PROJECTS
Latest Albert Town Community Association Projects
The work of ATCA has made a considerable impact on the way we live and enjoy Albert Town. Some of the Association’s past projects include lobbying QLDC and NZTA to construct a cycle path on the Albert Town bridge, as well as many of the walking and biking tracks now found throughout the neighbourhood. Albert Town Community Association’s work has led to the tennis courts and other facilities at McMurdo Park, the community surplus fruit and veg stall, the community orchard and the ongoing management of invasive weed species.
LATEST PROJECTS
Gunn Road Bike Skills Park
Bike Wānaka and Albert Town Community Association joined together to upgrade this fantastic community facility located on Gunn Road. Popular with all levels of riders, it’s great to see this asset being used by young riders before they hit the more advanced trails.
Wānaka Backyard Trapping
The lagoon is a wildlife sanctuary, and in association with Wānaka Backyard Trapping, ATCA has twenty DOC 200 traps and four trapinators to eliminate predators such as stoats, rats, ferrets and hedgehogs from the lagoon reserve in order to protect the wildlife. We have recently installed another eighteen traps in the top lagoon. If you are interested in helping with the trapping programme, contact ATCA or look out for information on the noticeboards at the entranceways to the lagoon.
Te Kakano Aotearoa Trust
Albert Town Community Association has a close relationship with the Te Kakano Aotearoa Trust and together, we run regular native tree planting days during the year. The trees are grown from locally sourced seeds from their Wānaka-based nursery. Look out in the monthly newsletter for information on planting dates.
Community Orchard
The community orchard is located in the lower lagoon reserve, accessed from Lagoon Avenue, Wairau Road or Allison Avenue. This was a great community project facilitated by ATCA and supported by other groups such as the Wānaka Garden Club, QLDC and generous locals. The orchard is also fully irrigated. Please take what you need from the orchard when the fruit is ripe.
Fruit and Vegetable Stall
The community fruit and vegetable stall is situated on the Sherwin Avenue reserve from September to April. Residents can bring surplus fruit, vegetables and plants to the stall for others to take as they need.
Please, no processed food. This kind of food is best donated to the Community Hub in Wānaka.
HISTORICAL PROJECTS
Soccer goal for local families
A soccer net at McMurdo Park has been provided for local families to practice their skills.
Community Park and Barbecue
McMurdo Park in Dale Street is one of Albert Town’s most used public facilities. ATCA has been instrumental in enhancing this recreation area which includes a children’s playground and tennis courts for public use. There is also a public barbecue, bike rack and shelter at the park for all to use.
McMurdo Park – Tennis Courts
When Infinity Investments first built Riverside stage 1 + 2 they proposed an irrigated park, a playground, tennis courts and a small change room/storage facility. The Council of the day refused the proposal and took the financial contribution. When it came time to build the park there was only enough funds to lay out the park, footpaths and playground. Marg McMurdo who was at the time lobbied hard to have the tennis courts built and this was largely funded by the ATCA’s grants and some of its other funds.
Because of the terrific contribution made by Marg in getting this up and running as well as the great amount of work she did for Albert Town in general it was decided to name this McMurdo Park.
Path Cycleway on Albert Town Bridge
The Community Association lobbied both the QLDC and the New Zealand Transport Authority for many years for a foot path on the bridge mostly for the safety of pedestrians crossing. It was finally carried out and was jointly funded by the ATCA, the QLDC and the NZTA. It is probably one of the most used footpaths in Albert town and also used by the cyclists competing in the Challenge Wanaka race. It enables the traffic to flow normally whilst the race is in progress.
Irrigation System for McMurdo Park
In the summer the grass surface become burnt off and hard it became unplayable (and unsightly) for the children using the park. The ATCA paid for the installation of the sprinklers to overcome the problem.
Electric BBQ and Pergola
This became a project for Margaret Barrow the Chair-person of the ATCA at the time. It took about three years to achieve but the BBQ and pergola is now a fine facility for the park.
Cycle Rack
The cycle rack completed the facilities at the park and this was donated by Templeton Engineering and Installed by the ATCA.
Footpaths
The ATCA submits to the QLDC annual plan each year and has successfully lobbied for extensions to the footpath network. There are still some streets still without paths and the ATCA will continue to have these constructed.
Cycle Tracks
The ATCA gave a substantial donation to the Upper Clutha Tracks Network to link together the three tracks that meet at Albert Town. It also covered the cost of the small bridge on the track in the vicinity of the fisherman’s access.