The removal of ski lanes was a key focus of submitters at Monday’s (November 25) hearing on the draft Navigation Safety Bylaw 2025.

The hearing panel, made up of councillors Cody Tucker and Gavin Bartlett and deputy mayor Quentin Smith, had plenty of back and forth with residents as they discussed how the draft bylaw could be improved.

The existing Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) bylaw governing the use of local waterways has been in place for more than five years and will expire shortly, so a new draft bylaw has been prepared.

The draft bylaw recommended the creation of ‘passage lanes’ under the Albert Town Bridge to separate swimmers and bridge jumpers from vessels and - most contentiously - the removal of numerous ski lanes on Lake Wānaka.

Between the creation of the draft bylaw and the hearing, council staff decided to reinstate two of the Lake Wānaka ski lanes it had initially planned to axe: at Waterfall Creek and Eely Point.

For some submitters at Monday’s hearing, this didn’t go far enough.

One submitter told the hearing panel any reduction in ski lanes was “crazy”.

Reducing the number of ski lanes will “force people out to unmanaged areas”, another said.

“Education and doing things properly is clearly the solution to these issues,” a third person said, voicing a sentiment that came up frequently.

A handful of submitters mentioned the extensive consultation on ski lane removal which took place in 2022. 

One said they couldn’t understand why the topic was being considered again. It was clear, from the previous consultation, “that the answer was education and signage”, they said.

The removal of ski lanes was also the most commented on topic in written submissions QLDC received on the draft bylaw.

There were 139 submissions (most from the Upper Clutha) and 60 percent of them opposed the bylaw.

Almost all submissions in opposition were against the removal of existing ski lanes (the council's solution to “problematic” ski lane use).

Following Monday’s hearing, the hearing panel will meet again tomorrow (Thursday November 28) to deliberate and make its recommendations.

“These recommendations will consider all information, submissions and council officers’ recommendations received through the process,” a QLDC spokesperson said.

Those recommendations, encompassed a final draft bylaw, will be presented to councillors for adoption around March next year.

PHOTO: Wānaka App