In May 2019, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) confirmed the purchase of 516 Frankton-Ladies Mile with a long-term view for community facilities.

The 14-hectare site has the potential to offer a number of community uses for the surrounding areas of Lakes Hayes Estate, Shotover Country and Quail Rise. Just over a year on from the purchase, what’s next for the site?

Firstly, it’s important to recall that this was purchased as a strategic investment by the Council, so was always earmarked for long-term development, along with the balance of the Ladies Mile, Lake Hayes and Shotover areas. The core purpose for the land was to provide for anticipated demand for more sports fields, and recreational and community space, but also contemplated possible supporting uses such as a transport hub, or a park and ride facility, and these options remain.

Whatever its final purpose, it’s important that the land can be an integral part of the wider Wakatipu basin and meet a growing community’s needs. Therefore, Council is about to start work on a masterplan for the wider Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile area, taking a holistic approach to planning for this growing area of the district.

QLDC announced a request for proposals in May 2020 to identify a partner to develop the masterplan. This project is expected to be complete towards the end of 2020. The property at 516 Frankton-Ladies Mile Highway is an important aspect of this work and it is expected that the intended use of the property will become clearer as the masterplan work evolves and further conversations are had with the community.

In the meantime, the open space area is available for local community use and enjoyment, and QLDC has provided a new car parking area. The existing buildings are currently not available for community use due to access constraints to and from the state highway. Once Waka Kotahi NZTA completes construction of the Howards Road roundabout this will provide suitable access for increased traffic to the site and QLDC can actively explore options for opening up the property further.

Full development of the property was always envisaged to be capital intensive, and this requires funding to be established to allow this to occur. The upcoming 2021-2031 Ten Year Plan will incorporate new capital budgets to enable further development of the site.

© Scoop Media