Issue #944

by Joseph Mooney MP

The lakes area with Queenstown at its heart has a unique set of challenges obvious to not only the people who live here, but also the many visitors who come here.

Congested roads and eye-wateringly expensive housing are two major issues. They’ve been discussed for a number of years, and I’m pleased to see the tools the new Government is delivering to allow a shift from talking about problems to actually making the changes needed.

New Zealand’s consenting regime is holding New Zealand back, with current consenting processes costing infrastructure projects a staggering $1.3 billion every year. Our fast-track proposals will lift living standards, productivity, and grow our economy – all while still protecting our environment.

New Zealand is one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, and within that Queenstown is an extreme outlier. Our house price to income ratio is almost double that of the national average.

Queenstown has the least affordable homes and the fastest growth rate (the highest growth rate of any Tier 1 or 2 city between 1996 and 2020 averaging 5.3%). That’s more than twice the next city (Tauranga) over this time period.

Lack of available sections may be pushing out development to surrounding settlements like Cromwell, increasing transport emissions and still leaving Queenstown in a similar predicament with everyday kiwis priced out.

We need to allow for development that provides an opportunity for the next generation of Queenstowners to get a foothold in the property market, and address the infrastructure needs that come with that – particularly transport, energy, schooling and healthcare - all while looking after the incredible environment that is the real treasure of this great place.

We also need to consider smart intensification. If we build apartments, they need to be good quality and spacious like we see in Europe, linked to green corridors, green spaces and services where the community can connect with nature, their own community, and our incredible mountains, rivers and lakes. Fast tracking consent approvals will allow Queenstown to push go on the important projects previously strangled by red tape.

This is an area of huge opportunity with a can-do attitude in our community. I was fortunate to attend the opening of Shotover Primary’s new accessible playground equipment a few weeks ago and want to give a huge shout-out to everyone involved, particularly pupils Olivia and Emersyn. You saw a problem and came up with a solution to solve it, generating amazing support from the Queenstown community to make it happen.

It’s great to see things happening and I’m excited to see the momentum growing as the Government continues delivering the change New Zealand and Queenstown so urgently needs.