We welcome 2023 with visitors coming back for a classic Lakes summer.
I look forward to a year where the vibrancy, optimism and confidence is sustained throughout, however, there are some issues we’ll have to work through over the coming months.
The first came recently to my email, forewarning me of Otago Regional Council’s announcement regarding the woefully-inadequate level of public transport that will continue until mid-this year.
Public transport’s a critical part of our strategy to alleviate traffic pressures for Queenstown.
ORC’s prioritisation of Dunedin public transport is, frankly, unacceptable, a position I have directly relayed to the chair.
That the announcement came without any discussion with the Queenstown Lakes District Council is not tenable.
With additional pressure on the network about to increase with the BP roundabout project, a three-year undertaking, there has been never been a more compelling case to grow our community and visitor utilisation of public transport.
It’s imperative a reliable transport option builds, as of now.
I cannot accept this position, and nor should the community.
The community has demonstrated the demand for an affordable transport solution, but confidence has eroded due to reliability issues.
ORC’s failing to recognise the building frustration of the community which wants and needs the service, and the express reputational risk a clogged roading network places on one of New Zealand’s most desirable destinations.
It’s positive Ritchies has managed to secure more drivers, but the proposal as it stands is not something we can agree to.
At present, Queenstown residences are paying the full rate demand for a service that cannot be met.
QLDC will be seeking to undertake further discussion on the matter with ORC.
As a council, we’re also dealing with two major reforms in the Three Waters legislation and the proposed changes to the national planning system.
To top it off, we have the latest in suggested changes to how local government is structured and what we actually deliver.
This has placed an enormous workload burden on the council, along with uncertainty, whether all these reforms will occur as we enter a central government election.
I’ll be looking for central government policy that looks to set an overarching strategy of what we want to see our communities become, coupled with delivery.
To allow this to occur, the funding models for local government have to change.
Little pots of money from central government, released on a competitive basis, usually with differing criteria, don’t work.
There’s no obvious strategy underpinning them, and it discourages working across district boundaries.
A more focused co-funding arrangement to meet the needs of districts that demonstrate the ability to deliver, underpinned with sound future-looking planning, in my view, is far better than the one-off sugar hits we compete for now.
Unfortunately, while this level of partnership is seen clearly in the developing direction of the local government review, I have not seen this from either major party yet, but I am forever hopeful.
Cost-of-living pressures alongside inflation at levels we have not seen for quite some time are forcing council to reassess what we can do, and when we can deliver it.
But I’m personally committed to leading a council that embeds climate change action and adaptation into everything we do.
That’s why I’m excited about the draft destination management plan that has placed a stake in the ground that the tourism industry will be carbon zero by 2030 — it’s an audacious goal, one that will require all partners working together to discover a pathway, and have the courage to take it.
Glyn Lewers is Queenstown’s mayor
