A group of commercial property owners in Wanaka is calling for the June 10 public release of the Wanaka town centre "conceptual draft master plan'' to be put on hold while they are consulted.
The group, the Wanaka Central Business District Property Owners Group (POG), was formed this week, to represent the 30 or more people who own more than 80% of the commercial property in the CBD.
Spokesman Roger Gardiner said the group was "highly critical'' of the master plan process being followed by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
The council employed Stantec New Zealand to lead the process, with assistance from a "reference group'' consisting of the members of the Wanaka Community Board and six or seven members of the public.
It has held two workshops for about 40 "stakeholders'' this year.
Mr Gardiner said it was "a major omission'' affected property owners and businesses were "never identified as stakeholders and were never consulted directly''.
"No property owner or business owner was asked to sit on the reference group panel overseeing the consultation.
"In the opinion of the group, this was a major omission given the extent to which they would be affected by any changes.''
The group has written to the council "requesting that any recommendation from the reference group be put on hold until such time as meaningful consultation occurs''.
"POG regrets having to take this action but it is the result of ongoing frustration that QLDC have chosen not to undertake a proper consultation process.''
Town centre business owners and the Wanaka Golf Club have previously complained about a lack of consultation.
The council's communications adviser Rebecca Pitts said yesterday the council had been consulting for almost a year.
It had written to property owners in the town centre, inviting them to an ``update presentation'' on June 17.
Ms Pitts said the master plan was "an aspirational plan'' for the next 30 years.
"No specific project or outcome has been decided.''
Acknowledging the group's concern, Ms Pitts said there was "a long way to go'' and a lot more engagement and consultation.
