Queenstown’s mayor Glyn Lewers says he’s pulled the trigger on one element of the ‘joint housing action plan’, which he hopes will provide some immediate relief for the resort’s housing crisis.
Lewers won’t divulge yet what that involves, but says he’s getting a briefing with council CEO Mike Theelen from staff today ‘‘about the plan forward’’.
He says, while a decision hasn’t been made, it’s likely they’ll progress the idea ‘‘instead of waiting for it to be fully endorsed’’.
‘‘It’s getting on and trying to address the need that is now.
‘‘This is just to address a need now — we might not need it in six to seven months, but we just have to look at something.’’
Is he confident it will help?
‘‘A lot of it depends on how this community responds to it.
‘‘It’s going to be developed so if it doesn’t go as planned we can pull back from it.’’
He’s hopeful, though, it’ll ‘‘grow legs on its own’’ and, in time, be delivered by a third party.
‘‘We’re unsure how it’ll be received, but we’ve got to do something.’’
Over the past week he’s had countless conversations with people about the acute rental housing crisis, and says some of the stories he’s heard — including from housing protest co-organisers Hannah Sullivan and Lindsay Waterfield are ‘‘confronting’’, particularly given some of those worst-affected have called Queenstown home for the past seven years, and are part of the backbone of the community.
Last week, Lewers told Mountain Scene council’s looking to establish a similar response for those in the greatest housing need — the migrant workforce, in particular, which can’t access any government support — as it did through Covid.
He confirms that will also be part of today’s conversation, and, if required, it may be handed to a third party to run on council’s behalf.
‘‘That’s how we can step up.’’
