Lake Hāwea community leaders have welcomed the news of the government’s commitment of $24M for the township’s infrastructure, but say work is still needed on “social connectivity”.

Lake Hāwea is one of eight locations selected to benefit from a $192M government investment announced by housing minister Megan Woods last week (October 14) to stimulate new housing. 

“This government infrastructure funding helps councils, iwi and developers make sure critical infrastructure like pipes, roads and wastewater connections, is in place, so thousands more homes can be built and communities can thrive,” Megan said. 

She said the recipients had been selected to fund projects which otherwise may not have been possible, or faced significant delays. 

The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) applied successfully for the Lake Hāwea funding, which will be used for Three Waters infrastructure, including a new reticulated wastewater treatment connection which would “improve environmental outcomes and increase network capacity to help meet anticipated growth in the area,” Megan said.

The roads and lights are in at Longview; but the infrastructure is still coming. PHOTO: Wānaka App

“It is expected the… infrastructure will ultimately enable around 880 new homes, including more affordable housing, both within the Longview Special Housing Area and general housing stock in line with QLDC’s demand projections through to 2041.”

Hāwea’s existing wastewater treatment plant was built in 1998 and upgraded in 2000; but it doesn’t meet current demand, has very limited capacity to meet the future demand already indicated in residential subdivisions, such as Longview, and has been in breach of compliance conditions for the past six years.

QLDC consulted the public in August on its preferred long-term solution (to pump wastewater to the Project Pure Wastewater plant in Wānaka) and shared information about its interim solution - an upgrade of the treatment plant to improve the quality of the treated effluent. 

The Hāwea Community Association (HCA) has been outspoken in its concerns about inadequate infrastructure in the growing township, including the ongoing problems with the existing wastewater treatment plant, the drinking water supply, and the future plans for wastewater.

“It’s great news that the government is going to step in and assist with some of the infrastructure deficits that the residents of Hāwea have been trying to fund…” HCA chair Cherilyn Walthew told the Wānaka App. 

She said she had sought more information on how the funding would “be applied”. 

“While infrastructure has long been a concern, it does nothing to address how we will continue to meet the local aspirations of social connectivity within our community.”

New QLDC councillor Cody Tucker, who lives in Lake Hāwea, agreed the funding was great news.

Cody Tucker PHOTO: Supplied

“It's crucial that the basic infrastructure meets adequate legal standards and it seems hard to believe we have gone so long without properly resolving this previously,” he added, saying he was unsure whether this was because of a lack of council funding for water infrastructure or improper prioritisation of council spending. 

“[Hāwea] is a fast growing community who are constantly commuting into Wānaka to meet almost every need, be that food, schooling, socialising, medical care, work, sports/recreation facilities etc,” he said.

“We have noticed that people living in Hāwea want to ‘live’ in Hāwea, and the poor state of the water infrastructure is reminiscent of its current struggle to meet the basic needs of a township this size.”

QLDC chief executive Mike Theelen said being one of the fastest-growing districts in the country “has naturally put pressure on local infrastructure and housing affordability in recent years, especially for some of our smaller communities like Lake Hāwea”.

“Our current investment programme is the largest ever undertaken by this council and this additional funding will allow us to continue improving network capacity and resilience. 

“In turn this will create more opportunities to increase the affordable housing our community so badly needs.”

Mike said the investment in Lake Hāwea aligns well with the Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan “which provides for the long-term development of Lake Hāwea and other communities.”

Other recipients of the infrastructure funding announced last week include Lower Hutt, Nelson, Rangiora, Ngāruawāhia, Hastings, Motueka and Whanganui.