• 

  Download Full Report - 480.0kb

ANNUAL 2008 WANAKA REGIONAL FOCUS

Faebruary 2008

GROWTH MANAGEMENT

Wanaka has grown at an exceptional rate over the last two census periods, well above the rate of growth for New Zealand. While the population in Wanaka is small, at just over 7,000 residents, it has almost doubled since the 1996 population count of 3,618, according to Statistics New Zealand (StatsNZ) 2006 Census Data. The majority of this growth occurred between 2001 and 2006, when Wanaka’s population increased 49.7%. This is well above the nation’s population growth rate of 7.8% over the last five years and 11.3% over the last 10.

The number of occupied dwellings in Wanaka has increased at a high rate as well over the last census period, according to StatsNZ, with 48.1% more dwellings in 2006 than in 2001. In 2006 there were 3,003 residential dwellings in Wanaka.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) expects the current population of Wanaka to grow to over 14,500 residents by 2026 and the number of daily visitors to increase from 2006’s 5,000 people per day to 11,000 per day in 2026.

An issue now faced by QLDC is how to manage such rampant population growth while maintaining the area’s natural assets, which is a compelling reason for people to move to or visit the Queenstown Lakes District. To avoid the expansion of settlements into surrounding rural areas, the QLDC has identified the need for more intensive use of land in future developments.

In Wanaka this means expansion of the commercial centre is managed so that the viability of the existing town centre is not undermined. QLDC has identified that a further 10 ha of commercial and industrial land will be required in Wanaka by 2016 and its concern is that the area to be released for redevelopment should be done so in a staged manner, ensuring efficient use of land and resources.