Finding a site for Wanaka's sports stadium, aquatic centre and other sports facilities has polarised the town.
On Tuesday, the Queenstown Lakes District Council will consider for the third time in 12 months where to construct the sports facilities.
The decision comes after several years of research, consultation and working-party reports and it has reached the stage where many people, including Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean, are calling on the council to hurry up and make a decision.
On one side are those who support a sports hub on a town centre site, comprising the Wanaka showgrounds, Pembroke Park and the Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park.
On the other side are those who support a greenfields site on the outskirts of town, within the proposed Three Parks development.
Caught up in the argument are those who want to keep the dilapidated Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park as a camping ground for future generations. And they also say the camp is long overdue an upgrade.
The Otago Daily Times yesterday sought the voice of the people on the street.
What was their preferred site, and why?
•
Showgrounds/Camping ground - "I think the greenfields will be spreading Wanaka far and wide and that is not the way ahead."
•
Greenfields - "And I think a velodrome would also be great, just next to Puzzling World and a BMX track."
• Alan Bunn
Greenfields - "Leave the camping ground where it is. There are so many private camping-ground owners who are closing down their business because they've got subdivision sites ... Camping is still part of the New Zealand way of life."
• Harry Hamilton
Showgrounds/Camping ground - "It would be more central. People won't have to drive there in their cars. It's a bit of a walk to go out there [to the greenfields site]."
• Pete Legnavsky
Showgrounds/Camping ground - "It's in the centre, it has a nice view and creates the best sports fields in the country with that position ... and it is something no-one else has."
• Sue Aspinall
Undecided - "I am not actually involved in any of the sports. but we have got to have it. We definitely need it. I am undecided because I don't want to do away with the holiday park, which has been an icon of Wanaka."
• Morgan Howie
Don't care - "For me personally, it doesn't matter where it is. You just work it into your plans for where you are going to go that day. If you want to go there, you will go there."
• Shonagh North
Showgrounds/Camping ground - "At 6pm on a Wednesday night, if you take a snapshot of Wanaka, there are so many people out there doing things [in the centre of town]. It needs an intelligent, sensible architect and it doesn't need a big footprint."
