The Queenstown Lakes District Council is encouraging contractors, retailers and residents alike to get behind a spring cleaning drive.

"This is the perfect time of year for us to take stock of the roads, the footpaths, the grass the verges and generally give the district a good spruce up," Wakatipu operations manager Greg Stewart said.

Over the next few weeks residents would see contractors focusing on approving the amenity and condition of the environment.

Projects scheduled included, steam cleaning and in some cases sand blasting the cobble stones and footpaths in both the Wanaka and Queenstown Central Business Districts and a major push, already underway, on improving the surface of the district's roads.

"The November road maintenance programme includes street cleaning, road marking, vegetation control and sealed and unsealed pavement maintenance, which includes potholes, shoulders, grading and metalling," Mr Stewart said.

The Council also wanted to hear from residents.

"Let us know if there is something that needs to be addressed on Council reserve in your area and we can log your request with our contractors," Mr Stewart said.

Action requests could be logged with the Council by calling either the Queenstown or Wanaka offices or alternatively visiting the Council website www.qldc.govt and logging a request online.

In addition retailers were being encouraged to take advantage of a special deal on offer for November only.

"Both the Wanaka and Remarkables Park Mitre 10?s have kindly agreed to offer all retailers in Wanaka and the Wakatipu the opportunity to buy heavily discounted hanging baskets," Mr Stewart said.

Mitre 10 would provide a fully planted hanging basket with liner and potting mix at the price of $29 for a small basket and $39 for a large basket. Retailers only needed to phone and order the baskets and give the name of their retail outlet to receive the discount.

"That's a discount of more than 33 percent so there is every reason for retailers to get in behind beautifying their premises," Mr Stewart said.

Residents were encouraged to take another look at their environment, hold a street clean up, take a rubbish bag on their regular walk or at the least get stuck into their own gardens.

"It only takes a small amount of effort on the part of everyone to make a difference," Mr Stewart said.

ENDS

For more information please contact Greg Stewart 03 441 0499.

By: Kiri