Wanaka Sports Facilities

The Wanaka Sports Facilities consultation, currently underway, needs to be approached with an open mind and a certain amount of vision, Queenstown Lakes District Council Mayor Clive Geddes said.

He was concerned that the consultation had unnecessarily polarised the community over the wrong issues.

“It’s quite simple really, two and a half years ago, then Wanaka Councillor Aaron Heath had the foresight to identify that Wanaka had a problem,” Mr Geddes said.

The community was and is lacking in facilities not only for its growing younger generations but also its aging population. There was no council in the country that would or could ignore the health and wellbeing of its communities for both young and old.

“That is what this process is about and that’s where the Upper Clutha community needs to keep its focus. We lose the ball on this project at our peril,” Mr Geddes said.

The community now had before it some options to consider.

“What we need is considered, constructive feedback that will take the community a step closer to having the kind of facilities it so desperately needs,” Mr Geddes said.

This was not the time for the community to be caught up in fighting the wrong battle.

“There are four options before the community. They are no more than options. The council and the Wanaka Community Board need to understand the communities considered view on all four options,” he said.

Talk of a petition was frustrating.

“That’s fine but it only gives us a very one dimensional view. We need more information than a signature can provide. This is the opportunity for the community to add real value to the process,” Mr Geddes said.

Discussion documents and feedback forms were available at the council office or on the council website. Drop in sessions were planned for Wednesday 3 and 10 of September at the Lake Wanaka Centre from 3-7pm.

Feedback needed to be with the council by 19 September.