Boundaries and heritage for feedback

A discussion document on a proposed Urban Growth Boundaries Plan Change will be available for feedback from tomorrow, Queenstown Lakes District Council senior policy analyst Mark Rushworth said.

“Urban Growth Boundaries are one possible planning tool to define the limit of where urban development can take place,” Mr Rushworth said.

Growth was placing pressure on small communities in particular.

“Arrowtown is a good example where residents have concerns about urban sprawl. In the first instance we are consulting on whether a growth boundary would offer an acceptable solution but there are other solutions also. All of this is captured in the discussion document,” Mr Rushworth said.

Kingston was another community where the issue of a growth boundary was being explored.

“The timing is right for the council to be looking at the various options it has available to it,’ Mr Rushworth said.

The document was only a starting point. If the feedback was favourable then the next step would involve further consultation.

Also available from tomorrow would be a discussion document on a proposed Heritage Strategy.

“We hope to commence development of a strategy that will include a number of actions to protect and manage the heritage resources in the Queenstown Lakes District,” QLDC senior policy analyst Sue Mavor said.

The discussion document outlines the issues that the strategy is planned to address.

“Heritage is a very important issue for our communities and there are a number of highly informed individuals and organisations that we would like to hear from before we commence work on the strategy proper,” Ms Mavor said.

Both documents would be available from council offices, district-wide libraries (from Friday) and on the council website www.qldc.govt.nz

Feedback on the Heritage Strategy was open to the15 August, while the Urban Growth Boundary was open for feedback until 12 September.

A drop-in session on the Urban Growth Boundaries discussion document would be held at the Queenstown Memorial Hall on Tuesday 5 August from 3-6pm and at the Lake Wanaka Centre on Wednesday 6 August from 3-6pm.