Queenstown Town Centre Street Upgrades to start

Jointly funded by the Government’s ‘Shovel Ready’ fund ($35m) and Queenstown Lakes District Council ($25m), the street upgrades will be delivered in two stages. 

QLDC Mayor Jim Boult was thrilled to break ground on Lower Beach Street today marking the start of stage one. 

“Today is a huge milestone and we’re thrilled to signal the start of the Queenstown Town Centre Street Upgrades which was the first of the ‘shovel ready’ projects announced by the Prime Minister in June,” Mayor Boult said.

“This project comes at a challenging time and represents a significant investment into the future of the local economy.  The project is part of a suite of investments to revitalise our town centre to help to bring our residents back into town, support local businesses and reinforce our position as a desirable place to visit whether it’s by domestic tourists or our international visitors in the future,” Mayor Boult said. 

“These upgrades have been on the cards since our Town Centre Masterplan was developed back in 2017 so I’m thrilled to celebrate getting the ball rolling today,” he said.     

Way to Go Chairperson and QLDC General Manager Property and Infrastructure Peter Hansby said the stormwater upgrade was the beginning of works to transform Brecon Street, Rees Street, Beach Street, Park Street and Hotops Rise into slower speed, high quality public spaces that are safe, vibrant and accessible, weaving in local cultural storytelling.

Lower Beach Street will be closed to vehicles between 8.30am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday from 7 September until November so the work can be completed safely, with access for service vehicles allowed outside of these hours. 

“We are very conscious that this work marks the start of ongoing disruption in the town centre while the upgrades are completed.  We’re committed to working closely with affected businesses and residents to come up with a plan to ensure that supporting Queenstown and promoting local business is central to project delivery,” Mr Hansby said.  

The stormwater works have been scheduled so that they can be completed in November ahead of the Christmas trading period. The balance of the work is expected to start in early 2021, further minimising disruption for businesses over the usually busy summer holiday period.

More information on the Town Centre Street Upgrade project, including renders and key design elements, can be found here:  www.qldc.govt.nz/qtc-street-upgrades  

ENDS:

Pictured: Mayor Jim Boult breaks ground on Lower Beach Street today. 

High resolution renders available on request. 

Details of funding announcements:  https://www.qldc.govt.nz/20-06-26-council-welcomes-prime-minister-s-funding-announcement

Media contact:

• QLDC communications: communications@qldc.govt.nz or phone 03 441 1802.

The Way to Go group was formed in November 2018 and is made up of Queenstown Lakes District Council, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency and Otago Regional Council and recognises that all three agencies have an important role in driving change to transport infrastructure in the district.   For details of the projects that come under the Way to Go umbrella, head to: www.qldc.govt.nz/services/transport-and-parking/way-to-go