Spotlight on Wanaka

Increasing numbers of people are succumbing to the allure of Wanaka’s stunning vistas, which has caused building activity in the region to ramp up significantly

In the year to May, 137 new dwelling consents were issued in Wanaka – more than in the entire Queenstown-Lakes District during the same period just five years ago (see graph).

Queenstown-Lakes District Council planning and development quality manager Bill Nicoll says that along with increased volume, the value and complexity of consents is also increasing.

“In January to May this year, we issued nearly double the amount of high-end residential consents as we did in 2016 and double the amount of commercial consents,” says Bill. “Every area of construction is trending upwards.”

One Wanaka builder who has benefited first hand from the upswing in high-value work is Bryce Dunlop, whose company Dunlop Builders specialises in high-spec architectural builds.

Bryce says the market in the lakeside town is the busiest it has ever been in his 15 years in the area.

“We currently have forward work till the middle of 2018 and we work hard on our planning and allocating resources to meet client’s timeframes.  We have a variety of clients, however at present the majority of our clients are from out of town looking to eventually live here,” says Bryce.

“Generally though, I think a whole lot of different people are coming here. With technology making it easier for people to run their businesses remotely and a number of new commercial developments, such as Three Peaks, coming on stream, it is becoming a more attractive place to live.

“With all the new subdivisions currently underway, there will be an influx of titled sections later in the year that will lead to more building consents and forward work. It is a positive time to be building in Wanaka.”

Capacity constraints

Like much of the country, Bryce says the current demand for builders is exceeding what can be met by the local market.

“I don’t believe we have enough builders in town to cope with the pressure. I think a lot of it is a result of the industry failing to train enough apprentices throughout the late 2000s. It means anyone building around here who’s been sitting on the fence about choosing a builder will end up having a very hard time finding one.”

Along with the challenge of finding enough qualified labour, Bryce says Wanaka’s alpine climate can also have an effect on build times.

“Because of the cold in the winter, there are some stages of the initial build you occasionally have to delay. Pouring concrete, because it doesn’t set properly below 3°C, and working with muddy, frozen ground are two of the main issues,” he says.

“It can also be a problem for roofers, because it’s just not safe for them when there is ice around. Otherwise, you just try to plan around it and time your indoor work so that you can do it during those colder months.”