Welcome to our latest newsletter about Mount Iron Recreation Reserve in Wānaka.

Reserve management plan approved!

We are delighted to share that we have a Reserve Management Plan for Mount Iron Recreation Reserve 🎉

The plan was approved and adopted by Full Council at the 17 April meeting (which followed the plan being recommended for approval by the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board on the 27 March meeting).

>>View the final Mount Iron Reserve Management Plan here

This plan provides a community led vision for how Mount Iron Reserve can be experienced and valued, now and into the future.

A big thank you to all that played a part in this process and shared their views on this much-loved landmark, a reminder that you can view a summary of the consultation findings here.

Please note: This plan only applies to the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) Recreation Reserve land on Mount Iron and not the Department of Conservation (DOC) land. QLDC has applied to have the DOC land formally vested to QLDC to enable a single management and maintenance approach on Mount Iron. If successful, this land will also be managed under the new Reserve Management Plan. A map showing the different land parcels can be viewed on the last page of the plan.  

What's next?

• The Reserve Management Plan (RMP) will guide Council decision making when people or groups come to Council looking to undertake activities on the reserve.
• Council will work with those groups to develop activities that are allowed by the RMP and align with the vision, objectives and policies.
• In the future there may be new planting, mountain bike trail building and other improvements allowed for in the RMP.
• Completion of the RMP won’t change the day-to-day maintenance levels e.g. mowing, trail management etc. 
• Day-to-day management of the DOC land will continue to be managed by QLDC under the management agreement.

You can find all QLDC Reserve Management Plans for the district here

Now that we have a new RMP for Mount Iron, these newsletters won't be coming out as often, but we'll still continue to share news and happenings of interest 😉

Image below of view to Little Mount Summit (in foreground)

Biking in Mount Iron Reserve

We are receiving lots of reports of people biking on tracks or in areas that are for walking only.  As a reminder, biking is only allowed around the base of Mount Iron, between Anderson Road and Old Racecourse Road. No biking is allowed from the Hidden Hills entrance, on the Little Mount Iron trail or on trails to the Mount Iron summit. Additional signage will go up in the reserve in the next month or so.

Please note: The newly adopted Reserve Management Plan allows for the establishment of mountain bike trails but includes specific polices that require the consideration of positive ecological outcomes, impacts on other reserve users, Kāi Tahu values and ongoing maintenance and safety. Therefore, there is still a lot of work to be done before trails can be built and mountain biking can begin! Please hold off biking for now.

Map below showing biking and no biking areas

Reserve part closure for pest control

A professional contractor will be carrying out rabbit control during May and June in Mount Iron Reserve. This will take place in the southern western corner of the reserve up from the Allenby Place carpark (refer to operation area map below).

This night shooting operation will be carried out from 8.00pm on Sunday 18 May, Sunday 25 May, Sunday 8 June and Sunday 15 June, for an estimated three-four hours, weather dependent. 

What to expect

• Contractors will be carrying out night shooting within a cordoned off area. Police are aware of this work. 
• Signage and cordon will be at all main entry points to ensure no one can enter the area during the operation.
• Please respect the cordon and DO NOT ENTER when present.
• Public walking tracks will be closed in the operation area. If you are asked to leave the area for safety reasons, please do so.
• Please be aware that noise from firearms, which are suppressed, might be heard outside the reserve. 

For up-to-date information on the scheduled night shoots please go to www.qldc.govt.nz/pest-control and follow QLDC Facebook.

Remarking trap locations

The Predator Free Wānaka group will be out and about putting back up the blue tags that mark trap locations. Unfortunately, these were removed by the public. If you see a blue tag, please leave it in place. Thanks for your support.

Encroaching into the Reserve

A friendly reminder to adjoining property owners to please ensure you are not encroaching into the reserve without authorisation,. This includes extending fencing, buildings or gardens into reserve land. It is an offence under Section 94 of the Act to alter a reserve without authorisation by Council.

Mount Iron Reserve is an important community resource that enables recreation and provides valuable public amenity and access. Part of the role of the QLDC Parks team is to ensure that these spaces are protected so they are available for the public to use and enjoy.

Masters students wildfire survey 

Can you spare two minutes to take part in wildfire study for the Wānaka region?

Master of Planning (MPlan) students at the University of Otago are undertaking research on wildfire awareness and preparedness.

The data collected will contribute to a study that is focused on identifying people's awareness of wildfire and how plans can be improved to protect the Upper Clutha.

Click here to take part in the Wānaka Wildfire Public Survey 2025

The survey closes Sunday 25 May. A big thank you for your support in advance from the MPlan students! 

Have a question or keen to find out more?

We’re happy to answer questions you may have about the Mount Iron Reserve Management Plan, and we’ve got an online Q&A portal available on our Let's Talk page. Check out the questions others have submitted and the answers, or ask your own question here. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can! 

For more details on this project, head to Let's Talk or the QLDC webpage.