Queenstown councillors Vanessa Van Uden and Cath Gilmour voted against the long-term council community plan, which outlines how the council will fund proposed projects over the next decade.
Cr Van Uden criticised the plan as "financially imprudent" and said the council had ignored a need to make changes, rein in costs, and ditch its "expensive inefficient programmes".
Cr Gilmour backed the call for financial change and said an $8 million forecast "design bill" for future council projects should "stay in the ratepayers pockets".
However, the pair were outvoted by the nine other councillors, who elected to adopt the plan.
During the 10-year-term of the plan the council proposes to invest $666 million in capital improvements, with a forecast operating services cost of $42.1 million for 2009-10 (55.6% of the council's total operating budget).
To deliver the projected 2009-10 service projects the council will spend $13.9 million on engineering services, including an $8 million design bill.
A debt bill of $393 million has been forecast by the end of the 10-year-plan term, more than three times the amount anticipated in the last plan, and recognised by council as "not a realistic proposition for our community".
Wanaka's residential ratepayers have incurred one of the most significant rates bill hikes (6.99%, or $137.83 extra), as they absorb the operating costs of the $21 million Project Pure wastewater and sewage operation.
Accommodation providers across the district have incurred significant rates hikes, as they absorb ratings differentials based on their provision for tourists and visitors to the region.
Wanaka was the hardest hit, with a rates rise of 12.88% ($616.75), partly attributed to a tourist levy rise to cater for Lake Wanaka Tourism's funding boost.
Arrowtown accommodation providers face a 8.52% hike, which amounts to an extra $567, while Queenstown incurred a 6.5% rise, or $429 bill increase.
QLDC chief financial officer Stewart Burns said formulating the 10-year-plan was "a long and arduous process".
The plan is dogged by a "serious issue of long-term affordability", as growth projections for the region dip, he told councillors.
A total 1143 submissions were made to the 10-year-plan - compared with 403 submissions for the 2008-09 plan.
There were 739 (64%) submissions made regarding the proposed Wanaka aquatic facility and sports ground, he said.
He described the residential rates bill increases of between 0 and 3.8% - "excepting Wanaka" - as "relatively modest".
Major changes to the 10-year-plan, made after the submissions process, included the decisions to defer new council offices ($30.6 million) and the Wanaka Aquatic Centre ($11.5 million).
