Three taxpayer funded public toilets long planned for the Upper Clutha are one step closer to being installed, the Wanaka Community Board (WCB) was advised at its meeting last Thursday (June 18).

A new two-bay toilet block has been installed in the public car park adjacent to the Clutha River walking track at the end of Gunn Road, Albert Town. 

Final connections are being completed now and it will become officially operational before the coming school holidays, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) parks and reserves manager Diana Manson told the WCB.

Funded by the Tourism Infrastructure Fund which, in 2018, granted the QLDC $2.39M to construct eight toilet blocks across the district, the Gunn Road toilet block is the second of three to be installed locally. 

The first was installed in December last year at Luggate’s Red Bridge Reserve. The third was to be installed near the Isthmus Peak walking track.

Diana said as the Department of Conservation was now providing a toilet in that area, the QLDC would instead use the funding for the third set of toilets to upgrade the public facility at John Creek and install a two-bay toilet block there before the start of summer.

She also gave the board an update on the long-awaited Wanaka Lakefront Development Plan (LDP). Concept plans for Stage 2, the section of foreshore opposite Pembroke Park, were almost ready to be shared with the public. 

Options covering the controversial issues of parking and the Millennium path would be presented at a public drop-in session scheduled for late in July, Diana said.

A resource consent for the construction of the LDP’s Stage 3 boardwalk, from the Dinosaur Park to the marina, had been filed with the QLDC. Once that is granted, tenders to construct Stage 3 could go out. Diana said she hoped to have this process completed this year.

The Wanaka Recreation Centre (WRC) is back to its regular operational hours and will run its normal school holiday programme in July.

The draft WRC masterplan, providing a blueprint for future expansion, was completed last year and the final version was scheduled to be completed in April but is still some way off, QLDC sport and recreation manager Simon Battrick said.

“We are in the final stages of tidying up the masterplan and hope to get this to council in the coming months and as part of the Ten Year Plan process.” 

WCB chair Barry Bruce also advised the board would be re-introducing the public drop-in sessions, starting on Wednesday July 1 from 12:00-1:00pm in the meeting room at the WRC. These are planned to occur on the first Wednesday of every month (except January).

Barry said these drop-in sessions were a good opportunity for anyone seeking or passing on information, and no appointment is necessary. “Attendees will receive a warm welcome and a friendly ear as well as a hot drink and a biscuit.” 

The sessions will be supported by the Upper Clutha liaison manager Robyn Steel and as many WCB members as possible.

PHOTO: Wanaka App