Wānaka’s local voice in the district - the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) - met for the last time this triennium and members took time to reflect on the past term.

The board’s role includes providing feedback on Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) plans, addressing community concerns, and ensuring community input is considered for local projects. 

Board chair Simon Telfer cited a range of “big things and small things” achieved by the board during the past term.

These ranged from opening Te Ara Maumahara (memory path, formerly the Millennium Path), completing the purchase of Mount Iron and its reserve management plan, the development of Paetara Aspiring Central, and “reshaping” the Wānaka Asset Sale Reserve Fund - right through to tidying up the entrance to town and developing shared pathways.

“I think we can say we were pretty influential,” he said.

Board member John Wellington agreed the board had made “good progress” in the past three years, but said there is “more to do”, specifically completing the planned development of sportfields at Ballantyne Road.

Linda Joll, the only woman on the board, said she feared that as the community grows there will be more “big loud voices” and lobby groups competing with the community to be heard.

She said gender diversity on the board is important, but that she had found it “a little bit frustrating”. 

“I often felt that I wasn’t heard.” 

Councillor Lyal Cocks noted he had marked his 15th year on the community board, which he said was “one of the best” thanks to an improved relationship with the council staff and CEO Mike Theelen.

“We hear a lot of negative stuff,” he said, adding he doesn’t believe there is a disconnect between Queenstown and Wānaka. 

“We have similar support from staff, [and] we’ve got so much going on,” he said. “We’re in a pretty good place.”

The current WUCCB board will be dissolved in the next few weeks ahead of the local body elections.

Find information on the election in the Election 2025 section of your Wānaka App.

PHOTO: QLDC