Opinion

I have lived in Queenstown since 1977, when the population was approximately 7,000 (give or take) but I left for greener pastures in the early days, because rents were high and wages low and one couldn’t get ahead. Australia paid more, but winters were something not to miss if you were addicted to snow. There wasn’t that much of it (snow), to be honest. No snow making and not much precipitation. The lifestyle and mountains were a draw, but the money wasn’t enough. Sound familiar?

Council’s consultation on Project Manawa would almost be funny if it were not so tragically farcical. And their plans for consultation on Stage II of the huge arterial project are even worse.

Sometimes it just seems too hard to bike to work, but mud guards, pannier bags and wet weather gear clinched the deal for me to commit to biking, over driving or busing. Here are 7 reasons to love commuting by bike:

Council’s planned new offices for 600 staff could be built with no debt, no rent, and leave money in the bank for cultural and community facilities. But not as proposed by QLDC’s Project Manawa – a project supposed to create our “community heart” in downtown Queenstown, through a complicated and costly land swap process and joint venture that would cost ratepayers forever rent and substantial debt.

The property market is New Zealand’s largest industry, adding NZ$41.2 billion a year to gross domestic product. But there is a debate over how we tax houses – particularly those sitting empty despite the ongoing housing crisis.