The Wanaka Artisan Market has been granted permission to hold five special markets in addition to the regular Sunday market which runs from Labour Weekend to Easter.

The Artisans Market committee signed a renewed three year licence to occupy (LTO) Pembroke Park on Sundays beside the Wanaka Craft Market just before the start of the new market season last weekend.

Artisans Market committee chair Barbara East said the drawn-out LTO negotiations had resulted in a compromise. 

The Artisans’ request for additional vehicles to park on Pembroke Park on Sundays was refused but the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) staff did grant a concession for the Artisans to hold the five additional markets at which they may request permission for more than the allocated two vehicles.

Barbara said the Artisans Market, which is focused more on food and produce, attracts vendors wanting to sell fresh hot and cold food from caravans and small food trucks.The current limit of only two vehicles on the park was proving too restrictive and not encouraging the market to grow.

She said the popular Christmas Eve market held last year was a good example where extra vehicles selling food at the market would have benefitted vendors and market goers alike.

The Thursday market trial at the Dinosaur Park venue proved popular. PHOTO: Wanaka App

“It was primarily the huge success of the Christmas Eve market which drove us to ask for changes to our agreement.”

The committee understands council’s concerns about vehicles damaging the park but said the market should be treated with the same fairness as other users of the park, including the A&P Show and past Challenge Wanaka events, which had no such limits, she said.

“Pembroke Park... is huge, lush and underused. No damage has ever been caused by our food trailers,” she said.

Barbara said she has met with the Wanaka Community Board (WCB) chair Barry Bruce who “wants the market to grow and agrees that more vehicles should be allowed on the park”, she said. 

She was also concerned the WCB’s delegation to decide the conditions of hire of parks and reserves and to grant licence applications has been replaced by a decision now made by council staff.

“All the markets’ LTO applications in the past always went to the board so somewhere along the way that delegation has been removed,” she said.

For family reasons, Barry was unavailable for comment yesterday (Wednesday October 28).

The Artisans have also signed a renewed three year LTO its market site adjacent to Bullock Creek in the town centre for its Thursday afternoon market as well as a six month reserve permit to use the Dinosaur Park’s green space over the summer months. The reserve permit includes a $2000 bond against the risk of potential damage to the reserve.

The Dinosaur Park venue was trialled in January this year and attracted a good number of stall holders and market goers.