Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) wants to hear locals’ views on a strategy designed to create more affordable housing options for the district’s residents.

Through the Queenstown Lakes Homes Strategy and Action Plan, council hopes to encourage the provision of housing which is affordable, varied, and healthy and warm.

It has identified four policy options to help incentivise this, including updating the district plan to reduce and remove barriers that affect affordability and providing a bonus or incentive to developers for the provision of affordable housing.

Council is also looking at implementing a mandatory contribution to include some retained affordable housing in new developments and redevelopments, also known as ‘inclusionary zoning’. 

Read more: Council looks at tools to face ‘massive’ housing challenge

Queenstown Lakes is one of the least affordable districts in the country and, in Wanaka, the median house sale price in July was $1.15M.

Queenstown Lakes mayor Jim Boult encouraged the community to have a look at the information available and provide feedback. 

"These housing measures will set out council's role in influencing change in the housing system through advocacy, partnership and local action, and we’re very keen to hear what our community thinks about these proposals," Jim said.

Feedback is now open and can be shared online here. 

Read more about the draft Queenstown Lakes Strategy and Action Plan here and Planning for Affordable Housing – Inclusionary Zoning here.

PHOTO: Supplied