Call for potential future urban development sites
Queenstown Lakes residents are being asked to suggest places which are suitable or unsuitable for residential and business urban development across the district.
More than 48,000 people live in the district but there's expected to be a huge influx over the next 30 years, with a population projection of 82,000 by 2050.
Queenstown Lakes District Council wants people to have their say on how those numbers could be accommodated, as it begins work on its Spatial Plan 2024 Gen 2.0.
The Gen 2.0 plan, which builds on the Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan adopted in 2021, will take around 12 months to complete and will become part of the Future Development Strategy, a government requirement for all high-growth councils in Aotearoa New Zealand.
QLDC Strategic Growth Manager Anita Vanstone says: "Our district continues to be a highly desirable place to live, visit and invest in and that’s down to the love for this place, its diverse communities, landscapes, lifestyle, economic opportunities, and national and international connectivity.
“But with that desirability comes increased demand for houses, businesses and supporting infrastructure and a need to ensure we ‘grow well’. That involves creating urban and green spaces that don’t just meet our needs but are places we’re all proud of.”
The second-generation Spatial Plan is in its early stages of development. One of the first steps required is a public call for sites; an opportunity to suggest sites and areas that could be suitable for urban development.
"As part of this, people can also suggest special environmental features or areas that warrant greater protection or enhancement, such as a stream or areas with native vegetation, or to suggest areas they consider inappropriate for urban development due to things like natural hazard or infrastructure constraints, or noise and odour from neighbouring activities," Vanstone says.
Detailed criteria for suitable sites for future urban development and a GIS-based survey for suggestions can be found at letstalk.qldc.govt.nz.
The public call for sites will close on 16 July with several options for potential future growth developed following evaluation. Public engagement on these options is planned for October this year, followed by the development of a draft Future Development Strategy/Spatial Plan Gen 2.0 for formal notification in early 2024.
