The latest information on Mount Iron Recreation Reserve in Wānaka.
Welcome to our tenth newsletter about Mount Iron Recreation Reserve in Wānaka.
What’s the latest?
Our Parks team has been working on what the Reserve Management Plan process will look like for Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron, including opportunities for the community to have a say on these sites!
During September 2023 we’ll be reaching out to groups, organisations, and interested members of the community across Wānaka and the Upper Clutha to invite them to stakeholder and community workshops planned for October 2023.
We’ll also be launching a digital ideas board on our Let’s Talk website from Monday 25 September 2023 so you can share what you love about Mount Iron, how you’d like to use the area in the future, and what you’re keen to protect with our staff. Keep an eye out for more details on how to have your say in our September newsletter edition.
These early insights from the ideas board will help guide the development of a draft RMP and support a shared vision for how this iconic landscape can be enjoyed by all.
Please give Little Mount Iron a moment
The Upper Clutha Tracks Trust is currently marking out a route on an existing but old track on Little Mount Iron, and once complete, the trail will connect Albert Town from Racecourse Road through to Wānaka at Hidden Hills.
The markings are a temporary measure before we develop a draft RMP for the area, as they will help ensure users stay on the right path and get through bluffed and bushy sections safely.
But wait! Don't lace up those hiking shoes just yet! We ask that you please hold off on using this track until the markings are in place. We’ll update the community once the track is ready.
And while we’re on the subject, we’d like to share a big thank you to the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust for their hard mahi and support up there!
Updates on an Environmental Monitoring System
Interested in more information on wildfire prevention in the area, or the latest update on environmental sensor units being installed around Mount Iron Recreation Reserve? Find out more online at www.qldc.govt.nz/environmental-monitoring-system.
The project team will be at available on Tuesday 5 September at the Armstrong Room in Lake Wānaka Centre to answer any questions you have. Drop by anytime during the below sessions:
- from 12.00pm – 1.00pm
- from 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Please RSVP your attendance to letstalk@qldc.govt.nz to help us manage logistics.
If you can’t make it along for a chat, you are welcome to contact us at letstalk@qldc.govt.nz or phone QLDC’s Services team on 03 441 0499.
Reminder: Do not build trails on Mount Iron
A friendly reminder not to dig, prune, rake, or try to develop new trails up on Mount Iron, or to take your bike up there! While we're working to make the existing track over Little Mount Iron safer, it's important the rest of the reserve remains as is and is used how it has always been until the community can have a say on the future of this area.
