'Queenstown centric' QLDC under fire from Wānaka LTP submissions

Multiple submissions to the Queenstown Lakes District Council's Long Term Plan (LTP) from Wānaka organisations put elected members and council staff under considerable pressure today.

The submissions were made on the second day of LTP hearings held at the Lake Wānaka Centre. Pressure for "equitable" funding and governance was spread across issues as diverse as a new performing arts centre, sports facilities and an expanded Wānaka Airport.

Chair of the Wānaka and Upper Clutha Community Board Simon Telfer suggested that what's become known as the Queenstown "road to nowhere" arterial project "be shortened by a few metres" to pay for what he called "huge inequity" between Queenstown and Wānaka QLDC funding.

Many submissions focussed on what was described as a bias towards Queenstown in the area of sports fields and facilities.

Commonwealth Games medallist Barbara Beable told the hearing that Wānaka had been sidelined and suffered from a "predetermined bias" towards Queenstown when it came to sports facilities.  She called the council "Queenstown centric" and said there was a "very real fracture between Queenstown and Wānaka" adding that a "quality multi sports hub with all-weather facilities will help heal the rift".

Other submitters said that Wānaka sports facilities that had previously been a priority for QLDC had been moved from "first to last" behind Queenstown projects such as the Events Centre and Ladies Mile sports fields.

There were a number of spirited submissions in support of a new arts and culture centre for Wānaka, including from Michael Sidey who is chair of the Wānaka Arts and Culture Charitable Trust. Mr Sidey and high profile developer Allan Dippie made it clear that financial support for the project had a broad community base and a clear co-funding model in place.

Developer Allan Dippie was one of many submitters who spoke in support of a new Wānaka arts and culture centre.

Meg Taylor, the chair of the Wānaka Stakeholders Group, told the hearing that the strategic importance of a new expanded Wānaka Airport was not recognised in the LTP and that "the lack of transparency at QLDC is well known" and the council was "utterly failing so far" in terms of genuine airport liaison with the local community. 

She also questioned how the QLDC's LTP came up with a 700 percent increase in landing fee revenue at Wānaka Airport by 2034. "Where is this increase coming from? There is no explanation in the LTP."

Meg Taylor and Michael Ross of the Wānaka Stakeholders Group: 'Where is a 700 percent increase in Wānaka Airport landing fees coming from?'

Hāwea resident Cherilyn Walthew launched a stinging attack on the QLDC saying that the council was wasting the time of Hāwea residents by holding consultation exercises and then not listening to the outcomes. She said that there was "virtually no support from QLDC for local facilities" and the council was restricting its support of Hāwea to a "legal minimum".

Cherilyn Walthew: QLDC 'not listening to the people of Hāwea'.

Wānaka resident Nick Page summed up the mood of many in the room by saying that the QLDC was "avoiding bankruptcy by increasing both debt and rates with a 75 percent (cumulative) rates increase over the next five years.

"Growth does not pay for growth. We are spending money on bureaucracy we can't afford. There's no provision for risk. We need better planning and better delivery," Mr Page told the hearing.

"There is no capacity to pay off debt. The council is broke." 

The QLDC will spend tomorrow back in Queenstown deliberating on the submissions, written and presented in person, to the Long Term Plan.

Main Image: QLDC chief executive Mike Theelen (left) and mayor Glyn Lewers (right) came under increased pressure today at the Wānaka LTP submissions hearing.