Frankton golf course, events centre land in line for QLDC transfer

Queenstown councillors will be asked this week to consider getting started on a land hand-over involving parts of both the Frankton Golf Centre and the Queenstown Events Centre to allow for road widening work.

At Thursday’s full Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting elected members will be asked to approve consultation of the potential disposal of parts of the Queenstown Events Centre and the adjoining Frankton Golf Centre.

The land would pass to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency to support the delivery of part of the Government-funded $115 million NZ Upgrade Programme Queenstown package.

Queenstown Lakes District Council community services general manager Thunes Cloete says the council has been working with NZTA for a number of years to design upgrades along State Highway 6 and 6A to better manage traffic in the area.

On the cards: a signal-controlled intersection to replace the BP roundabout, plus signal controlled intersections further up the road by the events centre.

A chunk of land owned or managed by the QLDC, home to the Queenstown Events Centre and the Frankton Golf Centre and adjacent to the highway, is earmarked for new transport corridors.

As part of this work NZTA has requested to acquire parts of the events centre and the Frankton golf course to allow for the "significant intersection upgrades", he says.

While the council doesn’t own the land that the golf course sits on, it does manage it on behalf of the Crown and the community.

The council does own the land the events centre is on – it’s listed as a strategic asset in the QLDC significance and engagement policy, and that means the council has to formally consider the request and consult the community.

It’s not obliged to consult on the golf course loss, but it’s keen to hear from the community on the proposal regardless.

“We think it’s important people get the chance to have a say on the whole picture of how the land could be affected by the proposed transport improvements.” 

If it goes ahead, the golf course isn’t slated for closure, but modifications to the facility will be needed.

“We’ve worked closely with golf course designers on options to reorientate the facility to ensure we can maintain a quality golfing experience for the community,” Dr Cloete says.

“The proposed layout would see the golf centre changing to an eight-hole facility with a driving range. Specifically, it would lose the current first and ninth hole and allow for improvements to the putting green.

“A suggested layout will be included with the consultation information. We’ll continue to assess potential alternatives, and community feedback before settling on the preferred interim layout of the golf course.”

The proposal would affect approximately 2,493 square metres of land that the event centre sits on and approximately 8,230 square metres of the golf course land.

If approved at Thursday’s council meeting, a six-week formal consultation process will begin on Friday, June 3.