The latest information on Council's acquisition of Mount Iron land in Wānaka.
Welcome to the first edition of Queenstown Lakes District Council's newsletter on the acquisition of nearly 100 hectares of land around Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron in Wānaka.
About the acquisition
Mount Iron is an iconic landmark in the Upper Clutha. Approximately 2km from the town centre, it offers panoramic views of Wānaka and its surrounds, and is arguably one of the most popular walking tracks in the Upper Clutha with over 150,000 visitors heading up the Mount Iron slopes each year. If you live in Wānaka or nearby, or visit regularly, chances are you've tackled the track to the summit too!
In December 2021, Council reached an agreement to purchase nearly 100ha of land around Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron. While there will be no immediate changes to public use, we plan to work closely with our local community, Iwi and the Department of Conservation on plans for Mount Iron’s long-term future, acting as kaitiaki and holding the land as public reserve in perpetuity on its behalf.
However, before Council can acquire this land, we first have to gain resource consent for vegetation clearance, and approval to acquire and classify the area as Recreation Reserve. We hope to have consent granted by the end of 2022.
The consent process
Council has until 8 November 2022 to gain all necessary consents to facilitate the purchase of the Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron areas, which includes:
Resource consent for vegetation clearance, to allow for a safety
fence to be installed on a small section of Mount Iron's boundaryPublic Works Act approval to acquire and classify the area as 'Recreation Reserve'
Settlement may take six months following the granting of consents, with a tentative date of May 2023.
Keen to share your feedback
on the acquisition?
As we get closer to acquiring the Mount Iron and Little Mount Iron land, QLDC will be asking for community feedback on what our community would like to see in the new Recreation Reserve. We’re hoping to engage on plans for the Mount Iron Recreation Reserve in the early stages of 2023, provided consent is granted.
Want to know more?
If you can't wait for the next edition of our newsletter, we'll be making regular updates on the Mount Iron Acquisition at https://www.qldc.govt.nz/mount-iron.
