Eight local groups have received community grants after making submissions through the Annual Plan process.

Each year Queenstown Lakes DIstrict Council (QLDC) creates an Annual Plan, which sets out the proposed investment in infrastructure and community services for the coming year, as well as rates, user fees, and community grants.

QLDC approved the 2023-2024 Annual Plan last week.

In it, $5,000 grants were approved to Te Kākano, Hāwea Community Association, the Lake Hāwea Community Centre, the Upper Clutha Historical Records Society, and Volunteer South.

Hāwea Community Association had requested an additional $20,000 to undertake master planning for Hāwea Flat, and chair Cherilyn Walthew told the Wānaka App the association was likely to go ahead with the project despite not receiving funding for it.

The Upper Clutha Historical Records Society got half what it asked for; it wanted $10,000 to upgrade equipment and help with operating costs.

Some larger grants were also awarded to local groups.

The Wānaka Alcohol Group (WAG) received $8,000; the Upper Clutha Wilding Tree Group received $15,000; and the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust received $15,000.

Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) as well as its Wakatipu counterpart, Destination Queenstown (DT), had its pre-2021 funding reinstated for the coming year.

The funding was halved due to Covid-19 and the Regional Tourism Organisations (RTO) asked that it be reinstated now that international tourism has returned.

Four local groups which made submissions during the draft Annual Plan process are disappointed with the council’s decision to defer an upgrade to an inadequate stormwater system for seven years.

Otago Fish & Game, Friends of Bullock Creek (FOBC), Guardians of Lake Wānaka, Wānaka Lake Swimmers Club, and Touchstone told councillors at the submissions hearing in May that Bullock Creek and its nearby residents will be condemned to many more years of flooding and pollution during heavy rain if QLDC didn’t go ahead with the upgrade.

Read more: Groups oppose QLDC ‘backflip’ on stormwater system

The project is one of two major projects QLDC has deferred in Wānaka in this Annual Plan - the other is irrigation and field improvements on Pembroke Park, which council said would allow the next stage of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan to be completed sooner.

QLDC said it had to cut costs where it could as historic leaky home cases in Queenstown pushed council’s expenses for the year up much higher than anticipated.

Read more: ‘Incredibly tough situation’ blamed as rates increase approved

Copies of the QLDC 2023-2024 Annual Plan will be available soon at council offices and libraries. It is available to download now via the QLDC website.

PHOTO: Wānaka App