Changes to LTP not likely, Smith warns
MUCH needed improvements to sports facilities in Wānaka are unlikely to be added to the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s 202434 longterm plan.
Also likely to be binned is the Wānaka Arts and Culture Trust’s request for a share of the funding and some land for a proposed $70 million arts centre, plus the Snow Farm’s $350,000 bid for public toilets on the Pisa Range.
The council deliberated on 939 submissions to the draft LTP earlier this week and indicated it would not change anything WānakaUpper Clutha ward submitters sought, above what had already been outlined in the draft LTP.
The final plan is now being drawn up and is scheduled to be formally agreed and adopted on September 19. Deputy mayor Quentin Smith said since Thursday’s deliberations he and other elected representatives had been contacted by many frustrated people about the probable outcome.
‘‘There wasn’t any substantial change to the plan as it was publicly consulted on,’’ he said of Thursday’s deliberations — the first deliberations the QLDC has held in public on the LTP.
‘‘We obviously had a very high level of engagement from the Upper Clutha requesting a number of things, notably sports fields and the Snow Farm toilets and the performing arts centre. The submissions did not result in change . . . From my own perspective I am frustrated we haven’t been able to respond meaningfully to the submissions we have received and support our community in the changes they have requested,’’ Cr Smith said.
‘‘I don’t think that the submissions and the requests of councillors were well acknowledged on the day.’’
He said ‘‘it would be fair to say there are continuing discussions going on behind the scenes’’ but the final plan was ‘‘unlikely to change’’ from what was discussed for financial and rating reasons. The projected average district rates increase stemming from the LTP is 15%.
Cr Smith said some things on Wānaka’s wish list might still be funded via other avenues.