Gondola or light rail possible new transport options for Queenstown

Wednesday, 13 June 2018

A gondola or light rail network could be created to connect central Queenstown with its airport. 

The alternative transport ideas were suggested as part of a 'spatial framework' for the town's $385 million masterplan, to be discussed at the Queenstown Lakes District Council's (QLDC) meeting on Thursday.

The document said while building a gondola was not a preferred option in the town's masterplan, it could ease congestion and support large volumes of traffic.

It would likely start at the intersection of Stanley and Shotover streets, and end at Queenstown Airport about 8 kilometres away.

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Queenstown Airport property and planning general manager Rachel Tregidga said it was working with QLDC, the Otago Regional Council, and the NZ Transport Agency on wider transport initiatives for the popular tourist spot.

'We're very supportive of any mass transit options that assist residents and visitors to travel to their destinations easily and efficiently and welcome the collaboration, big picture thinking and forward planning of council and other agencies in working on long-term solutions for the district,' she said.

A new $140m bypass, six new car parking lots, an improved cycleway connection, a new ferry stop and a 'park and ride' facility were also suggested as options for dealing with growing traffic. 

The bypass would give motorists a quicker route between One Mile, Gorge Rd and Melbourne St as the current arterial route through Stanley and Shotover streets was already at capacity during peak hours, the document said.

Previously known as Inner Links, the bypass had been mooted for many years, but no decisions on whether it should proceed had been made.

According to the spatial framework document, Queenstown's population would grow to 70,000 by 2035 – doubling the number of residents, dwellings and cars it had now.

The town's masterplan was an 'exciting proposition'​ that would ensure Queenstown remained a 'vibrant and successful' place, it said.

'The Queenstown Town Centre Masterplan provides the opportunity for Queenstown to re-consider and re-imagine itself not just as a town but as New Zealand's coolest small city.'

The council received 289 responses to the plan, most of which were 'generally supportive' of the preferred options put forward.

'Some concerns were highlighted about the alignment of a proposed arterial road [though],' the document said.