The Queenstown Lakes District Council has sold three blocks of esplanade reserve land (total 1.1ha) to the Crown to tidy up land ownership and management issues along the Lake Hawea shoreline.
The Wanaka Community Board unanimously approved in principle the sale agreement between the council and Land Information New Zealand on Tuesday, and welcomed the payment of $130,000 into Wanaka's reserves fund for use in local projects.
The matter helped tidy up an anomaly in land ownership going back to the days of the Hawea River dam construction, with public confusion about whether to contact the council, Contact Energy or Linz to raise issues about the land.
Under an agreement with Contact Energy and Linz, the council will manage the land as part of the agreement to manage the entire southern foreshore of the lake.
The 15-year agreement has a right of renewal for another 15 years and ensures public access within the confines of the Contact Energy operating agreement.
The council will be the sole point of contact for issues relating to the Lake Hawea foreshore.
Lakes Property Services manager Jo Conroy said the result would be improved amenity and recreational opportunities.
The council will now notify the issue for public submissions (if necessary), with Jude Battson and Dick Kane to be the hearings panel.
