Wanaka Junior Associated Football Club president Rudi Sanders and Central Otago Football Association board member Derek Lilly have asked the council to consider buying additional land for football at Willowridge Development's Three Parks subdivision, where the planned Wanaka Sports Facility will be built.
"It's quite obvious that it's [the planned site] going to be too small for the future," Mr Sanders said.
"There is a bit of land available... right next to the planned sports facility and we thought it was a good opportunity to make the council aware of the fact that if they don't put a claim on it now, it might be lost for the future."
However, deputy mayor Lyal Cocks said the council did not have "any justification to buy more land [at Three Parks], considering how much we've already got around the area".
It would be more appropriate to look at developing other council land, such as Kellys Flat or the Lake Hawea Domain, to cater for the growing needs of the sport, Mr Cocks said.
At present, the junior club uses Mt Aspiring College playing fields and spills on to Pembroke Park when hosting district-wide tournaments which attract up to 1000 young players. Senior football teams also use Pembroke Park, but competition with cricket for space is an issue.
Mr Sanders said huge local growth in the sport and future growth projections made upgraded facilities - including clubrooms, floodlights and up to 10 full-sized football pitches - a necessity.
"Five years ago we had 110 members and we have close to 200 members now. It's the biggest youth sport in New Zealand and that's not going to stop."
Wanaka's senior football team manager, Aidan Butler, said Wanaka's lack of football facilities was "embarrassing" when hosting visiting sides in the Central Otago senior football league, compared to first-rate facilities in Queenstown and Alexandra.
"The only shower facilities we have to offer them is a dip in the lake and the only changing rooms we have to offer is behind a bush," Mr Butler said.
"It would be good to see foresight from the QLDC on the expected growth of soccer [football] in New Zealand and the Central Otago area."
QLDC project manager Ken Gousmett said the Wanaka Sports Facility's original plans indicated one full-sized playing pitch and a junior field at the 5.5ha site, which had remained "much the same" following community consultation.
"We knew right from the outset that we wouldn't fit everything on [the site] that the community desired," Mr Gousmett said.
"We're certainly aware of the needs of soccer, the success of soccer in Wanaka and the high commitment and participation in soccer. But we can't meet their needs on that site."
