30 Year Infrastructure Strategy – Water, Transport, Waste and Social 2024–2054

Context and purpose. This document is Queenstown Lakes District Council's 30 Year Infrastructure Strategy – Water, Transport, Waste and Social 2024–2054, the final strategy adopted with the Long Term Plan 2024–2034 on 19 September 2024. In that plan the strategy pages are numbered from 161, and the footer reads 'LONG TERM PLAN 2024-2034'. It sets the strategic direction for infrastructure in the district, identifies significant issues, principal options and their implications, and fulfils section 101B of the LGA 2002 alongside the Financial Strategy (p3). It is the first version to include social infrastructure (p3). It notes that NZTA (Waka Kotahi) manages state highways and Otago Regional Council (ORC) operates public transport (p3). The strategy draws on the Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan 2021, asset management plans, master plans and the Queenstown Integrated Transport Business Case (pp3, 12).

Significant issues. The district has almost tripled in size over 30 years, and average day populations are more than 30% above the resident population (p13). Five significant issues are identified: rapid and sustained population growth; increased and increasing standards; resilience to shock events; the climate emergency; and an infrastructure deficit, made worse by escalating costs, limited delivery capacity, long project incubation and limited funding (pp13-14). The 'most likely scenario' is explicitly not the preferred scenario: 'Current fiscal constraints mean Council is unable to invest at the optimal quantum and pace' (p17). The strategy assumes that investment by third-party providers, including NZTA and ORC, will follow a similar trajectory to Council's (p17). Council commits to consider non-built solutions first, to partner with others and to advocate nationally (p20). Eight significant decisions are set out (p21).

Transport (significant decision 06). Transport assets and services are provided in partnership with NZTA and ORC through Way to Go (W2G) (p48). The strategy reports that investment in Whakatipu is well advanced: a low-cost frequent PT service is operating, active travel and CBD upgrades are complete, Arterial Stage 1 is under construction, and NZ Upgrade Programme works on SH6/6A are planned (p48). The most likely scenario assumes W2G partners keep investing in line with agreed plans, with timing realigned to Government Policy Statement funding priorities (p49). Four options are assessed:

- Option 1, make best use of existing assets: low impact; travel times are expected to worsen (p49).

- Option 2, protect the network for future development: corridor protection and land acquisition only (p50).

- Option 3, targeted expansions and more travel choices (most likely): bypass routes in Queenstown and Wānaka, major PT network upgrades and active travel expansion, underpinned by an assumption that new funding mechanisms will be introduced; some interim deterioration in levels of service is possible (p50).

- Option 4, transform the way the transportation network operates: 'New high-capacity high-frequency public transport modalities, major streetscape upgrades, and secondary cycle networks', with 'blue-sky thinking'. This depends on behaviour change, technology, new funding and partner support, may require deprioritising other activities, and would take effect only in later years (p51).

Key initiatives under the most likely scenario (p52, bubble chart) include:

- Short term: renewals, demand and parking management, active travel and PT low-cost low-risk programmes, model replacement, Arterial Stage 1 completion, Capell Ave extension, Shepherds Creek bridge.

- Medium term: Arthurs Point bridge, arterial and PT interchange early design and land acquisition, the Quail Rise to Hawthorne link, Frankton Road 10 formation, and corridor network optimisations.

- Long term: Arterial stages 2 and 3, the PT interchange, Queenstown street upgrades, the Ballantyne Road freight link and a Whakatipu ferry network.

Travel demand management is listed as a key behaviour-change programme (p62).

Key figures. Transport capex (present day, uninflated) runs from $38.3M in Year 1 to $53.6M in Year 10. It is $189.8M (Y11-15), $193.2M (Y16-20), $227M (Y21-25) and $154.9M (Y26-30). Transport opex is about $12.5M-$13.0M a year. Capex drivers are growth 37%, renewal 29% and levels of service 34% (p63). Three waters capex is substantially larger, for example $161.5M in Year 6 (p63).

Mass rapid transit: The strategy does not mention mass rapid transit between Frankton and the Town Centre. The nearest references are Option 4, which is not the most likely option, with its 'new high-capacity high-frequency public transport modalities' (p51), and a long-term 'Whakatipu ferry network' initiative (p52). Neither has a route, cost or timeframe.