Councillors will today (Thursday July 29) look at a draft housing strategy for the district which includes adding inclusionary zoning mechanisms to the District Plan.

The draft Queenstown Lakes Homes Strategy outlines steps to address housing affordability.

"... the reality for many locals in our district is that housing, when built or on the market, is just too expensive,” Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) planning & strategy committee chair and councillor Penny Clark said.

“This has been a massive challenge for decades and remains a real and ongoing concern for many residents in the district.”

The need for housing for those on or around the median wage, which Penny described as “the hard-working locals we all rely on", was illustrated by the approximately 750 households on the waiting list for the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT).

Housing in this district is “just too expensive” for many locals, said one councillor. PHOTO: Supplied

The council’s draft strategy, which will go up for community consultation if approved by councillors, sets out the council’s role in influencing change in the housing system through advocacy, partnership and local action. 

A key element in the plan is inclusionary zoning, which would help address the housing needs of low to moderate income households.

Inclusionary zoning is a planning method which requires or incentivises developers to provide a portion of the development for affordable housing.

The QLDC has used this method in two different ways since the early 2000s. 

Stakeholder deeds and the Housing Accord and Special Housing Areas Act 2013 (HASHAA), have together provided $24M of affordable housing through the QLCHT.

QLCHT executive officer Julie Scott told the Wanaka App it would be ground breaking if the council includes inclusionary zoning in the District Plan.

“There are a lot of other councils keen to implement inclusionary zoning, and this would set a precedent,” she said. 

Julie believes the community will support the concept. 

“Most people know someone who's been in a housing trust home; these are people who contribute to the community.”

Planning methods like inclusionary zoning are used internationally in places like London and San Francisco, but have not been widely used in New Zealand or Australia, QLDC planning and development general manager Tony Avery said.

If approved, the community will be asked for its feedback on inclusionary zoning and a range of other housing affordability measures options.

Related: Housing trust waiting list jumps by 100+