Queenstown Lakes District Council is inviting fresh thinking about how reserve land in Stanley St, Queenstown, could best be used.

A report to this week’s Council meeting recommends that the community be invited to share ideas on the future use of the land, which lies between Shotover, Stanley, Beetham and Henry Streets. Part of the land is held by the Council and the rest by the Crown – all as reserves.

Mayor Vanessa van Uden says that feedback received through the informal consultation would be used by after the elections, in whatever way the new Mayor and Councillors felt was appropriate.

“There are lots of possible uses for this land, which is in many ways a gateway precinct for downtown Queenstown,” she says.

“Without wanting to pre-shape people’s thinking, we know that this area is large enough to have multiple uses that would enhance the entry to town and provide amenities that the community has been asking for. At this stage, everything is on the table.”

Some of the land is leased by a play centre, two arts groups and Jigsaw, the Wakatipu Abuse Prevention Network. The rest is unsealed carparking.

The Council is not proposing any immediate changes to those arrangements, but is interested in hearing from the community what the long-term use of the land could be.

“This is the beginning of a long conversation,” Mayor van Uden says. “We want people to share their ideas.”

The Council will decide on Thursday whether to initiate the informal consultation that could in time inform the development of a master plan for a community precinct on the site.

ENDS

The report to the Council is online as part of the agenda for the meeting on 29 September.

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