Queenstown Strategic Network Plan – Emerging Direction (Otago Regional Council Briefing, 15 July 2026)

Context and purpose. This is NZTA (Waka Kotahi)'s 'Queenstown Strategic Network Plan – Emerging Direction', presented as an Otago Regional Council briefing on 15 July 2026. The slides are marked 'In confidence' (p1). Published by ORC on its public event page. The partner briefing aimed to share initial findings and test alignment. 'No funding, planning or delivery decisions' were sought; the aim was 'partner confidence and comfort' (p2). The QSNP gives a 30-year direction for the Queenstown strategic network, identifies major gaps, trade-offs and sequencing choices, and frames a whole-of-system response. It is 'not an investment plan' (p3). Inputs include Arataki, the Ministry of Transport Outcomes Framework, the One Network Framework, the Spatial Plan, masterplans and network performance. Outputs include business cases, NLTP and State Highway Investment Plan inputs, a monitoring plan, and triggers and dependencies (p3).

The challenge (p4):

- 84% growth in traffic at SH6/SH6A since 2012.

- Peak travel time on SH6A over 80 minutes, around ten times free flow.

- SH6A carrying 23,000 vehicles a day.

- Over 85% of capacity used for up to 6.5 hours a day in 2025.

- 2055 demand forecast at 2.5 times capacity at Shotover Bridge and 2.6 times at Kawarau Falls Bridge (250-300% overall).

- The only alternative route to SH6A crosses a single-lane bridge.

Options tested (p5). Do nothing and road-led expansion are ruled out. 'Optimise existing', 'Bus-focused variants' and 'Offline PT spine' (described as a 'Step-change in capacity') are classed as enabling layers. 'Balanced multi-modal' is preferred as the 'Best strategic fit and delivery pathway'. The deck says it adds people-moving capacity where road widening can't and can be staged, 'no-regrets first, bigger moves as funding and deliverability allows'. Specific projects not taken forward are a Queenstown Hill back road, SH6A tunnelling or double-decking, high-capacity ferries ('limited catchment, niche role') and a Malaghans Road alternative route.

Preferred approach (pp6-7). It rests on three pillars: best use of infrastructure; moving more people in less space (bus services, higher-capacity PT vehicles, interchanges); and active demand management (TDM, parking, land-use integration). Implementation covers the timing and sequencing of step-change improvements: 'Larger interventions where triggers are met, pending funding availability', including offline public transport, an additional road bridge to the southern corridor and protection of corridors for future high-capacity transit. It also calls for innovative funding: beneficiary shares, Infrastructure Funding and Financing, private investment partnering, and targeted visitor and growth levies (p6). Two strategic corridors are defined (p7):

- Corridor 1, Frankton to Town Centre: topography, property and congestion limit road capacity; short-term bus, access and safety improvements; 'Long term: offline PT as the viable capacity option'.

- Corridor 2, Jack's Point to Arrow Junction: staged bus improvements, then offline PT when bus capacity is exceeded, with a potential southern river crossing.

Sequencing (pp8-9). Thirteen numbered interventions plus Arthurs Point bridge (local road) and network-wide activities are mapped (p8).

- Stage 1, 'No-regret foundation', 2027-2033 over the next two NLTPs: Frankton Flats, key intersections, bus priority, PT services, active modes and TDM, at a sustained tens to low hundreds of millions, maintaining 2024-27 investment scale.

- Stage 2, 'Incremental capacity', 2030s: bus priority into growth areas, interchanges, park and ride, signals and time-of-use charging.

- Stage 3, 'Long-term transformation', 'when triggered | protect now': 'Projects in the high hundreds of millions', with the new Kawarau crossing and offline PT. The deck says to 'Protect corridors; advance business cases and explore funding / financing options'.

The deck states that the 'scale of the challenge warrants earlier intervention, but affordability and deliverability constraints necessitate a staged pathway'. If worse transport performance reduced visitor growth by 0.5%, the estimated impact is about $3.9b NPV in lost GDP and tax revenue over 40 years (p9).

Next steps (p10):

- Seek inclusion of the first tranche in the 2027-2030 RLTP and NLTP.

- Advance investigations for Ladies Mile, Southern Corridor, offline PT and time-of-use charging.

- Agree partner leads, funding shares and delivery through Way to Go, the RLTP and the Regional Deal.

- Monitor and refresh.

Mass rapid transit: The deck treats offline public transport as the long-term capacity answer between Frankton and the Town Centre: 'Long term: offline PT as the viable capacity option' (p7). Frankton-Queenstown offline PT (item 10) and Frankton-Ladies Mile offline PT (item 11) are listed, and the Kawarau crossing could be road or offline PT (item 12) (p8). All three are in Stage 3, 'when triggered', in the 'high hundreds of millions', with no date (p9). Corridor protection and investigations are proposed now (pp6, 9-10). No technology is named; mass rapid transit and mass rapid transit do not appear.