Residents weigh in on future
Thirty years ago, Luggate, Albert Town, Lake Hawea and Makarora were known as popular holiday destinations for Dunedin people getting away from it all. Now, Makarora aside, their clusters of cribs have been encircled by permanent homes, and there is no getting away from the prospect of even more development to come. On four evenings over the past fortnight, staff from the Queenstown Lakes District Council have put to residents questions about what they want for their towns over the next 30 years. This ‘‘preconsultation’’ ‘‘My Place Roadshow’’ will be followed by ‘‘formal consultation’’ later this year. The process is giving council staff a starting point for strategies on housing, climate change and future development, and what might go into stage three of the district plan. As
Mark Price reports, only small numbers have attended the 90minute sessions, but they have provided a wealth of ideas for planners to sort through — from fruit forests to infill housing. Wanaka, Glenorchy, Kinloch, Kingston, Queenstown, Arrowtown and Arthurs Point have yet to have their say.
Makarora
Those who pass through the Makarora Valley on their way to or from the West Coast might consider it has lots of ‘‘empty space’’ containing paddocks, rivers, bush and tussock land.
And it seems to have barely any houses, and those few dozen it does have are in small clusters along the 10km of the valley floor.
But the strange — but apparently true — fact is that Makarora is full up.
Some of the 20 residents who attended their roadshow workshop said there was nowhere for Makarora to grow.
While some land is owned by people who simply do not want to sell, much of the land surrounding the various Makarora settlements is within hazard zones — likely to be flooded by the Makarora River or the many streams that tumble off the mountains.
And that is where residents see the council acting.
They suggested it take advantage of local knowledge in determining which areas are hazardous and which are not, rather than relying on a blanket designation.
As well, the lack of land for housing was seen to be compounded by the council’s proposed district plan doing away with the rural lifestyle zone, which allowed 2ha blocks.
This, said one resident, would ‘‘suffocate’’ growth in the valley.
‘‘So, unless that changes, there is probably no future for Makarora.’’
Like everywhere in the Lakes District, there is the problem of freedom campers ‘‘camping wherever they like, doing whatever they like’’.
But, as well, there is growing pressure on the Makarora and Wilkin Rivers from jetboaters, who are finding other rivers have become offlimits to them.
Lack of cellphone coverage and a lack of landlines also put the need for better communication with ‘‘the outside world’’ high on the list of priorities.
The lack of ‘‘linkage’’ between the small settlements that make up the valley community is also of concern.
There is talk of an offhighway trail for horses, bikes and pedestrians all the way from Makarora to Lake Hawea.
And, in a town surrounded by native forest, there is even a shortage of land on which to grow trees for firewood.
One thing the council does not need to do at Makarora apparently, is provide street lights.
Residents are happy with the uninhibited view they get of the rest of the universe from the dark streets of Makarora.
Footnote: The council says the rural lifestyle zone allows for subdivisions down to an average of 2ha while the rural zone is ‘‘more oriented towards rural land uses and has no minimum site size; however, it is more difficult to subdivide and develop’’.
Development at Makarora is also governed by its outstanding natural landscape classification which ‘‘implies that subdivisions wouldn’t normally get consent’’.
Hawea
‘‘Why are we wasting our time when you guys have a track record of not listening?’’
That was the welcome meted out to two district councillors and the group of council staff who attended the Lake Hawea consultation session.
What has irked many Lake Hawea residents is the council’s decision to approve a 400lot special housing area (SHA) on the edge of town.
The SHA is now awaiting Government approval.
Several of the 70 people at the workshop remarked they had been through the same consultation before, and been ignored, but they nevertheless got down to talking about where they believed the township should be heading.
One resident remarked that the council needed to provide flexibility in how the housing issue was dealt with in each town.
In Lake Hawea, for instance, there were people who wanted to build ‘‘tiny houses’’, but the council seemed to have a blanket rule against them.
‘‘People are being told how they must live.’’
But, much of the discussion came back to the SHA.
Several residents were upset changes to the town were being led by developers rather than residents, one suggesting the council needed to ensure developers delivered what they promised, rather than be allowed to make changes as developments proceeded.
Another considered there was a risk the town centre, represented by the shop, restaurant and pub, might move nearer to the SHA if it was not protected.
Another pointed out that there were few jobs in Lake Hawea so SHA residents would drive to Wanaka, clogging the road, and in particular causing problems at the onelane Albert Town bridge.
And, with everyone needing to drive to work, the SHA would even add to the climate change problem, one resident suggested.
Another said dealing with council planning issues needed to be made simpler, and a council staff member, who did not disagree, described the Resource Management Act as a ‘‘planner’s nightmare’’.