Councillors yesterday voted unanimously to approve the development of an overarching plan for the town centre.
The resort’s infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with the rapid growth in visitor numbers and residents.
Council bureaucrats want the master plan to be able to draw together the various big-ticket projects and source funding.
They include revitalising public transport, new parking and council buildings, redevelopment of streetscapes, a town centre bypass, high-density housing and even the much-maligned and controversial council-proposed convention centre.
But at the full council meeting some councillors were concerned it could lead to more delays in sorting out the resort.
Councillor Alexa Forbes said: "I understand we seriously need this.
"But what concerns me is ... everyone around this table stood on a platform of getting things done and being a ‘can do’ council.
"I’m worried nothing happens until 2018 because we’ve got reports on reports on reports and now we’re recommending another report."
Cr Forbes wanted action on the various projects to run alongside the master plan process.
Infrastructure general manager Peter Hansby said the master plan was needed because many of the projects, such as a car park building, roads and transport, needed to mesh together.
Mr Hansby said: "We want the master plan because it links all those projects together but at no time did we want to stop any of those projects progressing."
Council chief executive Mike Theelen said it was about optimising the outcome for downtown.
"It’s about knowing the hierarchy — what are the ones which fundamentally shape the future of downtown and what are the ones that nest under that?"
The intention is to flow the master plan process into the 10-year plan funding round later this year.
A business plan will be created for each project, using Treasury methodology.
An advisory board will be appointed.
Mr Hansby said the master plan would provide confidence for investors, be they commercial or central government. Speaking in the public forum, Steve Wilde, manager of lobby group DowntownQT, said the organisation welcomed the plan.
"But we do want to make one point quiet clear ... We expect the funding to be forthcoming.
"This process will establish the need for some very large projects and from there we anticipate these projects actually being funded.
"In essence, this should be the last round of talking for this community and early next year we want to hear the sound of bulldozers, not mouths, confident we have the right plan and the right way forward."
