Plans to bring extra money into the Lake Tekapo township by redeveloping its waterfront and town centre are going ahead without public consultation, according to some residents in the Mackenzie district.
The Mackenzie District Council this week received a total of 16 non-verbal submissions on its draft annual plan for 2013-14, but many ratepayers took the opportunity to express their views on the council's plans to redevelop the township, which were not included in the draft plan.
The council will hear another four verbal submissions on June 13, but the running theme among non-verbal submissions was dissatisfaction that the general public had been excluded from having their say on the redevelopment proposals.
The planned project, which would be self-funding, would see a 1.2ha land section between the existing retail centre and the lake edge redeveloped, the council already having agreed in late April to put aside $160,000 (plus contingencies) to prepare a subdivision consent. However, at least four submissions on the draft annual plan called for more public involvement in the project.
Matt Hurst said he had hoped for ''a little more transparency'' from the council on the issue.
''It seems that land sale deals are being negotiated and completed behind closed doors, with no public tendering or consultations.''
However, the development was still ''an exciting initiative'', he said.
Don and Catherine Young, from the Lake Tekapo Scenic Resort, said the resort would be greatly affected by construction work for the development.
Their submission claimed the resort would become ''very unattractive'' for visitors, and added it might even have to rebrand during construction work, because ''`scenic resort' will no longer be appropriate''.
They remained ''supportive'' of the concept, but said the council had ''missed an opportunity'' to plan the development alongside existing businesses and landowners.
''To our knowledge and after discussions with both our landlords, it is obvious that this has not even been attempted.''
Submitter Jeremy Shearman was fully supportive of the planned development.
''Tekapo needs this or it's at risk of becoming even more of a halfway-trip pie and pee stop.''
The expected average rate rises of 4.54% in Fairlie, 4.81% in Tekapo and 8.83% in Twizel, clearly noted in the draft plan, were unopposed.
The proposed rate increase in Twizel was mostly because of draft plan proposals to upgrade the township's water supply.
Options for upgrading the water supply ranged in cost from $2.1 million to $5.6 million.
