The Central & Southern Wānaka Structure Plan

Join the conversation about Wānaka’s future

Wānaka is growing and we want to make sure that growth protects the things that make our community a great place to live. Our goal is a thriving, well connected, liveable Wānaka where people, nature, and community thrive.

We’ll soon begin work on the Central and Southern Wānaka Structure Plan – a long-term roadmap for how the area could grow and develop over the next three decades.

What is the Central and Southern Wānaka Structure Plan?
It’s a high-level blueprint that helps us plan for:

• Future homes, local services and neighbourhoods.
• Community facilities, parks and open spaces that support everyday life.
• Infrastructure such as transport, water, needed to support growth.

As a 30-year roadmap, the plan will help us understand the area’s constraints, explore a range of options, and consider community needs. It will also guide future decisions to protect the environment, strengthen resilience, and uphold Wānaka’s unique character.

What it doesn’t do
The structure plan won’t change current zoning or automatically enable new development. Its role is simply to set a clear direction for how future planning, development decisions, and investment might unfold.

What areas are included in the scope?
The Southern and Central Wānaka Structure Plan covers the parts of Wānaka where future growth and change are expected, and how these areas work together. This includes:

• Southern Wānaka, as a future urban area for new neighbourhoods supported by well‑planned infrastructure.
• Existing urban areas of South Wānaka, including places where more housing may be allowed for.
• The Wānaka Town Centre–Three Parks Corridor, as the main mixed‑use, business, and employment area.
• Wider areas of influence, where transport, infrastructure, open space, and environmental systems connect across the town.

Together, these areas make up the urban system that will shape Wānaka’s future growth.

Why are these areas being looked at together?
This project builds on the Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan adopted in 2021. The plan sets the district’s long-term direction for growth and identifies two Priority Development Areas in the Wānaka area: Southern Wānaka, and the Wānaka Town Centre to the Three Parks Corridor.

While these areas have different roles, they are closely connected by how people live, travel, work, and access services. Planning them together through a single Structure Plan helps to:

• Better understand how growth in one area affects the other.
• Plan transport, infrastructure, and services in a more coordinated way.
• Support a stronger, more connected Wānaka Town Centre.
• Avoids fragmented or piecemeal development decisions.

Taking a combined approach doesn’t change the intent of the Spatial Plan - it simply helps deliver the outcomes more effectively by recognising that these areas function as one connected urban system.

What happens next?
Early technical studies will begin from April 2026. We’ll be carrying out initial technical studies to understand what the key constraints and opportunities are in the area, including:

• natural hazards
• ecological and environmental values

This information helps us see where development is possible and where it isn’t, so any future growth scenarios are realistic and responsible, and we’ll be sharing updates as work progresses.

How can the community get involved?
There will be lots of opportunities to get involved and help inform and shape the development of the Central and Southern Wānaka Structure Plan as it evolves.

We value input from the community during this phase to help guide development of the different growth scenarios. We’ll keep you updated and share more details as the community engagement plans are finalised.

Stay informed
This page will be updated as the project progresses. You can also sign up for our updates to be kept informed of key milestones and opportunities to be involved.

More about the Spatial Plan
The Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan was adopted in 2021. It sets the long-term direction for growth across the district. The Spatial Plan was developed through the Grow Well Whaiora Partnership between Central Government, Kāi Tahu, Queenstown Lakes District Council, and Otago Regional Council, and identified five Priority Development Areas where coordinated planning is needed to support housing, transport, infrastructure, and environmental outcomes, with coordinated planning taking the shape of a Structure Plan.

The priority development areas identified in the plan are:

1. Town Centre to Frankton Corridor
2. Five Mile Urban Corridor
3. Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile
4. Te Tāpuae Southern Corridor
5. Southern Wānaka
6. Wānaka Town Centre - Three Parks

Read the full Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan