2018 15:50 UTC