Wanaka Airport Cleared for Take-off
The future of Wanaka Airport is in the limelight and the local community is being urged to get involved and help spearhead its direction. A 100-year long-term lease was signed between the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) for Wanaka Airport in March this year and the operation, planning, development and governance of the airport now stands with QAC.
With the lease in place, members of the Wanaka and wider Upper Clutha communities are being encouraged to join in the conversation on future development of the facility.
A series of workshops have been held and an interactive online community hub has been launched as another way to become involved in what is seen as a crucial issue for the district. “People can jump online (our.wanakaairport.com) anytime and share their stories, images, thoughts and ideas and see what others are saying,” says QAC chief executive Colin Keel.
QAC will start a Master Plan process for Wanaka Airport later this year, incorporating the thoughts and ideas from the community and other stakeholders into the process.