LTP: Arts advocates disappointed, but council work continues

Sue Wards / Wānaka App

The Wānaka Arts and Cultural Charitable Trust (WACT), which was established in 2021 to advocate for a state-of-the-art performance and visual arts facility, says it is considering its future.

Deliberations over the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) Long Term Plan (LTP) indicate an arts facility was unlikely to be included in the LTP, which is due to go to full council for approval next week.

The LTP sets council’s spending priorities for the next ten years.

More than 100 people spoke to their submissions on the LTP during a hearing in Wānaka last month, with clear support for three key Wānaka projects: the arts facility, new sports fields, and a toilet block for the Waiorau Recreation Reserve (the Snow Farm).

Read more: Community seeks funding for projects at Long Term Plan hearing

Councillors have deliberated on changes to the draft LTP, and a final LTP will be presented to the full council at its meeting next week (Thursday September 19).

WACT chair Michael Sidey said the trust was disappointed the “long-term legacy project” will not make it into the LTP, adding the group remained hopeful the project “may eventually come to fruition".

Plans for the proposed facility include a 500-seat performing arts theatre, a smaller 120 seat rehearsal theatre/dance studio, and a visual arts gallery and foyer space to allow for functions and conferences.

Despite WACT’s disappointment, the Wānaka App understands QLDC has been working to commit land for the project at Three Parks, following WACT identifying the area as a preferred site.

Michael said WACT’s interactions with QLDC (including the CEO) indicated that “sentiment was supportive” for the facility.

"Unfortunately, despite their encouragement and our commitment of substantial capital support and donor funding, council eventually deemed it unworthy [for inclusion in the LTP],” Michael said.

He said the support of WACT’s trustees and ambassadors reflected the importance the community places on the arts.

“We've also seen a number of passionate younger locals come forward and say they want to help make this a reality and this enthusiasm gives us all the energy to continue fighting for this important facility. We hope the council takes note."

Read more: Arts community seeks urgent support for facility

Michael said WACT plans to write to the mayor and councillors and ask them to outline how the council plans to provide the district with “an essential arts facility”.

Wānaka councillor Lyal Cocks told the Wānaka App that while there may not be many changes to the draft LTP following the submission process, there is “a lot of work going on in the background” on various projects.

“We’ve got a clear message from the community - it hasn’t been ignored,” he said.

“We’re working on what we can do now with funding we have got and with potential seed funding.”

Lyal said work on the next LTP will start in two years and he was hopeful the arts facility would be better placed for inclusion by that time.

A QLDC spokesperson told the Wānaka App that council acknowledged the “considerable work carried out to date by WACT and their submission to the draft Long Term Plan”.

“The consultation process was thorough and clearly outlined the challenges and uncertainty council faced while preparing the draft ten-year programme. While it’s fair to say there wasn’t a lot of ability to change what we’re able to deliver in the first three years of the draft programme, changes have been recommended as a result of submissions and deliberations, including on the various consultation topic options outlined in the draft LTP documents,” the spokesperson said.

“Community input on the LTP (and all future QLDC consultations and feedback surveys) remains vital for councillors’ decision making and should by no means be considered a box ticking exercise.”