A warm welcome to our ski field workers and winter visitors, we look forward to a busy season and hopefully excellent snow conditions. Let’s hope the precautionary pause on the trans-Tasman travel bubble is resolved soon and we can host our Aussie friends. Operators I’ve chatted to have reported good bookings for the winter months, so I’m hopeful our hospitality and accommodation sectors will have a bumper period. 

I’d like to share a few travel themed reminders as we anticipate an increase in seasonal traffic especially with the upcoming school holidays.

Great progress is being made on Stage Three of the Lakefront Development Plan. Disruption will continue along Lakeside Road until late August so allow extra time for your journey. Stay alert as the traffic management may change as work moves to the other side of the road.

The Ballantyne Road upgrade project continues to progress steadily with the section from the town side to the Boundary road intersection now sealed. The balance from Boundary Road to SHW 6 will be completed in spring so please stay safe and follow the temporary 50km/hr speed limit on the unsealed section.

Please be mindful of the short term and disability parking outside the NZ Post agency at Paper Plus on the corner of Ardmore and Dunmore streets, as these are likely to be in high demand as our winter season ramps up.

And if you haven’t already, join the growing number of residents that have signed up to our daily winter road report. It’s a free email delivered to your inbox every morning detailing road conditions around the district and what to watch out for when driving.

Check Roads in your Wanaka App

Have your say in changes to District Representation

An independent advisory group has recommended a new model of resident representation that will be considered by council and the community in coming months. I’d strongly encourage that all residents take the time to make sure they are informed about what a representation review is, and what this proposal might mean for our community. There will be formal consultation on this following the June 30 council meeting. More details on the recommendations and how to take part in the process will be available at letstalk.qldc.govt.nz. 

New public toilets on Wanaka’s lakefront

Work is currently underway to install a new public toilet facility on the Wanaka lakefront near Dungarvon Street. Traffic management will be operating on Ardmore Street adjacent to the lakefront from Wednesday July 7 through to Monday July 12 to support pipe installation works and connection to services. It’s hoped these toilets will be open for public use by the end of July.

Speed limit consultation

Council is asking for community feedback on a proposal which recommends a decrease in the permanent and variable speed limit reductions around 13 schools within the district. These changes are in response to suggestions made by the community during consultation carried out on the Speed Limits Bylaw 2019. Head to letstalk.qldc.govt.nz to have your say by July 16.

Wanaka Rec Centre pool temporary shutdown

All aquatic facilities at Wanaka Recreation Centre (WRC) will close temporarily from Saturday July 24 to Sunday August 1 for a deep clean and scheduled maintenance. This does not affect the indoor courts or other facilities at WRC, which will remain open as normal. I look forward to the pools being back in use cleaner, brighter and better than ever!

Wanaka Community Board and Council News 

Congratulations to Ms Esther Whitehead, recently elected as the new Queenstown-Wakatipu Ward councillor following the by-election on June 11. The next full council election will be held on October 8 2022.

The Hāwea Domain Reserve Management Plan 2021 has now been adopted by council. If you’re keen to review the plan click here.

The Wanaka Community Board is always keen to meet members of the Upper Clutha community for a cup of tea and an informal chat about issues and opportunities, big or small. Pop along to our monthly drop-in session on Wednesday July 7 from 12.00pm to 1.00pm, at Wanaka Recreation Centre. 

Finally, if you’re keen on finding out more about how the Wanaka Community Board operates and what decisions it makes, come along to our next community board meeting on Thursday July 8 from 10.00am to 12.00pm at Luggate Temporary Hall.