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

 Milestone achieved! Council to manage all reserve land at Mount Iron

We’re pleased to share that Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has taken over management of the public conservation land at Mount Iron in Wānaka.  This land was previously managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

This means QLDC is now the administering body of approximately 55ha of reserve land, which includes the State Highway (SH) 84 Mount Iron carpark and the Mount Iron Scenic Reserve. This is in addition to the 100ha of Mount Iron Recreation Reserve Land that QLDC purchased in May 2023 from private ownership.

It also means the Mount Iron Reserve Management Plan (RMP), that the community guided and elected members approved in 2025, now applies to this land as well as the Council recreation reserve.

Why is this good outcome for the community?

QLDC already manages approximately 100ha of Mount Iron Recreation Reserve so including the public conservation land allows us to better manage the whole area as one reserve for community and visitor use. For example, the hugely popular 5km Mount Iron loop trail is now on land managed by one organisation. This will ultimately enhance the experience for Mount Iron users long-term.

Will this change how anything is currently managed on Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron?

QLDC has already been managing the day-to-day operations since 2024, so you won’t see any big changes when you’re out and about in the reserve. QLDC will take over responsibilities previously held by DOC e.g. responsibility for agreements with community groups and commercial operators. A key change through this process is that the SH84 Mount Iron carpark is now part of the wider Recreation Reserve. This means freedom camping will be prohibited at the site following a period of education for visitors. 

It's important to note that QLDC’s Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025 doesn’t apply to reserve land, which instead is managed under the Reserves Act 1977. Overnight camping is not permitted at the Mount Iron Reserve and anyone found staying overnight in campervans, vehicles, or tents will be subject to a fine.

When did QLDC initiate planning for public conservation land on Mount Iron to be managed as one reserve?

This has been part of the planning direction and aspiration of QLDC and DOC since 2022 when a council paper was submitted as part of the proposal to acquire Mount Iron. The Council paper outlined the implications and risks to Council of applying to administer this land under the Reserves Act 1977.  Due to the proposal being initiated in these early stages, QLDC management was accounted for in the development of the RMP and throughout the community consultation process. This has allowed for a cohesive and joined up management plan for the entire reserve area.

Are QLDC and DOC planning to celebrate this milestone with the community?

QLDC and DOC will be in touch with groups operating on Mount Iron, along with the wider community, with an invitation to a morning tea held onsite in the coming months. Further details will be made available soon. 

Map showing the public conservation land now under QLDC management (purple) and QLDC Recreation Reserve (green)

Trail plans progressing for Mount Iron

As we shared in the December newsletter, Council is developing a Trail Plan for Mount Iron that will outline what an integrated network of walking, biking and horse-riding trails could look like in the future. We're working with Bike Wānaka, the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust (who are inputting on walking and biking trails) and the Upper Clutha Lakes Equestrian Access Group on this plan.

What's progressed?

A process is underway to ensure trail requests are guided by the RMP:

• Step one (completed): The individual groups are developing what they would like to see for future trails on Mount Iron.
• Step two (underway): The Trail Plan will be considered in relation to the objectives and policies in the RMP such as positive ecological outcomes, impacts on other reserve users, Kāi Tahu values, ongoing maintenance and safety. 
• Step three (underway): The proposed Trail Plan will be discussed by the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) at a public workshop on 12 February 2026. The WUCCB will consider approval of the proposed Trail Plan at a meeting in April 2026.
• Step four: If the Trail Plan is approved, groups can request approval to build trails aligned with the Trail Plan as they have funding and interest.

If you are interested in following the progress of this plan you can attend the upcoming public WUCCB workshop on 12 February 2026.  You can find details of this workshop closer to the time here. 

Mountain biking trails

As part of the Trail Plan process, Bike Wānaka has approached Council to build a network of mountain bike trails on the northern side of Mount Iron, accessed via the reserve entrance on Hidden Hills Drive. See the plan for Stage 1 trails in image below and for a more detailed view head to QLDC - Mount Iron Trail Plan

The Stage 1 mountain bike trails have been ‘approved in principle’ by the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board at their meeting on 16 December 2025, subject to approval of the overall Trail Plan. 

What's next?

Bike Wānaka will apply for resource consent for the trails. If the resource consent and Trail Plan are approved, Bike Wānaka will begin trail building with the aim for mountain biking to begin in Summer 2026/27. 

There is still a lot of work to be done before trails can be built and mountain biking can begin! Please don't build informal trails in the reserve.

Map of proposed Stage 1 Trail Plan

Managing the risk of wildfire in summer

Although we’ve had a wetter start to summer than the typical, drier conditions we usually expect, it’s important to stress this could change quickly. Hot and windy conditions elevate fire danger which could lead to closing access to the Mount Iron Reserve for all users.

Closing the reserve on days with high fire indices means appropriate steps are being taken to remove the potential for a fire to happen and ensure people are out of harm’s way if it does. Every day there could be thousands of people enjoying the area and as we’ve seen both locally here in New Zealand, and internationally, wildfire can have a devastating effect.

The reserve is already subject to a year-round total fire ban, and QLDC works closely with Fire and Emergency New Zealand on its reserve closure protocols which are introduced when fire indices reach extreme levels.

We’ve recently installed permanent gates and signs at reserve access points, which will indicate trail closures (see image below).

How we’ll let you know if a reserve is closed

The fastest way to find out about a reserve closure is to sign up for our 'etxt' service. We'll message you when a reserve needs to close. Sign up at Community Text Alerts - QLDC

We’ll also:

• display signage and close relevant gates on the reserve
• share the message with local news outlets;
• update the webpage below and publish an alert on our homepage; and
• share on social media.

Please be aware that we won’t be staffing entrance points to reserves during the closure periods; warning signage will be in place and gates will be closed but entering a reserve while it’s closed will be at people’s own risk.

Find out more and see the current status of high-risk reserves at www.qldc.govt.nz

Have a question or keen to find out more?

We’re happy to answer questions you may have about what's happening on Mount Iron Reserve. Email us at parksrequest@qldc.govt.nz or give our friendly customer service team a call on 03 443 0024.

For more details on how we are managing Mount Iron Reserve head to our QLDC webpage.