Context
Four months into Covid, Queenstown was reeling. While the initial lockdown was over, the door to international tourists was shut. It was hugely stressful for the transient workers the district had so long relied upon. Many lost their jobs the moment wage subsidies ended. Without residency or financial security, they had few options but to leave.
The Infometrics economic assessment commissioned by QLDC painted a stark future. The report anticipated a 23.3% economic contraction and employment shrinking by 7,900, with more than ¼ of all jobs lost.
Amid these challenges, there were many who saw an opportunity. With a breathing pause from the rapid growth of previous years that had eroded tourism’s social licence and energised airport protests, many in the community saw a chance for reflection. The words reset, reimagine, pivot, and diversify became mantras.
At FlightPlan2050, we prepared a new vision for the Queenstown Lakes and presented a printed copy to each councillor. And, as always, we asked that councillors request that normal council work streams consider it.
QLDC full council meeting
June 25, 2020
Good afternoon, I am John Hilhorst representing FlightPlan2050
Thank you for all your work and effort over these past three months in helping our district cope with the tremendous difficulties brought on by Covid-19.
If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, then it’s been the chance to stop and reflect.
Many have called for an economic reset. For a new paradigm that would:
- diversify our economy,
- strengthen our communities,
- enhance our resilience,
- develop high-value jobs that minimise negative resource impacts and
- help protect our outstanding environment.
In this document that we have prepared pro bono and share with you today, we present an Alpine City at Frankton Flats that would enable exactly such a change.
It would provide the framework and engine to diversify our economy. It would enable and accelerate the development of a strong knowledge-economy within our district. One that is high on productivity and incomes while having low emissions and resource impacts.
Frankton Flats provides a unique opportunity for an Alpine City. There is nowhere else in the district that has this capacity, let alone a location so ready that its transformational value could be realised within a few short years.
Frankton Flats could easily and quickly transform into an outstanding urban centre for knowledge-based enterprise, but only if the airport were relocated.
The MartinJenkins report has shown a new regional airport to be amongst the most viable future options for the district. And that is without even including the profound and beneficial impacts that would come from the development of Frankton Flats as a high-density urban campus.
Our comprehensive analysis and evaluations published online show that a beautiful Alpine City on Frankton Flats would provide:
- the best financial outcome for QAC, including making it most resilient to growth or a reduction in the demand for travel
- the best environmental outcome for the district, including the lowest emissions
- the best economic outcome for the district’s communities
- the best transport outcome for the district
- the best housing affordability outcome for the district
- and more.
These benefits could start immediately. Just the plan would be enough to attract early movers, stop development sprawl and consolidate transport and other infrastructure.
For this reason, we ask that you include this work and these ideas within the council’s current initiatives:
- the current Spatial Plan,
- the 10-year District Plan,
- the recovery working group, and
- the new statement of intent QAC is to deliver by the end of October.
Ultimately, all these groups report back to you, our elected councillors. You need to be confident that you have the best ideas and advice for the challenging decisions that you need to make for our district, in our post-Covid journey.
Thank you.