A Wānaka resident has asked for a community wide discussion about the lack of affordable housing to be facilitated by the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB).

Andrew Millar raised the issue at the board’s most recent meeting in Luggate on February 8.

He asked the board to facilitate a discussion to identify “new initiatives towards progressively dealing with this issue and its accompanying debilitating economic and social effects”.

“We are lacking in new ideas to fix the problem,” he said.

Andrew Millar PHOTO: Wānaka App

“There is surely something more we could be doing. I think it’s up to the community to express some viewpoint and concern .. and maybe new ideas.

“Are we accepting of this ongoing problem getting worse and worse?”

Board chair Simon Telfer said people were welcome to make submissions to the Long Term Plan on the issue, and councillor Lyal Cocks said the issue affects the ward but “there have been plenty of opportunities for proposals to be put through”.

“I support the board listening to the community,” he added.

Queenstown Lakes District Council strategy and policy general manager Michelle Morss pointed to the council’s Joint Housing Action Plan, and said the housing challenge was “complex and there’s lots of actors in this space”.

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Andrew said current policies were not making any material difference to the problem and new solutions are required. 

“It’s a complicated thing but the fact it’s complicated is not a good reason not to keep trying,” he told the Wānaka App

In an email to councillors Andrew suggested the council “took a lead and changed the rules to make it less attractive to the wealthy property investor and/or developer, disincentivise the empty homes syndrome, and encourage/facilitate some inducements for an increased supply of long term rentals”.

He also suggested council “increase property development levies to reduce the level of investment which truly reflects the additional infrastructure spend as a consequence of growth”.

The community may not be ready for some of the ideas, he said.

Mayor Glyn Lewers told the Wānaka App it’s not council policy to provide social housing.

“We can do that,” he said, adding: “But it would come at a cost to the ratepayers.”

He said he did not believe ratepayers should subsidise housing for businesses.

“We can’t be all things to all people. We need to focus on core infrastructure needs.”

WUCCB chair Simon Telfer told the Wānaka App this week that housing affordability in Wānaka was “the overwhelming concern shared with me at today’s Summerdaze/Share With Us session in Albert Town”.

“It’s a complex issue with many of the levers sitting at central government level. We continue to be open to any new ideas put to us that can be championed by the Upper Clutha based councillors.”