Central Otago – Alexandra Community Plan

Alexandra is at the junction of the Clutha River and the Manuherikia River. It is renowned for its great climate, its recreational opportunities, a great domestic holiday spot and being centrally located to the southern lakes and the main centres of Dunedin and Invercargill.

The original town sprang up as a goldrush town in the early 1860’s. This has resulted in a significant number of heritage sites and buildings which are an attraction for the area.

Alexandra is now the key service centre for the surrounding district and meets the needs of a wide range of industry including pastoral farming and orcharding. Growth has been reflected in Alexandra with strong demand for industrial and commercial land. There has been significant growth in grape growing and the wine making industry over the last ten years. Alexandra has a wide range of services with many of the government departments being based in town.

The Alexandra community numbers approximately 4,800 which increases to about 7,000 people in the summer with holidays homes being full and the camping grounds being a popular destination.

Some of the key points that came out of the plan include:

Develop a local touring route incorporating a key range of heritage sites in the local area that has clear signage and appropriate interpretation.
Promote improved access to and from the rail trail to the town centre thus enabling visitors to travel safely into Alexandra.
Develop an Alexandra information brochure that covers accommodation, food and restaurant services, recreational activities and arts and crafts in the area.
Investigate options for enhancing the entranceways to Alexandra.
Continue to release land for industrial and commercial use so as to provide expansion opportunities for businesses and services in the area.
Develop building guidelines for the commercial business areas of town.
Encourage the appropriate authorities to improve air quality in the area.
Continue to develop the town centre upgrade proposal that can be the subject of further community consultation.
Review the SH8 and SH 85 junction to enhance traffic flows and reduce safety concerns.
Develop a long term strategy for the future of the water supply.

To view the Alexandra Community Plan click here.