A community-based working group has been proposed to consider the development of Wanaka’s central business district (CBD) with the intent of creating a community led, cohesive plan for the town centre’s future.

Ignite Wanaka Chamber of Commerce will take the lead on establishing the working group, which stemmed from a public meeting last week (July 2) at Wanaka’s Community Hub with a presentation by Wanaka-based urban designer Garth Falconer, director of Reset Urban Design.

About 50 people attended the presentation which considered a range of aspirational and practical concepts, including “the stitching of the old town with the new town” (Wanaka’s CBD with Three Parks development), the connectivity of the 1.5km Roys Bay lakefront to the town centre, and “activating Pembroke Park”.

Like many rural towns, Wanaka’s town centre “wasn’t really planned; it was surveyed”, Garth said, where roads were marked on a map leaving big blocks for subdivision and ad hoc development.

“When we look at the town fabric it’s like a Swiss cheese - full of holes,” he said, and suggested smart developments like The Precinct, which had a comparatively small frontage on Helwick Street yet catered for a range of businesses, commercial office space, hospitality and accommodation, should be encouraged.

Urban designer Garth Falconer hosted a presentation on potential development ideas for the CBD at Wanaka’s Community Hub last week. 

Garth’s presentation also addressed previous town centre strategies and plans, including the Wanaka masterplan which three years ago was considered one of the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) “big issues” but barely got a mention in the new 10-Year Plan approved this month.

“There seems to be a feeling we’re not hitting the mark at the moment with the planning,” he said, adding that there appears to be more “wheel spinning” than traction with council on cohesive development of the town centre.

He suggested the members of Ignite Wanaka, which supported the presentation event, could help “co-ordinate or optimise” the various CBD redevelopment options, including on recently vacated sites, such as the site of the former BP service station and the sites beside the White House.

“Maybe this could be an active way for Ignite to really get involved,” he said, adding this community-based thinking could also filter through to the planning laws via design panels.

The presentation evolved into a wide-ranging discussion of various topics by those attending, including traffic and parking concerns, public and active transport, development for families,Three Parks, council planning and regenerative development. 

CBD building owner Roger Gardiner, who attended the meeting, said he was “impressed” by the presentation but believed the big challenge was “getting this sort of community thinking to mesh together with the QLDC planning in a positive, complimentary way”. 

The meeting closed with the collective desire for Ignite Wanaka to create a town centre working group with the purpose of progressing CBD development, including a concept plan for stage four of the Lakefront Development Plan (LDP) along Roys Bay.  

The LDP constitutes the QLDC’s largest current investment in Wanaka’s town centre: to date stage one has been completed; stage three is underway; and there is council funding allocated for stages two and five.

However, development of stage four, the foreshore immediately in front of the CBD, appears stalled and presents an opportunity for a community-led working group to create a feasible concept plan, Garth said.

PHOTOS: Wanaka App