Our Publications
Thousands of hours of independent research and analysis have informed the works published below. The reports include brief overviews, focused discussions on specific topics such as climate change, and comprehensive, detailed studies.
International visitor flight emissions
The Central Lakes’ tourism economy depends heavily on international visitors, yet their international flight emissions are not attributed to the sector.
This report is the first to assess these emissions. It presents challenging evidence that the Queenstown Lakes District economy is New Zealand’s most polluting, with the highest emissions per resident, per job, and per dollar earned. It finds, for example, that the international visitor economy causes 4.4 times more emissions per dollar earned than the New Zealand dairy industry.
Structural response to climate change
In this report we outline a coordinated strategy that could address the region’s greatest issues while also providing better economic, environmental, and social well-being outcomes and fewer emissions.
Alternative Airport Scenario Analysis
The MartinJenkins socio-economic impact assessment fell short on two counts: the new regional airport scenario did not include the urban planning benefits of closing Queenstown Airport and it assessed impacts on GDP instead of those on community well-being.
So, FlightPlan2050 undertook this independent analysis. It unequivocally finds that a new regional airport combined with the urbanization of Frankton Flats provides the greatest well-being, even when the cost of constructing a new airport fell on QAC.
That CIAL has since undertaken the task of building a new airport substantially increases benefits to Queenstown Lakes’ communities, as they gain over $1 billion that could be invested in community infrastructure.
Vision for Frankton Flats
Our first published report, this booklet sets out a new vision for Queenstown Lakes. It paints Frankton Flats as the heart of the district, driving sustainable prosperity through economic diversity, environmental regeneration, and community well-being.
Printed copies were presented to each QLDC councillor at their June 2020 meeting.
Questions and Answers
We’ve heard many questions in the three years since launching the idea at a public meeting hosted by the Frankton and Kelvin Heights community associations. This report collects the most common questions and summarises the answers we have learned from several thousand hours of research.
The Spatial Plan
The Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan sets out the district’s future urban development. With population doubling by 2050, thoughtful urban planning is crucial to achieve ambitious goals for community well-being.
In this report, we show how the FlighPlan2050 proposal would deliver the best outcomes for all the Spatial Plan’s strategic goals.
[29 pages, mostly text]