Shaping our Community News Blog
Three years of steady progress.. with more good work still to come.
It's been a busy three years. Here's a quick look at the achievements Council has made so far, under my mayoralty – and the road ahead.
The last three years have come with their fair share of challenging and inspiring moments. Our district is growing and with that comes big decisions on where to invest, what priorities to set, and how to make sure we're building a future that benefits everyone.
We've made significant progress, but my work isn't finished. There are many exciting projects still underway, and I'm committed to seeing them through.
If you haven't had a chance yet, have a look at our interactive map of the district’s capital projects under the Long Term Plan. This map was implemented during my term as Mayor and is an interactive display of every capital project planned out for the next 10 years, listing budget, timing, location and asset class.
From Glenorchy to Kingston, Hāwea to Makarora, here's a look at what we've achieved in the last three years:
- Development of the Wānaka Lakefront, with more to come.
- Luggate playground and completion of the new Memorial Hall.
- New Hāwea Flat playground.
- Establishing a solution for Hāwea wastewater.
- Ballantyne Rd, Wānaka: a large green space for future playing fields. (In response to a large number of submissions on the long-term plan hearings, we brought money forward to address the submissions and delivered.)
- Delivered Paetara Aspiring Central, Wānaka (PAC).
- Completion of the Queenstown Arterial Road, Stage 1.
- Completion of the Queenstown CBD upgrades.
- More car parking on Stanley Street.
- Working with Kai Tahu and TeTapu o Tāne on Project Tohu, one of the largest revegetation programmes currently being undertaken in Aotearoa, which will see one million trees planted on Coronet Peak.
- Delivering a back-to-basics Long Term Plan
- QLDC pressure on ORC to expand public transport in Queenstown. Continued pressure to ensure ORC does not walk away from its commitment to Upper Clutha on public transport.
- Approved $40M expansion of the Queenstown Events Centre (incorporating much-needed indoor court space and catering for an identified need in the community).
- Delivered on providing safe drinking water across the whole district, while dealing with the cryptosporidium issue.
- Locking in funding to solve the legacy issues of the Shotover wastewater disposal issue.
- Securing a Regional Deal negotiation. Our district was the first of three chosen from 18 expressions of interest from across the country. This work involved 12 months of distilling a decade’s worth of strategic work, and partnering with CODC and ORC to present a united vision on how great our districts can be. A first in our combined history!
- Advocating for liability reform in the building sector, resulting in a proposed law change in early 2026 to remove the “last man standing” liability from councils.
- Advocating for better health services across the District, resulting in Health NZ advancing the clinical services plan by two years, while acknowledging our population projections and high visitor numbers. This has been asked for more than 10 years.
Throughout it all, what has stood out to me is the passion and resilience of the people who call this district home and the dedication of an exceptional council team. Whether it's at community events, in council meetings or simply chatting with locals in the heart of town, I'm constantly reminded of just how special this place is.
Among all the achievements of the last three years, one of my proudest is this year's Waitangi Day ceremony. This event captured everything I love about our district. The sense of togetherness that was achieved when mana whenua, local community groups and visitors all came together to share in the unique spirit of what we have here in the Queenstown Lakes. It's days like these that remind me how powerful community can be, and why I feel so privileged to serve this district.