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by Paul Taylor - Lakes Weekly Bulletin

Will locals and tourists be soaring above Queenstown in a mass rapid transport gondola before the decade is out?

It certainly looks like that might be the case. An MRT system has been proposed as a solution to our ever-increasing traffic problems, not least in the recent Regional Deals bid from Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago to Central Government. Such a system would be funded by private finance and the International Visitor Levy, and could generate $37 million per year by 2048, with locals paying around $5 per trip. The document doesn’t say how much Queenstown Lakes District Council would receive of that, if any, but the council would also introduce congestion charging, to shift demand and raise revenue for new bridges, including at Arthurs Point, and roads.

I usually get a little apprehensive every time someone suggests a big new project for Queenstown. Quite often, they are just spit-balling, looking for potential finance or partners. But this time, the project seems to have more of a basis in reality. Last year, ski lift giant Doppelmayr outlined 10 high-frequency routes throughout NZ, including Queenstown, and other private companies are said to be interested, along with the local and regional councils backing it.

It will certainly anger a lot of people, including many residents along the route and also some taxi drivers. But we need actual solutions rather than endless NIMBYism and debates. Queenstown was built on risk takers and it is now the time to strike while the iron is hot. Anyone who has sat in morning traffic along Frankton Rd, or the evening rush-hour around PAK’nSAVE knows something has to change. While bikes and buses are great, there just isn’t the take-up required. We are already at facing gridlock and there are thousands more houses in the pipeline, not to mention more tourists.

Every project has positives and negatives but mass transit gondolas are at least relatively environmentally friendly compared to other forms of transport, work elsewhere around the world, and have a history in Queenstown.

It could be that in this Fast Track era, locals don’t get much of a say anyway, which would be unfortunate. I hope we at least get some proper consultation and debate on route choices, stations, loss of views, and other factors. I’d personally like to see a fixed locals’ rate like the buses, for both gondolas and congestion charging, along with a system that can accommodate bikes - that’s a must. Glass that can become opaque when passing nearby houses is another idea.

In terms of the project as a whole, it would undoubtedly be a massive drawcard for tourists and if we could get a similar financial deal to the Queenstown Airport / QLDC scenario, it would be a massive win for all. Let’s be positive about it, until there’s reason not to be.