THUR 23.05.13 - WED 29.05.13
EVERYONE READS THE WANAKA SUN
FREE
inside:
Surprise birth for backpackers PAGE 2
School’s in for Bruno
End-of-season fun
PAGE 3
Arabella Chapman-Cohen and Alex Thomson, in their new Hawea Wanaka Pony Club uniforms, battle it out in a sack race during the club’s end-of-season rally on Saturday. See story page 9. PHOTO: WANAKA.TV
Sections surge could test infrastructure Tim Brewster
Quilt warmth PAGE 5
Junior rugby flourishes PAGE 9
sunviews PAGE 11
It’s a beautiful game PAGE 16
The large number of potential sections about to be released on the market could herald a building boom for Wanaka, but infrastructure issues may have to be addressed to cope with the growth. Demand for educational facilities, additional child-care, kindergarten and play-school facilities, community related facilities and health and medical services may have to be re-assessed according to planning experts. Projections for growth in Wanaka in a report commissioned by the QLDC in 2004 showed a need for 5510 total dwellings with a population of 8264 by 2016. That number is expected to rise to 6319 dwellings in 2026 although it is understood people moving south from Christchurch earthquake may add to that figure. If all the proposed sections go ahead and the majority of them are built on in the next ten years, there will be 8700 dwellings in the Wanaka area,
almost 2400 more than anticipated. One of the authors of the review, David Mead of Hill Young and Cooper, said a number of issues, especially what is referred to as “social infrastructure,” will need to be addressed. “Based on 2006 data, about ten percent of Wanaka’s population is under ten. If 3000-odd sections are created, and most are built on for family homes, then that could add up to 7500 to 9000 people, or another 750 to 900 primary school-age kids and children in early childhood education. There will also be need for meeting / community spaces, places of worship etc. “What can be a problem is finding space to accommodate that infrastructure in the new developments, if none has been reserved. So for example a new school may be needed in ten years time, but how do you plan for that in terms of layout of a subdivision if there is no firm commitment as to exactly how big that school should be, or where it should go, when the
development is first consented?” There are currently 5011 dwellings in the Wanaka Ward area although it is unsure how many are occupied on a year-round basis. Along with an estimated 1770 sections currently being zoned for residential use or already for sale, a private plan change prepared by Queenstown-based planning consultant John Edmond and Associates could bring a further 1600 sections onto the market. In a press release John said four landowners including the owners of the Northlake subdivision off Aubrey Road want to rezone their combined land of 219ha of rural residential and rural general land into residential zoning. John said the decision to apply for the plan change was made in part by QLDC projections for growth in the Wanaka area. “The Wanaka land market is in need of greater competition. In recent years, the majority (of supply) of sections in Wanaka has been controlled by a small number
of developers. By allowing a further four landowners into the market, market choice and supply will be increased,” he said. John said he anticipated the plan change process to take at least two years if successful. The number of sections for sale has been complemented by a strong increase in building activity seen by local companies. “Our enquiry level has skyrocketed in the past three months, we have new clients in Wanaka, Tarras, Queenstown and Clyde. A lot of this can be attributed to the section prices falling across the region, especially in Wanaka. The Christchurch earthquake recovery continues to send enquiry to Wanaka and this will continue as insurance companies start paying out affected home owners. We are dealing with professional people relocating into the area as well as local people taking advantage of the cheaper sections, selling up existing homes and building new ones,” Maxim project mananger Richard Fairbairn said.