On Thursday, elected members will be asked to approve consultation on the potential disposal of parts of the Queenstown Events Centre (QEC) and adjoining Frankton Golf Centre (FGC) to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency. The disposal will support delivery of part of the Government funded $115M NZUP Queenstown Package.

The Crown through the Department of Conservation (DOC) owns portions of the land affected by this proposal, which includes approximately 2,493m2 of the QEC land and approximately 8,230m2 of FGC land.

QLDC General Manager Community Services Thunes Cloete said Council had been working with Waka Kotahi for a number of years to design upgrades along State Highway 6 and 6A, to provide dedicated public transport infrastructure and support people to choose more environmentally friendly ways to travel.

“As part of this work Waka Kotahi has requested to acquire parts of the Queenstown Events Centre and Frankton Golf Centre to support significant intersection upgrades through to the existing SH6/SH6a roundabout.

“The Council-owned events centre land is listed as a strategic asset in the QLDC significance and engagement policy meaning we need to formally consider the request and consult with the community.

“While QLDC doesn’t own the land the Frankton Golf Centre sits on, it does manage it on behalf of the Crown and community. We think it’s important people get the chance to have a say on the whole picture of how the land could be affected by the proposed transport improvements and have chosen to include it as part of the formal consultation process. Our intention is to provide all feedback to both the Department of Conservation and Waka Kotahi as part of the decision making process,” Dr Cloete said.

Disposing of the FGC land will require modifications to the golf facility.

“We’ve worked closely with golf course designers on options to reorientate the facility to ensure we can maintain a quality golfing experience for the community,” Dr Cloete said.

“The proposed layout would see the golf centre changing to an eight-hole facility with a driving range. Specifically, it would lose the current first and ninth hole and allow for improvements to the putting green.

“A suggested layout will be included with the consultation information. We’ll continue to assess potential alternatives, and community feedback before settling on the preferred interim layout of the golf course,” he said.

If approved at Thursday’s Full Council meeting, a six-week formal consultation process will begin on Friday, 3 June.

Full details will be available at letstalk.qldc.govt.nz, Council offices and libraries district-wide, the Queenstown Events Centre and the Frankton Golf Centre.

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