Joseph Mooney - MP for Southland
Congratulations Queenstown!
This great place we call home has been voted the best city in New Zealand by readers of US based media outlet Travel + Leisure.
It was also voted the third best city in Australasia behind Sydney and Melbourne, and ahead of Auckland and Hobart in the top five.
A sensational result!
While our amazing environment attracts the visitors, it’s the great people, groups and organisations across the Queenstown community which produce accolades like this.
World class hospitality, incredible experiences, a growing arts and culture scene, along with amazing community groups and organisations add the heart to our hometown.
Media coverage did note a technicality; that Queenstown’s urban population is less than 50,000, so isn’t officially a city - yet. Our visitor population no doubt tips us over on most if not all nights though.
The vote of confidence in Queenstown as New Zealand’s best city does highlight the perception others have of our amazing part of the world, and what our community will need as we move into a future of growth.
We’ve also had positive news on inflation which has dropped to 3.3%, the lowest it’s been in three years. Getting inflation under control is an important step in turning our economy around so workers, families and businesses can get ahead. Our tax relief package also takes effect at the end of this month, allowing Kiwis to keep more of their own money.
Queenstown, Southland and Otago have a big part to play in restoring New Zealand’s economic resilience.
The coalition government has been working on a wide range of initiatives to help facilitate this. We announced the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) in Budget 2024 which aims to address infrastructure deficits and look to regions to identify their own priorities and leverage existing opportunities, investment and strategies.
We are also aiming to reduce wasted effort and taxpayer money, one example being an oversupply of road cones. An NZTA review discovered 145 out of 800 maintenance worksites on the State highway network across the country weren’t needed. The new risk-based approach will reduce the number of cones while maintaining safety for workers and road users.
Finally, it was great to have the Prime Minister and Finance Minister in town recently to open The Remarkables’ new Shadow Basin chairlift.
The timing was impeccable with enough snow before the school holidays giving many the chance, including me, to give it a go. It was awesome to see so much more lift-accessible terrain which previously required a decent hike to get to.
Queenstown’s fantastic environment and community spirit is something for all of us to celebrate, and there is much to look forward to in our growing mountain city.
