Queenstown film studio gets green light under fast-track approvals process

A major film and television studio complex near Queenstown has been given the go-ahead under the government’s fast-track approvals process, with developers promising hundreds of jobs and a $280 million boost to the regional economy.

The Ayrburn Screen Hub, proposed for a 26-hectare property in the Wakatipu Basin, has been approved by an expert panel following a five-month review. The development is the second fast-track project to receive approval in the Otago region, after the Homestead Bay residential development was consented in February 2026.

The project is being developed by Waterfall Park Developments Limited, a subsidiary of NZX-listed Winton Land Limited. It encompasses 7,200 square metres of film and television production studios, alongside office spaces and 201 accommodation units to house cast, crew, and production teams during filming.

Developers say the complex is expected to inject approximately $280 million into the local economy and support around 640 jobs across the Otago region, with roughly 370 of those positions being permanent and locally based.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said the decision reflected the economic importance of New Zealand’s screen industry. “The screen sector makes a significant contribution to the economy,” he said.

Lauren Christie, general manager of Winton, said the project had been designed to deliver lasting benefits for the region. She said it would “deliver employment and economic growth for the region.”

George Dawes, chair of Film Otago Southland, welcomed the approval, saying the development would bring a “much-needed purpose-built world-class screen studio to the lower South Island.” Dawes said the region had long been a popular filming destination for international productions but had lacked a permanent facility of this scale and quality.

New Zealand’s screen industry has been a significant foreign exchange earner for decades, buoyed by landmark productions including the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit films, which drew enormous international attention to the country’s landscapes and helped establish a globally recognised identity for New Zealand as a filming destination. More recently, productions including The Power of the Dog and various international streaming series have continued to attract overseas crews and production spend. The Queenstown region, with its dramatic alpine scenery, has featured in numerous international productions but has historically relied on temporary or improvised facilities rather than purpose-built studio infrastructure.

The fast-track approvals process was introduced under the Fast-track Approvals Act, which was designed to speed up consenting for projects the government considers to be of regional or national significance. Rather than proceeding through the Resource Management Act, applications are assessed by an expert panel that weighs the benefits of a project against its adverse effects. The regime is intended to reduce delays and costs associated with the traditional consenting pathway, which critics have long argued is too slow and litigious for large infrastructure projects.

In the case of the Ayrburn Screen Hub, the expert panel assessed a range of potential effects including landscape impacts, traffic, noise, ecological effects, and cultural considerations. It found some landscape effects were “more than minor” but concluded they were “not significant” and could be managed through consent conditions. The panel also noted potential water quality improvements arising from the development, including riparian planting and sediment controls that would benefit Mill Creek and Lake Hayes.

The Ayrburn Screen Hub is one of 17 projects nationally to have received approval from an expert panel under the fast-track process since the legislation came into force. A further 20 projects have panels appointed and are currently under review, with 45 applications in the pipeline overall. The programme spans a wide range of sectors including housing, energy, transport, and tourism infrastructure.

The application for the Ayrburn Screen Hub was first submitted in February 2025, with the approval coming approximately 14 months later — considerably faster than a comparable consenting process under the RMA, which for major developments can take several years and involve multiple rounds of hearings and appeals.

For Queenstown, the approval is seen as a potential catalyst for growing the region’s screen industry beyond location shoots into a more permanent production hub. The Queenstown Lakes District has long grappled with the economic pressures of a tourism-dependent economy and has sought to diversify into sectors that can provide year-round, higher-skilled employment.

The development also arrives at a time when competition for international screen productions is intensifying globally. Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and several Eastern European countries have all invested heavily in purpose-built studio infrastructure in recent years, and New Zealand’s screen industry bodies have argued that without comparable facilities the country risks losing out on major productions that would otherwise be attracted by its scenery and skilled crews.

Winton Land Limited, which listed on the NZX in 2021, is primarily known as a residential property developer with projects across Auckland, Queenstown, and Wellington. The Ayrburn Screen Hub represents a significant diversification for the company, which owns the broader Ayrburn Farm property in the Wakatipu Basin. The site already hosts the Ayrburn hospitality and events venue, which opened in 2023 and has become one of the region’s prominent dining destinations.

More details on the approval are available via RNZ and LiveNews.

What do you think about the Ayrburn Screen Hub, or the government’s fast-track approvals process more broadly? Share your thoughts in the comments below.