A consortium led by South Island iwi Ngai Tahu has been selected to develop the next stage for a new convention centre in Queenstown.
Mayor Vanessa van Uden on Wednesday announced that the Queenstown Lakes District Council has accepted a recommendation to enter into negotiations with investors Ngai Tahu Property and Morrison and Co.
The consortium has chosen SkyCity group as its preferred operator.
Ms van Uden says further work and consultation needs to happen before the project can be considered a reality, but the proposal has incredible promise.
The preferred location is the Lakeview site and is within minutes of the resort town's centre.
The proposal will be part of community consultation on the Annual Plan between April and June.