Two documents that will guide future development in the Vincent ward have been finalised and published.

The final Vincent Spatial Plan and the Alexandra Airport Master Plan, that were adopted by Council on 26 January, are now available for the public to view both online and in print.

The Vincent Spatial Plan is a blueprint for the next 30 years showing what towns in the Vincent ward could look like and how infrastructure, housing and productive land use could fit together. It is a vision of what the future could look like, offering guidance to the private and public sector, including direction for infrastructure investment and Council’s future planning. 

The development of the Vincent Spatial Plan has been a collaborative process blending the aspirations of the community and technical planning expertise.

Vincent Ward Councillor and Vincent Community Board Chair Martin McPherson said the publication of the plan was indeed a milestone worth celebrating.

“Back in March 2020 Central Otago District Council approved the development of an establishment report to kick off this process. In the past two years we’ve gathered community feedback at many points along the journey and we’ve had fabulous levels of engagement from our community. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to get involved and help us produce a document that creates an important foundation for our future.”

The Alexandra Airport Master Plan was developed as one of the workstreams of the Vincent Spatial Plan and was prompted by continued demand for hangar sites at the Alexandra Airport. There are currently around 30 people on a waiting list for hangar/accommodation sites at the airport.

The master plan will inform decisions on the development of the airport over the next 20-plus years, providing direction for future types of activity on the aerodrome and appropriate locations for development. Alongside the Vincent Spatial Plan, the airport master plan will inform the District Plan on the development objectives and planning protections required by the Airport.

The plan was prepared with input from key Council staff from the property, planning, and economic development teams, and key stakeholders including the airport operator Central Otago Flying Club and the Airport Reference Group.

The Airport Reference Group is an advisory group that was formed by Council in 2015 and is comprised of locally based people who have strong connections to the Airport by virtue of their role with Council, aviation businesses or clubs based there, commercial airline users and local business representatives.

With Council’s approval of the master plan, planning for a new hangar site precinct can proceed, as budgeted for in Year 2 of the Long-term Plan 2021-2031. The new precinct will accommodate 20-30 hangar sites with residential annexe.

Both the Vincent Spatial Plan and the Alexandra Airport Master Plan can now be viewed on Council’s page under Consultation section of The Central App or via CODC website www.codc.govt.nz, with hard copies being made available at Council service centres and libraries.