Wanaka town centre consultation underway

Wanaka residents are being asked to give some serious consideration to a strategy that will shape the future of the township, Queenstown Lakes District Council Deputy Mayor John Wilson said.

Councillor Wilson is a member of the community working party (chaired by Wanaka resident Charlie Grant) which has spent the last ten months developing the draft Wanaka Town Centre Strategy.

“In 2002, through the Wanaka 2020 community planning exercise, the Wanaka community talked about a desire to see a high quality and functional town centre. This draft strategy is really the fruition of that work and an opportunity to re-engage those involved seven years ago and engage those that were not,” Mr Wilson said.
A number of recent projects have been initiated in Wanaka that involve or affect the town centre (e.g. streetscape improvements, proposals for waterfront enhancements, the transport strategy, flood strategy and the proposed plan change, including commercial zoning at Three Parks).

“It’s so important that any work in the town centre is integrated and contributes towards an overall plan or vision that addresses the issues identified in Wanaka 2020 and those issues that have arisen since that time. This is a critical strategy for this community,” Mr Wilson said.

Issues included:
Protecting and enhancing the town centre’s character and connection to Lake Wanaka.
Improving linkages.
Retain a mix of retail, commercial, social and administrative services in the town centre.
Keeping the compact feel of the centre, while enhancing the amenity.
Providing and locating community facilities and creating a ‘civic heart’.

“These are significant issues that require a mix of project areas ranging from traffic management to the location of a town square,” Mr Wilson said.

For each of the identified project areas the working party had identified a number of options and analysed each of these.

“We have indicated a preferred option for each project area but the community now needs to consider those options and give us feedback before funding can be allocated in the Council’s 10-Year-Plan,” he said.

Given the current economic climate the 10-Year-Plan was likely to reflect that non-essential investment and programmes will be deferred in the early years and projects would need to be staged across a number of years.

“The working party has identified changes to the roading network and lakefront redevelopment as being its priorities. What we give priority to, is all subject to consultation,” Mr Wilson said.

Two ‘drop-in’ sessions on the draft strategy would be held on Wednesday, 18 March 2009 from 3-7pm and on Sunday, 22 March 2009 from 1-5pm at the Lake Wanaka Centre.
All comment on the draft strategy must be with the Council by 3 April, 2009.

The draft strategy document is available from Council offices, the Wanaka Library or the Council website www.qldc.govt.nz.