The organisers of Wānaka Pride Week have called for a revamp of the Lake Wānaka Centre to make it more inclusive and accessible.

Out & About chair Ollie Harcus told the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) at Thursday’s (May 8) meeting the centre should be more of a “community-focused venue”.

It should be an inspiring place to host events which is well utilised by the community, Ollie said.

The non-profit group hosted the 2023 Pride Street Party and parts of 2024’s Wānaka Pride Week at the centre but accessibility limitations curtailed the organisation’s ability to make the most of the space, he said.

“The big one for me is accessibility,” Ollie said. “We don’t have a disabled bathroom or a stairlift.” 

“With Pride being an accessible event, we can’t use half the space,” he said, referring to the second floor of the centre.

Ollie also said he believed it was time to update the foyer, which features photos of influential locals.

“Let’s work together to look at that and make it a little bit more diverse and meet our community’s needs,” he said.

Ollie said he represented Out & About Wānaka and other community groups he was a part of who wanted to see the centre “brought to life”.

He asked the WUCCB to dedicate between $50,000-$100,000 from the Wānaka Asset Sale Reserve to the project.

Board chair Simon Telfer told the Wānaka App that Ollie “raised some very good points”.

“The Lake Wānaka Centre can look a bit tired, especially when hosting contemporary and inspiring events,” he said.

Simon said he has already asked Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) if any investment is planned for refurbishing the venue, and making the upstairs more accessible.

He said he also asked council if any thought had been given “to revitalising the lobby area to make it more contemporary and reflecting of Wānaka in 2025”.

“There are ongoing discussions about building a new performing arts centre in Wānaka,” he said. “Given QLDC's financial constraints, we need to balance any refurbishment cost of the current asset with the potential of the current centre serving a different purpose should a new one be built.”

Read more: ‘We want your ideas’ - community board

PHOTO: Wānaka App