Luggate’s playground was recently reopened to the public, but locals have complained about its reduced attractions and the loss of other community amenities.

The Hopkins Street playground was closed by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) staff for 18 months while the adjacent Luggate Memorial Centre was built.

Just before it reopened in December 2022, two of its key attractions - the flying fox and swings - were deemed unsafe and removed by QLDC staff.

Luggate Community Association chair Rod Anderson said he was “extremely disappointed” nothing was done to examine the playground equipment while the hall was being built.

“During that process of the hall’s construction, I continually asked when the playground would be reopened. I was not told there was any problem with the equipment at all until the day before the hall was opened,” he said.

QLDC media advisor Sam White acknowledged the council could have handled the situation  better with regard to the equipment’s removal.

“We appreciate the timing is disappointing for local families and we acknowledge we could have done better. They were removed on the basis of public safety after an engineering inspection highlighted structural issues,” he said. 

Sam said the council met with the LCA last Thursday (January 26) to discuss the playground and how best to canvas the community’s thoughts on the existing space as well as what a future playground could look like. 

The community’s feedback will guide the reinstatement of the playground and shape any new playground design concepts.

“Repairing or replacing these well-liked features will no doubt be a big part of the feedback process and we look forward to working with local residents to create an awesome new playground,” Sam said.

No council funding has been allocated for the playground’s reinstatement or replacement, however.

Reinstatement costs weren’t included in the Luggate Memorial Centre’s $5.56M construction even though some junior play items were removed specifically to make way for the centre’s ground works, Sam said.

Luggate’s two public tennis courts were also removed by the construction project.

Sam said there was no room to reinstate the courts at the Hopkins Street reserve and council was unable to identify any other suitable reserve land.

He said $427,000 has been allocated in the council’s budget plan seven years from now (in 2030) for a tennis court in Luggate; meanwhile council will work with future Luggate developers to investigate other potential options for a court or a similar hardstanding area.

The new Luggate Memorial Centre on the Hopkins Street reserve, which opened in December 2022, replaced the 63-year old Luggate Memorial Hall which was deemed an earthquake risk; it closed in 2017 and was demolished in June 2021.

The former hall’s prime site at the corner of SH8A and Hopkins Street is now largely vacant; toilets and a bus shelter are in place and school and passenger buses are temporarily using the space.

The site’s future use is yet to be decided.

“We’re looking into longer term options for the vacant site and will be discussing these with the [Wānaka Upper Clutha] community board and LCA in due course,” Sam said. 

PHOTOS: Wānaka App