Wanaka owners call for special treatment

Cath Gilmour
Cath Gilmour
Wanaka holiday home accommodation providers are unique, a Queenstown Lakes District Council plan change hearing was told in Wanaka yesterday.

The resort differed from Queenstown because of its lack of five-star hotels and this meant holiday-home owners should be granted dispensation to lease their properties to visitors, who frequently demanded the comforts offered by a family home, the hearing was told.

Cr Cath Gilmour, of Queenstown, questioned whether differentiating between the two resorts regardless of their target markets was fair to business owners and residents.

Representatives of three visitor accommodation businesses who rent holiday homes both short and long term and represent a combined total of 300 property owners said they deserved special treatment.

Wanaka holiday-home owners who wanted to rent their properties to visitors differed from hotels and motels because their guests - especially families - did not want to pay premium rates and preferred to stay in "homes".

It was unfair to charge or prohibit home owners, many of whom lived outside Wanaka, from leasing their houses, or expecting them to seek resource consent to do so.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council organised the three days of hearings on a plan change to address the definition of visitor accommodation.

Wanaka can house 35,000 people on any given night, but only 7000 residents live there year-round.

Many property owners lease homes to visitors short term, but moteliers contend all accommodation providers should be registered and regulated for safety and compliance standards.

The hearing will conclude in Queenstown today.

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement