The future of the Queenstown Lakes District will be on the table when councillors meet this Thursday (March 18) to wrestle with a bumper agenda.

A draft version of the Ten Year Plan that will shape the next decade is up for discussion - including a proposed average rates increase of 4.56 per cent for 2021.

Following that, the controversial Queenstown Airport statement of intent returns, with airport bosses and councillors attempting to find balance between economic returns and low-impact sustainable tourism.

Those airport bosses will stick around for the next agenda item, Queenstown Airport Corporation's six-month financial report.

Zoning and the Hāwea Special Housing Area are on the agenda. PHOTO: Supplied

They'll be explaining to the council, QAC's largest shareholder, how it's faring in the midst of a border-closing pandemic.

Other major topics include the massive, once fairly secretive Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan.

The first ever joint Crown-council-Iwi plan, its aim is to provide an overarching framework to help the district manage growth.

Councillors will be asked to approve a 55-page draft version of the plan, which will go out to public consultation.

The Ten Year Plan proposes a 4.56 per cent rates increase. PHOTO: Wanaka App

The Spatial Plan is a completely different document to the Ten Year Plan, which is so big it comes in volumes 1 and 2.

The Ten Year Plan centres around the key challenges for the district, including climate change, delivering safe and reliable water services, and transport, and projects proposed to address them.

The proposed capital investment over the 10-year period is $1.67 billion. 

The plan outlines how council will fund it, including a new targeted rate to fund Queenstown town centre properties projects.

Councillors will be asked to approve the public consultation document on the plan, rather than plan itself.

And that's not all - elected representatives will consider a report recommending they adopt the recommendations of an Independent Hearing Panel on submissions received for Stage 3 and 3b of the District Plan review.

"The process has involved 542 submissions, 8,690 submission points and 20 days of hearings in Queenstown and Wānaka before an Independent Hearing Panel... ", council planning boss Tony Avery said.

It outlines how land can be used across the district, and if adopted, submitters have six weeks to appeal the decisions to the environment court.

Councillors will also discuss support for the film and TV production industry; increases to fees and charges for resource consents, building consents, resource management and other matters; the Hāwea Special Housing Area deed; QLDC's submission on the Water Services Bill; and chief executive Mike Theelen's report.

Then, the public are excluded for discussion on Beacon Point Reservoir and Queenstown Recreation Ground Pump Station; options for how QLDC will deliver infrastructure for the massive Lakeview site; and, finally, two procurement plan contracts, for waterways and reserves.

The Wanaka App will take a closer look at some of these key issues.