Long Term Plan 2024-2034 | He Mahere Pae Tawhiti (and Summary of Decisions)

Context and purpose. The 2024-2034 Long Term Plan was adopted on 19 September 2024, later than the usual 30 June, after NZTA's 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme allocations were known. The ten-year capital programme is approximately $2.4b, of which growth accounts for $979m (40%) (pp.20-21).

Transport. The plan lists 'Enhance the performance of the transport network' as a strategic priority, noting the network is geographically constrained and that 'many people are reliant on private vehicles to move around' (pp.15-16). Confirmed NLTP funding for the first three years is below what was assumed: 'The shortfall in funding is estimated at $14.8m over three years', the budgets were not adjusted, and 'it will be necessary for Council to reprioritise various expenditure programmes to match the level available' (p.24). Councillors chose to fund Queenstown arterial costs from 2025-26 through the existing Whakatipu roading rates (p.22; Summary of Decisions p.6). The Spatial Plan outcome that 'Public transport, walking and cycling is the preferred option for daily travel' is restated (p.46). The 2025-28 Transport Procurement Strategy, written to this plan, gives transport capital of $411.7m and operating expenditure of $127.1m over ten years (TPS p.22).

Summary of Decisions. The decisions summary records 'reduced funding for active travel'; retention of a targeted rate on wider CBD ratepayers for the Town Centre street upgrades (p.5); the arterial rating decision (p.6); that Council will look further at central Queenstown carparking, including possibly advancing the Stanley Street carpark, with 'Further information... published before the end of 2024' (p.10); and that the A7 Jacks Point-Frankton active travel route, an NZTA responsibility, is unlikely to proceed in this NLTP period (p.10). It does not address public transport, park-and-ride or rapid transit.

Mass rapid transit: No reference to mass rapid transit was found in the main plan pages read (to p.47) or in the Summary of Decisions.