Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan

Construction on Stage Two complete

Construction on Stage Two of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan is now complete. Finishing touches will be made to the site in 2023, including informative signage and the installation of historical tiles alongside the shared pathway.

Find out more

Wānaka's lakefront is one of the Upper Clutha community's most treasured assets, integral to both local and visitor experiences in town and an ever-increasingly popular place to be. Following the completion of the Wānaka Lakefront Reserves Management Plan (2014), a three month consultation period was held in 2016 and produced the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan which was consulted on in 2015/2016.

Project Aspiration

To provide continuous pedestrian access – making strong connections with the town centre, reducing vehicle use in the town centre, hosting a range of activities and enhancing the ecology throughout, while enhancing the visibility of Kāi Tahu through lakefront design, reflecting the importance of the lake to mana whenua, the Wānaka community and to visitors.

A Staged Approach

The Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan is split into five stages:

Stage One (complete)
Stage Two (complete)
Stage Three (complete)
Stage Four (in conjunction with the Wānaka Town Centre Masterplan)
Stage Five

Stage One:
Stage One of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan saw the construction of the Wānaka-Mt Aspiring Road Carpark, completed in December 2018.

Stage Two:
Stage Two of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan runs along the lake's edge between McDougall Street and Dungarvon Street, and saw the implementation of a number of features, including:

A shared pathway running along the lakefront
114 new car parking spaces added along the lakeside of Ardmore Street, broken into sections to create more view shafts and access points to the lakefront
Natural shared spaces with low-lying native planting and trees
A map of the area known as Te Huruhuru's Map integrated into the shared pathway

Finishing touches will be made to the site in 2023, including informative signage and the installation of historical tiles alongside the shared pathway.

Stage Three:
Now complete, Stage Three of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan runs from Bullock Creek through to the Wānaka Marina, and saw the implementation of a number of features, including:

Restoration and development of native vegetation - large scale planting to maintain the lakefront's rugged, wild landscape.
Te Ara Wānaka - a shared pathway for pedestrians and cyclists that connects Wānaka's Town Centre with the Marina.
A boardwalk running along the lake's edge.
Informative signage - highlights of the area's significance to Kāi Tahu, and details of native plant and animal life found nearby.
Improved landuse - improvement of lawn areas to allow for recreation activities.

For more details about Stage Three, click here.

Stage Four:
Stage Four of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan is adjacent to Wānaka's Town Centre. Initial work on a Concept Plan for this area is underway.

Stage Five:
Stage Five of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan runs from Wānaka Marina through to the Wānaka Yacht Club. To view the Concept Plan, click here.

Four Big Moves

The community feedback shaped four 'big moves'. Every stage and project within the Lakefront Development Plan will be designed with the four big moves in mind:

Restore and develop Ecology through ecological enhancements and native revegetation planting.
Provide continuous Access with a pedestrian/cycleway promenade around the lakefront.
Improve Landuse with lakefront linear parks and precincts.
Provide a range of Facilities.