Waste management, sports facilities and land purchases are the main issues occupying Wanaka ward residents' minds, the Queenstown Lakes District Council learned yesterday.
The council is in the process of finalising its $66.28 million capital budget for 2008-09 and was hearing submissions in Wanaka.
The majority of Wanaka's several hundred annual plan submissions expressed concern about a proposal to change wastemanagement charges.
The council is proud of Wanaka's kerbside recycling scheme and wants further reduction of rubbish in landfills.
It has suggested a blanket $269 waste-management charge, with the aim of phasing out blue plastic bags in favour of wheelie bins, but a lot of people are opposed to this idea.
Wastebusters opposed the fixed cost because it did not provide an incentive to reduce rubbish, recycle and compost.
Mayor Clive Geddes said the new system was not a fait accompli and $100,000 had been set aside to investigate options.
Many submissions expressed concern about population pressure on sports clubs and facilities.
A working party has been given $53,000 to consult the community on Wanaka's sporting and leisure issues and another $44,000 has been set aside for a feasibility study into a new aquatic centre in Wanaka.
More wish lists were presented by a variety of clubs yesterday.
And Lake Wanaka Cycling wants money set aside to investigate the purchase of Plantation Forest as soon as possible, because the Maori Land Court has indicated it wants to resolve land ownership by mid-2009.
