Arrowtown is known for its historic character, and Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) recognises that character through the Arrowtown Design Guidelines and a Residential Historic Management Zone in the District Plan. Before you buy a character home, read the LIM, check the consents on the property and any protected trees, and ask your lawyer how the District Plan applies to the changes you want to make. We are not planners, so use this page as a checklist for your questions, not as planning advice.
On 28 October 2026 QLDC announced that the Environment Court had issued a consent order resolving the appeal by the Arrowtown Village Association on the Urban Intensification Variation to the Proposed District Plan. The order reinstates references to the Arrowtown Design Guidelines in Chapter 7 (Suburban Residential Zone) and Chapter 8 (Medium Density Residential Zone) of the Proposed District Plan. QLDC says the guidelines can now be considered when a development proposal breaches a rule that references them, to help assess the effects of the breach on Arrowtown’s character.
QLDC explained that its original decision responded to central government direction in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development to enable upzoning in appropriate locations, and that it recognises Arrowtown’s unique historic character and the role the guidelines play. If you plan to extend, redevelop or subdivide a property, ask your lawyer or QLDC which zone applies to it, which rules reference the guidelines, and whether your plans would breach any of them.
| Check | Why it matters for a character home |
|---|---|
| Zone and rules | Ask QLDC or your lawyer which District Plan zone the property is in and which rules apply to the work you have in mind. |
| LIM report | Settled says a LIM covers drains, heritage protection, flood or erosion risk, rates owing, consents and certificates, zoning and utility notices. It does not include building plans. |
| Consents and code compliance certificates | Compare renovations with the consents on the LIM and the council property file, since older homes have often been altered. |
| Protected trees | A LIM should list protected trees, and removing or pruning one, or building near it, can need resource consent. |
| Building report | Use an accredited inspector and ask for a comprehensive report meeting NZS 4306:2005. Settled says to check borer is included. |
| Natural hazards | Search the property on Otago Regional Council’s Natural Hazards Database. ORC says its information is indicative and is not a substitute for a LIM. |
Ask what the owner has changed since they bought, whether the work was consented, whether any trees on the section are protected, and what the owner knows about the history of the house. Ask for the record of title and the consents file early, and take advice from your lawyer before you sign, because a sale and purchase agreement is legally binding.
Our buying guide sets out the full list of checks, conditions and settlement steps, the guide to living in Arrowtown gives the Census figures, and you can meet the local team. Use the form below to ask us a question.
Sources: Queenstown Lakes District Council, Arrowtown Design Guidelines appeal resolved, 28 October 2026, https://www.qldc.govt.nz/2026/october/26-10-28-arrowtown-design-guidelines-appeal-resolved ; Settled (NZ Government), Doing your homework, https://www.settled.govt.nz/buying-a-home/researching-the-property/doing-your-homework/ and Learning about the property, https://www.settled.govt.nz/buying-a-home/researching-the-property/learning-about-the-property/ ; Otago Regional Council, Otago Natural Hazards Database, https://www.orc.govt.nz/managing-natural-hazards/natural-hazards-adaptation/otago-natural-hazards-database (updated 11 June 2026); all accessed 10 November 2026. Last updated: 10 November 2026.
Written by the Ray White Arrowtown team. Ray White Arrowtown, 25 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown 9302. Phone +64 3 746 7797. Email arrowtown.nz@raywhite.com.