Winton Land Limited’s exciting new Ayrburn Film Hub is one step closer today following the New Zealand Government’s decision to fast-track the resource consent assessment of this $200 million-plus project.
“This will be great for Queenstown jobs and it’s great for the country’s economic growth,” Winton Chief Executive, Chris Meehan says.
“The project will increase New Zealand’s ability to attract high quality films from around the world, and also means that local film makers will have the best quality facilities available to them at one of the world’s most unique and sought after locations.”
The Ayrburn Screen Hub is an all inclusive film studio enabling users to work and stay onsite through filming, production and post-production with studio buildings, workrooms, office space for film departments, dressing rooms, a screening room and meeting space, with accompanying 185 room accommodation for film workers and visitor accommodation when there aren’t films in production.
The facility will be located adjacent to the Ayrburn Hospitality Precinct and Northbrook Arrowtown, nestled between Arrowtown and Lake Hayes.
In its construction phase, the hub is estimated to inject almost $280 million into the local economy and support 640 full-time jobs across the wider Otago region.
“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.”
Ayrburn Heritage
Over 150 years ago, Scottish born William Paterson came across an expansive piece of land destined for remarkable things. With a backdrop of beauty and foreground of rural opportunity, Ayrburn Farm was established as one of the first farms in the area not long after W.G Rees settled in the district in 1860 and gold was discovered in the Shotover River in 1862.
Paterson connected his slice of New Zealand land with his Scottish heritage, naming it after the town ‘Ayr’ where he was born in West Kilbride Scotland, with ‘burn’ being the Scottish word for stream, as a nod to Mill Creek that runs through the property.
The colonial-victorian Ayrburn Homestead was built in the 1890s, asserting itself as a country estate spanning a substantial 290 sqm with over five bedrooms, nine chimneys and wood detail throughout. The solid construction flowed through from the multiple farm buildings at Ayrburn, reflecting Paterson’s success, all of which are at the core of how the Ayrburn story continues for years to come.
In 1904, Ayrburn Farm hosted the district’s first A&P show, connecting the rural community to develop the region’s farming and agriculture excellence. Ayrburn Farm remained a successful and productive wheat, sheep and dairy farm up until the early 21st century.
Ayrburn Farm is too special not to share, so Ayrburn Farm now welcomes people to this picturesque location to create their own Ayrburn memories over food and wine.
The old farm buildings continue to be the main characters in the story of Ayrburn. Remediation of the woolshed, stables, cart shed and dairy started in October 2021. The remediation process was delicate and slow, deconstructing each building and then recreating it with stronger hidden structures. However, retaining heritage features like the curved roof in the cart shed is essential to the execution and heart of Ayrburn, morphing the history and natural landscape with refinement to deliver a food and wine experience for the entire family to enjoy.