Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) elected members will be asked to adopt the final 2021-2031 Ten Year Plan on
Wednesday 30 June. Community feedback has helped shape changes to the draft in several important areas.
The Council received 504 submissions from individuals, groups, and organisations across the district during the
March-April consultation period, and 82 people chose to address Councillors at hearings held in Wānaka and Queenstown.
QLDC General Manager Corporate Services Meaghan Miller said that despite being prepared in the unique context of a
global pandemic and associated affordability challenges, it was reassuring to see a good level of public engagement and
interest.
“We know people have had many issues to deal with in the last 18 months so we are grateful that so many have been able
to take the time to engage with this important planning process. The key themes that came from the community submissions
included Council increasing its investment in climate action, a clear appetite for more active transport sooner, and
provision of more community facilities.”
Submissions received were largely supportive of the preferred options proposed for the four ‘Big Issues’ which were as
follows:
> Water Treatment Programme timing: Complete the Water Treatment Programme as outlined in the plan (by 2024)
> Wakatipu Transport Capital Programme (scope): Complete the Wakatipu Transport Capital Programme as outlined in the
plan
> New targeted rate on Queenstown Town Centre properties: Rates recovery focused on wider CBD ratepayers (Council has
not made a final decision on the proposal for the new targeted rate on Queenstown Town Centre properties. This matter
will be considered further in the following 12 months).
> Increasing user fees and charges: Fees and Charges Increased as per Revenue and Financing Policy
“Unfortunately, it’s never possible for Council to meet all of the requests made in submissions especially in the
context of the challenging capital programmes in this Ten Year Plan. All submissions were considered, and despite
funding constraints, a number of changes have been proposed as a direct result,” added Ms Miller.
Key changes to the proposed 2021-2031 Ten Year Plan to be considered by Councillors are as follows:
> Accelerating in active travel networks for Wānaka, bringing the design and construction of the ‘Wānaka Pool to
School Active Travel’ route to Year 2 ($2M) and Year 3 ($3M). This would be delivered on a non-subsidised basis
> Providing additional resources in QLDC’s climate action team, including an additional $200k to the operational
budget and an additional team member in Year 1.
> Funding to provide a Youth & Community facility in Wānaka, at the former Mitre 10 site. Subject to successful negotiations, this will provide a home
for a number of community groups and a base for a range of QLDC sport and recreation programmes. The building will be
leased for a ten-year period and operational budget has been included to run the facility.
> Creating a community centre at 516 Ladies Mile, Queenstown. This project will see the existing property at 516
Ladies Mile retrofitted to be a full-use community centre with better access and infrastructure upgrades.
> Funding to assist in developing an Arts and Culture Hub at Remarkables Park in partnership with the Three Lakes
Cultural Trust. Subject to a successful agreement between stakeholders, this would be an opportunity to create a home
for a number of arts and cultural groups within a facility leased for ten years.
A full list of proposed changes for the Councillors to consider will be available when the agenda report is published on
the QLDC website on 25 June (see the What’s Changed? section of Ten Year Plan Volume One).
Ms Miller added that the Council was delighted to propose significant levels of support once again for community
projects and organisations throughout the district.
“As well as providing the grants for recognised Community and Residents’ Associations, there are many good causes and
committed groups in our communities. These include community development initiatives, sports and activities,
environmental groups, arts and cultural trusts, economic development, and continuing our long-time support for the
Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust and the Wakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Group. In total the Council will be asked to confirm a grant fund of $1.99M.
QLDC General Manager Community Services Thunes Cloete said that investment in arts and culture was also a theme that
came through the submissions process and there was interest in the allocation of a $51M provision for performing arts
facilities.
“Through planning and deliberations, the Councillors have been clear that this budget provision must be for performing
arts centres in the district’s key locations, namely Queenstown and Wānaka. At this stage, planning for a performing
arts centre in Queenstown centre is further advanced with the assumption of investing in a facility at the proposed
Project Manawa site on Stanley Street around Year 8 of the plan. The current intent for Wānaka would be to begin a
process of needs assessment to consider what type of new facility might be required before understanding what needs to
be allowed for in future planning cycles. However, Council has confidence that there is a high likelihood that
philanthropic funding will be available and envisages that this will support proposals for both towns to proceed,” said
Dr Cloete.
The proposed changes to the plan and other contributory factors would affect the final rates increase, said QLDC General
Manager Finance, Legal and Regulatory Stewart Burns.
“There has been some upsides such as an increase in the forecast dividend from the Queenstown Airport Corporation from
$45.1M to $66.4M, but there are other considerations such as the Wānaka Airport lease.”
“As a result of the Judicial Review decision, QLDC has revised its budgets in relation to Wanaka Airport. All direct
revenue and expenses related to Wānaka Airport are now included in the Ten Year Plan as opposed to within the QAC
budgets. Although the figures are yet to be finalised, provision has also been made to repay QAC for fixed assets and
the pre-paid lease in the 2021-2022 year,” added Mr Burns.
On 31 May 2021, Waka Kotahi NZTA informed all local authorities of their indicative funding allocations for the next
three years for road maintenance activities (including renewals). As with many local authorities, there is now a
difference between the amount of subsidy assumed in the Ten Year Plan compared to the indicative allocation for this
period.
“Whilst the loss of funding is disappointing, QLDC does have options to manage the situation. It is our intention to
re-prioritise road maintenance activities to stay within our current ‘local share’ budgets over the next three years.
This may include spreading some renewal works over a longer period and undertaking some works without subsidy. We can do
this up to a value of $7.1M without impacting rates. Council will therefore adjust Ten Year Plan budgets accordingly in
August 2021 once the final funding decision is made by Waka Kotahi for all roading programmes,” said Mr Burns.
“Continuing to invest in our roading and transport networks across the district, as well as the essential 3 waters
infrastructure, remains a priority for QLDC. Even in the context of COVID-19 this remains a high-growth Council and an
attractive place to live, work, play and invest, and we need to ensure that our infrastructure investment keeps pace
with a growing local population. This is a core role for councils to ensure that are meeting the needs of current and
future communities,” Mr Burns added.
The overall impact of the proposed changes altered the increase in rates as outlined in the Consultation Document. The
proposed average annual increase in rates over the ten years is 4.4% (after growth), just 0.1% above the 4.3% originally
indicated during the consultation period. In year one (July 2021 - June 2022), that is an average of 5.45% (after
growth) across the district. Details summarising the rates impact by property type are available in Volume Two of the
2021-2022 Ten Year Plan (see the section Our policies / ō Mātou Kaupapa here > Rates / Rēti).
Council would now consider these changes and the final 2021-2031 Ten Year Plan at its meeting on Wednesday 30 June. The
full documents and agenda will be available on the QLDC website, and the meeting can be viewed through livestream on the
QLDC Facebook page.