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A 30-year strategic plan released today by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will help focus ongoing investment in Queenstown’s transport infrastructure into the right areas, at the right time and help keep people moving, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.
“Queenstown is growing quickly, and its transport network needs to keep pace. It’s a world-class destination with strong demand from people wanting to live, visit, and do business, with peak-day population expected to grow from around 83,000 in 2025 to around 143,000 by 2055,” Chris says.
“That growth will create enormous pressure on the transport network and meeting it will require a more integrated approach than simply adding road capacity. Queenstown’s lakes, rivers, and mountains, also create real physical constraints to what we can build, so we need to invest smartly and be open to innovative options.
“The Queenstown Strategic Network Plan, released by NZTA today, sets out a staged approach to improving the network over the next 30 years, focused on three core outcomes:
- Make best use of existing infrastructure – prioritise smarter use of existing corridors through network optimisation, managing key bottlenecks, and incremental investment in capacity and bus priority.
- Move more people around in less space – maximise the existing bus network and shift to higher capacity public transport, including buses and gondolas or cable cars.
- Actively manage demand – use pricing and access management tools to reduce pressure at peak times and make better use of available capacity.
“Early priorities in the plan include improvements to the Frankton Flats intersection, capacity and bus priority improvements, Ladies Mile and Southern Corridor upgrades, town centre bus hub improvements, and better walking and cycling connections. Replacing Edith Cavell Bridge at Arthurs Point is also critical for local road network resilience.
“Over the longer term, the plan identifies projects that may include ‘offline high-capacity public transport’, such as the gondolas or cable cars, with several private sector proposals already under discussion.
“An additional crossing over the Kawarau River is also proposed in the longer term to accommodate increasing demand from people travelling between Frankton and developments south of the river.
“This sensible, long-term approach supports the Government’s focus on a more resilient and reliable transport network that enables economic growth and productivity. It also supports the direction of the National Infrastructure Plan by making better use of the infrastructure we already have, looking after it, and prioritising projects that deliver value for money.
“The Queenstown Strategic Network Plan provides a long-term strategic direction that can feed into regional and national land transport funding decisions, as well as the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s recently established Mayoral Transport Taskforce.
“The Taskforce brings together local and regional government, business, mana whenua and transport expertise to identify practical actions to improve Queenstown’s transport network, accelerate delivery where possible, and explore innovative longer-term solutions.
“This Strategic Network Plan provides an important foundation for that work, setting out where the greatest pressures are expected to emerge and the options available to address them over time.
“Importantly, work is already underway on projects to help ease some of the transport pressures Queenstown is facing now, such as the Frankton State Highway 6/6A intersection and upgraded Bus Hub. This project will better manage traffic through the intersection for all road users, while additional lanes will increase capacity.
“At the busy Howards Drive intersection with SH6/Frankton-Ladies Mile Highway, NZTA is transforming the T-intersection into a signalised intersection, making it easier and safer to get on and off SH6 and help traffic move more smoothly. A fourth leg added to the intersection will also help accommodate much-needed housing.
“Early work is also underway on the new Jims Way/Pūāhuru walking and cycling bridge that will cross a very busy SH6, connect into existing cycling and walking paths, and provide a safe crossing for locals and visitors.
“NZTA is currently in discussions with Queenstown Lakes District Council about replacing Edith Cavell Bridge at Arthurs Point. Delivering a new bridge is a priority for the resilience of the local road network, with funding to be considered in due course.
“Queenstown needs reliable and efficient transport options so residents, visitors, and freight operators, can spend less time in traffic and more time getting to where they need to go.
“I look forward to this strategic plan feeding into upcoming regional land transport and public transport plans and being considered as part of the 2027–30 National Land Transport Programme by NZTA in due course.”
