LONG TERM PLAN SUBMISSION of the GCA to QLDC

Apr 22, 2018

Submission of the Glenorchy Community Association to Queenstown Lakes District Council
Proposed Long Term Plan


We appreciate that the wider area faces some very challenging problems and it is good to see QLDC being
proactive in dealing with long term issues. However we were very disappointed that Glenorchy barely rates a
mention in the Plan despite extensive consultation with QLDC about the very real issues facing the
community.
The GCA has a long list of areas for action in it’s plan of work. Rather than list all of these, we have set out
below the key issues that need addressing in the next 3 years. We hope that Council will take on board the
fact that in preparing this pared down submission, the Association has high expectations that Council will act
on it.

1.Township traffic management
1) The GCA submit that we need urgent assistance from Council to engage a town/transport planner in Year
1 of the LTP. Rapid growth of vehicle movements is having significant effects on our safety and wellbeing.
This was the number one funding priority requested of Council last August arising from the Glenorchy
Shaping our Future visioning exercise. The need has increased drastically since that exercise 2 years ago.
In order to help reduce the effects of traffic on the community, help is required to address and manage:-

  • Pedestrian safety, particularly provision of footpaths
  • Speed of traffic through the township
  • Parking throughout the town - particularly coaches, by/opposite the school, waterfront and Mull Street
  • Traffic flows/direction

What we envisage is a consultant being engaged to :-

  • Hold a workshop to understand the issues the community are concerned about, our priorities, intended
  • outcomes and any ‘red lines’,
  • Study exisiting traffic behaviours, volumes, growth forecasts etc,
  • Make suggestions for action to achieve the desired outcomes

This work needs to be done in advance of QLDC updating the District Plan zones/rules for Glenorchy in
2019

2) Placeholder funds should be allocated in Year 2 and Year 3 to commence implementation of works.

2. Glenorchy water supply
1) The Community support the actions proposed to make our water scheme compliant with its’ Safety Plan
within a short timescale. The community places a very high value on its ‘raw water’ and encourages QLDC
to explore as many options as possible to keep chlorination to a minimum.
2)We submit there should be a regime that includes at least partial, if not full charging based on water usage.
The community wish to incentivise the reduction of water usage, promote water re-use and rain capturing
and also feel there should be a more equitable charging model than currently exists.

3. Waterfront improvement plan
The waterfront reserve and iconic wharf shed attract hundreds of visitors on a daily basis. Council adopted
the landscape plan for this area last year.
The Community have funded some aspects of the plan from Association funds and with volunteer labour but
need funds allocated (none are included in the draft plan) for the following:-
1) Provision of toilet facilities
2) Forming and landscaping designated parking areas at the northern end of the reserve and to the south of
the marina.
The expenditure of $250,000 to assess the safety of the wharf seems short sighted given the impact of the
Rees River Delta deposition which will limit the lifespan of this wharf, which is actually the 3rd Glenorchy
wharf. This money might be better utilized on the general waterfront area or exploring possibilities for a
new wharf location further south.

4. Waste management
We request :-
1) Funding be provided for public waste collection at 2 to 3 rural locations located on the route along which
the waste collection contractor currently passes. Rural ratepayers are increasingly having waste dumped in
their bins by passers by in the short time between emptying and them being able to retrieve the bins which
have to be left up to 20kms from their property.
2) The frequency of emptying public waste/recycle bins in the town centre/ waterfront area needs to be
increased to at least twice a week as we frequently have overflowing waste blowing around our waterfront
reserve and marina area.
3) In order to minimise the amount of waste produced by the community we would like Council to explore
how better use can be made of the area in the town where green waste is currently processed. We would like
to see options for storage/re-use/recycling of clean fill / composting/ whiteware /scrap metal and re-usable
timber.

5. Trails
The Community Vision for Glenorchy sees the town as being at the centre of an interconnected network of
walking and biking trails. The type of tourists and visitors that these will attract will share our values and
have a lower impact on our community.
We ask that Council:-
1) Accept the landowners’ offer to transfer land known as ‘The Bible’ to Council. This will enable our
township walking trail to be completed to a good standard and provide secure access to some of the best
elevated views across the town
Historically the ‘Leaves of the Bible’ were valued as an undeveloped backdrop to the township. This
provides a remarkable opportunity for the community to encourage biodiversity by trapping predators and
replanting natives and is a great location for walking and mountain bike tracks in close proximity to the
township.
Secure tenure of this area will also enable the location of new water tanks to be problem free.
2) Acknowledge the Community support for a lakeside walking/biking trail between Queenstown and
Glenorchy and provide funding for the Head of the Lake Trails Trust to enable production of a trail strategy.
Details of the funding required will be submitted by the Trust.

6. The Glenorchy Road
Council have recently received an engineering assessment of this road along with a prioritised list for
improvements.
Improvement work is currently 100% funded by NZTA but needs Council to lead the process of applying for
funding. In a few years time the level of funding will drop to 50% and improvements will have to be funded
by ratepayers.
We ask that Council ensure it is someone’s work plan to submit a funding case to NZTA for this work in the
coming year.

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