The latest information on Council's purchase of Mount Iron land in Wānaka.
Welcome to the fifth edition of Queenstown Lakes District Council's newsletter on our purchase of nearly 100 hectares of land around Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron in Wānaka.
Resource consent granted
Great news! Resource consent has been issued to clear vegetation and install a fence along a 1.1 kilometre section of the Mount Iron Reserve. This will secure the area’s boundary and adjacent private property.
For those interested in the finer details, the fence will be a standard deer fence and sit at two metres tall. It will require a two-metre-wide construction corridor, with vegetation cleared either side of where the fence will come to stand. Gates will be installed at key points along the fence line.
We hope to begin construction early November 2022. Click here to see a map of the fence's future location.
Spotlight on: Wanaka Climbing Club Inc
Our Parks & Reserves team has been checking in with organisations and associations around the Upper Clutha, discussing the purchase of this land.
Wanaka Climbing Club Inc has a community agreement with the Department of Conservation to access, develop, and maintain recreational climbing areas at crags on the Mount Iron Scenic Reserve. It’s a popular and accessible asset for local climbers, offering seven developed crags, dozens of bolted climbing routes, and plenty of potential to create beginner assets for schools, instructional groups, and newcomers to the sport.
The Club’s interested in some limited development of further crags in the reserve, and part of their agreement allows for some native revegetation in the area. They’re currently planning how best to utilise this site with Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust and taking into account advice from local expert Dr Geoff Rogers, DOC experts, and a range of surveys, studies, and evaluations of the area.
Naturally, the Wanaka Climbing Club is keen for their existing agreement to continue when QLDC acquires DOC land on the Mount Iron Reserve, and to continue to look after this space for the benefit of the community and environment.
The Club hosts regular social climbing events, so if you’re keen to find out more then check out the Wanaka Climbing Club website here or their Facebook group.
Wildfire information
If you’ve been following the Mount Iron Wildfire Project, you’ll know we’ve now merged newsletters and will be working to include updates on the project here.
Keeping it short and sweet this month, our team has been working with a wildfire expert on recommendations for high-risk reserves (which includes the Mount Iron Scenic Reserve). As QLDC’s purchase of the 100 hectares of land around Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron progresses, we’ll look to share these recommendations. Stay tuned!
Merry Christmas!
With summer fast approaching, we're sure everyone is looking forward to catching up with friends and family over the festive season and, hopefully, enjoying a bit of time off too. We'll be back with our next update on the purchase in early 2023!
We'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
