One of those involved in securing $240,000 of government funding for the position, lakes district councillor Ella Lawton, told the Otago Daily Times care needed to be taken ''jumping to conclusions'' about the region.
''There is actually a lot of hardship in the Queenstown Lakes District because there is such a breadth of socio-economic backgrounds.
''We are considered often to be very wealthy but we also have some very low-paid individuals within the community.
''We also have a lot of people that have moved a long way from their families and away from their communities where they've grown up, to a new community.
''There are some real challenges.''
Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew announced the grant, $80,000 a year for three years, to the Alpine Community Development Trust so the community development officer can be appointed.
Cr Lawton said Government moves to centralise services had meant while Wanaka did get services there was ''no-one overseeing how they operate, or whether or not they are actually being effective''.
The funding would enable the Wanaka community to ''look at its long-term wellbeing'', she said.
''Primarily, the funding will go towards a co-ordinator or co-ordinators ... who will bring together the right people to have the right discussions at the right time.''
The move had support from a wide variety of groups, she said, including the Wanaka Chamber of Commerce, Lake Wanaka Tourism, Wanaka Lakes Health Centre, and Wanaka schools.
The work would provide a ''base line'' of information and would encompass such areas as support for families in need, family violence, youth services, the work of volunteer and ''grass roots'' organisations, and the level of involvement of local government and business.
Cr Lawton described the project as a ''really big picture project'' to find out ''who's already involved, who else could be involved'' and putting together a plan.
''Currently, no-one's looking at it,'' she said.
