A working party responsible for a Wanaka town centre development strategy received a sharp rebuke from commercial jet-boat operator Simon Stewart yesterday for failing to consult him or his wife Danni over proposed changes to the waterfront.
The couple operate Lakeland Adventures from the lake shore near the public jetty.
Their business occupies the lakefront structure commonly known as "the log cabin". It also houses the Wanaka i-Site.
The couple are concerned over recommendations made by the working party, chaired by Wanaka surveyor Charlie Grant, the i-Site be adapted, resited or rebuilt and that there be a new pier aligned with Helwick St.
The Wanaka Community Board received a report from the Wanaka Town Centre working party yesterday and agreed to put it out for public consultation next month.
Mr Stewart told the board during a public forum the town was supposedly heading into hard times and people were "buttoning off" on spending, but now they had been presented with an expensive proposal for a new town square and waterfront.
"Why do we need a new wharf? And who came up with this?" Mr Stewart said.
"Also, the suggestion the log cabin be shifted. That doesn't belong to the council or the i-Site. No-one spoke to me or my wife about it. When is someone going to talk to us about it? We have 10 years left on our licence there. I would say, `Leave us alone and let us make some money for a change. We haven't made any yet'," he said.
Wanaka Community Board chairman Lyal Cocks defended the strategy as "an idea, to cover the next 20-30 years" but said he appreciated the feedback.
Deputy mayor John S. Wilson tried to smooth the waters by describing the proposal as not about moving the i-Site but about enhancing the foreshore.
The working party formed by the Queenstown Lakes District Council in May last year comprises Mr Grant, Cr Wilson, board member Jude Battson, retailer Henry Heard, architect Chris Norman, businesswoman Lynne Fagan, and QLDC staff members Philip Pannett (policy and planning manager) and Denis Mander (transportation planning manager).
Nick Brown was employed as an independent project manager.
Mr Grant said the group had largely worked in-house with information that already existed or had been provided by staff or other people.
• Two previous reports were prepared, in 1986 and 1994, but as far as the group was aware, the recommendations were not implemented.
The council was back on track in 2002 after the 2020 community planning meetings and began developing growth-management strategies.
At least nine projects had been implemented since then that affected the town centre.
The working party held one brainstorming session last year with invited participants, mainly planners and architects, he said.
Eight project areas were covered: traffic, pedestrians, civic activities, car parks, transport, town-centre character, town square and open spaces, and commercial capacity.
Mr Grant said the group saw consultation as "an important process - it is not finished yet".
Two public open days will be held at the Lake Wanaka Centre on Wednesday, March 18, and Sunday, March 22, to outline the document and seek feedback.
A discussion document will be released before the consultation begins.
