Heart of Wānaka’s aspirational draft plan to improve the Wānaka CBD was presented to the WUCCB at yesterday’s meeting (Thursday July 27) and members of the public honed in on one aspect.

The plan includes a town centre car parking strategy which recommends the removal of car parking on the lakefront reserve and a reduction in on-street parks in the CBD.

If implemented, it would see the number of car parks increase overall (it recommends adding 87 new cars for workers adjacent to Lismore Park) but fewer CBD car parks.

Wānaka Town Centre Business Group ‘pro-tem’ chair Brian Kreft, speaking during the meeting’s public forum segment, said he had “material concerns” about the possibility of a reduction of car parks in the CBD.

The group was formed after another car park fracas - a three-day pedestrian trial in parts of the Wānaka CBD in 2019 - which Brian said substantially reduced town centre retailers’ takings.

“As a retailer with some as a retailer experience I am aware of the importance of car parking in a retail precinct,” he told the board yesterday. 

Queenstown lawyer Graeme Todd, representing Wānaka’s Property Owners Group, also referenced the car parks and warned the board the plan could not be given any official status as was completed by a third-party group, rather than by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).

Wānaka resident Kate Bariletti, who is not a member of either group, provided a different perspective on the effects of reducing central car parks. 

“We need more parks, more disabled parks, and closer to the lake, if we want to keep the seniors coming into town and being included in what’s going on,” she said.

Town planning should Include a representative for seniors, she said, to ensure no one misses out on being part of the community because of accessibility challenges.

“There are a lot of people who want to be included in the community but they need a little help,” she said.

Heart of Wānaka is an independent, volunteer-run group and its plan - which extends far beyond parking - is the result of two years’ work and extensive community consultation.

Read more: Heart of Wānaka group hands over ‘living document’

Its goal is to ‘optimise the lakeside Heart of Wānaka’ and group spokesperson Andrew (‘Howie’) Howard said he sees the plan as “an advisory document for future development” and a “live document” that can be updated based on community feedback.

Following the meeting the WUCCB acknowledged the effort of Heart of Wānaka and recognised the independent plan was the result of many hours’ work by local volunteers over 18 months.

“I’d like to thank Heart of Wānaka’s members on behalf of the community board for their positive contribution, creating a vision for central Wānaka,” WUCCB chair Simon Telfer said.

“This project has been a catalyst for creative thinking about how the town centre should look, feel and function over the decades ahead.”

QLDC acting chief executive Meaghan Miller said although the plan carried no statutory status it constituted a valuable piece of work.

“Council officers will review the document and consider it as reference alongside our existing and planned work in this space,” she said.

Read the Heart of Wānaka plan (the car parking strategy is on page 25) here.