Construction of the long-awaited second stage of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan (LDP) will begin next month.

It will include the creation of a new shared pathway along the lakefront from McDougall Street to Dungarvon Street; the creation of 114 new parking spots along Ardmore Street; and new green spaces and planting.

QLDC community services general manager Thunes Cloete said that, once complete, the area of lakefront would be a greatly improved space for people to enjoy.

The new design will add 114 new parking spaces along Ardmore Street and vehicles will no longer be able to park on the green. PHOTO: Wānaka App

“Stage two will feature expanded and irrigated lawns, creating open space and providing new places for people to sit, enjoy a picnic, and marvel at the view without vehicles or campervans in the way,” he said.

A series of pou (posts) at the western end of the site near Dungarvon Street would represent specific elements of Wānaka and act as a welcome to the area, he said, and the existing embankment along the lakefront will be flattened out to improve access and views.

QLDC made the controversial decision to remove the Millennium Track tiles - a community project from 2000 designed to celebrate the new millennium - as part of stage two and new tiles will be laid alongside the new shared pathway to replace them.

A portion of the design plan for stage two shows the extent of the new carparks, which will be broken into sections to create view shafts and access points to the lakefront. IMAGE: QLDC

Another contentious decision will be made today when Wānaka Community Board (WCB) members decide whether or not to approve the closure of Ardmore Street between McDougall Street and Dungarvon from April 11 right until the end of September.

If the temporary road closure is approved, a detour for traffic will be in place via McDougall Street, Brownston Street and Dungarvon Street, Thunes said.

The LDP’s second stage includes the lake’s edge between McDougall and Dungarvon Streets. PHOTO: Wānaka App

Construction of the stage two of the Wānaka LDP will start on April 11 and it is estimated to be complete by the end of September this year.

When completed, it will mean three of the five stages of Wānaka’s LDP, adopted in 2016, have been finished.