QTS-226 · Official information release · 2026
OIA-23524 response: NZ Upgrade Programme Queenstown Package and Queenstown Strategic Network Plan
Part of: Rapid transit evidence →
NZTA (Waka Kotahi) response of 16 October 2026 to an Official Information Act request from a requester (name withheld) about the NZ Upgrade Programme Queenstown Package and the Queenstown Strategic Network Plan. It states that no Treasury Gateway reviews and no IQA of the reduced-scope package exist, that monetised benefits were not re-evaluated when the scope was reduced, and explains the $107.6m, $115m, $130m and $250m figures, including a breakdown of the $250m budget. On the QSNP it states 'there has been no consideration to protecting or designating corridors' and that new delivery, funding and financing approaches 'have not been investigated'.
What the document says
Context: response dated 16 October 2026 (ref OIA-23524) to a requester (name withheld), whose request of 28 August 2026 covered assurance reviews, the reduced-scope decision record, benefits re-evaluation, benefits realisation, cost estimates, the effect of descoping, and the QSNP. NZTA released 18 documents (QTS-208 to QTS-225 and the Assurance Process copy now used for QTS-063), withheld Attachments 8a and 8b under section 9(2)(j), and refused Attachments 11 and 14 (the QSNP itself) as publicly available. The $250m budget comprises $2.217m business case and pre-programme costs, $14.451m property, $35.324m pre-implementation, $188.446m implementation and $9.56m NZTA indirect costs (pp.4-5). The requester's details on page 1 are redacted by Move Queenstown.
Key figures
- $250m budget: $2.217m business case and pre-programme; $14.451m property; $35.324m pre-implementation; $188.446m implementation; $9.56m NZTA indirect (pp.4-5)
- $107.6m compilation of activity costs; $115m original allocation incl. NZTA indirect costs; $130m after $15m escalation allocation (p.4)
Rapid transit
Mass rapid transit means light rail, gondola/cable car, bus rapid transit and similar dedicated rapid-transit technologies. It does not include ordinary bus services or ferries.
Substantive. Discusses, assesses, recommends or programmes mass rapid transit.
States the mass rapid transit gondola was not part of the NZUP Queenstown Package, and that no consideration has been given to protecting or designating corridors for future high-capacity transit.
"Please note that the Mass Rapid Transit Gondola was not part of the NZUP Queenstown Package and so could not be a part of any scope reduction consideration." (p.3) | "Regarding the last bullet point of Question 7, there has been no consideration to protecting or designating corridors." (p.6)
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Not separately commissioned. This is an internal or corporate document.
Citation
OIA-23524 response: NZ Upgrade Programme Queenstown Package and Queenstown Strategic Network Plan (2026). OIA-23524.