Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) will begin demolition of the house at 516 Ladies Mile from Monday 17 June. The demolition will be completed by Tuesday 30 July.

The house will be demolished, providing a level platform to enable potential future use by community groups. The garage at the back of the house will stay.

The property and land were purchased in 2019 as a strategic investment and will be used to accommodate the growing need of sport fields and recreational space in the district.

In 2022, Councillors requested an investigation into turning the current residential property into a community facility, noting that its use as such had not been the original intention of the purchase.

Simon Battrick, QLDC Sport & Recreation Manager, said that the prohibitive cost of retrofitting the current property and the presence of toxic mould meant that the best course of action is to demolish the building and prepare the site for future community use.

“Clearing 516 Ladies Mile of the current property will enable future community use of the site as part of the overall Ladies Mile Masterplan. As we look to the future, this area will be an important community asset for the growing Queenstown Lakes District.”

The draft Long Term Plan 2024-2034 (LTP), due for consideration by Councillors on 27 June, includes a proposal to bring forward development of the 516 Ladies Mile site. If approved by Councillors, consultation on the draft LTP will run from 28 June – 28 July.

The demolition contract was awarded to Invercargill based contractor – Ryal Bush Transport.

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