Community feedback sought to inform Council’s next Long Term Plan

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is asking what matters most to you and your neighbourhood or community, with early insights to be used to develop a draft Long Term Plan 2027-2037 and help inform the elected Council’s future decision-making.

Mayor John Glover commented that “Many of us who were elected as your representatives in October heard loud and clearly that we need to reduce costs, make your money go further and deliver on your priorities. So now is the time, as we start foundational work on our spending plans for the next 10 years, for you to help us prioritise what we do.”

“We’d love to hear your thoughts and the answers to some simple questions to make sure that we support the outcomes that are most important to you,” said Mayor Glover.

The Long Term Plan sets the direction of the Council for the next ten years, providing a long-term focus on how it will deliver local infrastructure, facilities and services for the district.

A combination of reforms, continued high growth, and potential rate caps are putting more pressure than ever on Council budgets and its ability to delivery the infrastructure and services the community expects. This means robust conversations are required when developing the next long-term budget for the Queenstown Lakes District.

To get the conversation started, the community is invited to respond to a range of questions online, including:

What are the top priorities you think Council should focus spending money on?
If you want Council to reduce spending, what do you think we should spend less money on?
What do you think the district’s main opportunities are in the next 10 years?
What do you think the district’s main challenges are in the next 10 years?

Answers will help Council prioritise the basics first and ensure spending is allocated where it is needed most.

Early insights can be shared on QLDC’s consultation and engagement website at https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/ltp27 through to Sunday 8 February 2026, before feedback is reviewed and shared with Councillors at a workshop on Tuesday 17 February.

As this process continues, future engagement opportunities may be held to build an even clearer picture and more consensus around detailing spending plans, to help inform Councillors ahead of formal consultation in early 2027.