Paradise with problems

By Paul Taylor

Three-quarters of Queenstown Lakes residents are living the good life but housing, transport and the council’s performance are deep concerns.

Nearly 1500 residents filled out Queenstown Lakes District Council’s fifth annual Quality of Life Survey.

Some 76% rate their quality of life as good or better, 78% have at least some disposable income, 69% find their work fulfilling, 91% agree their neighbourhood is safe, and 62% feel a sense of pride in the district. You’re mostly all a healthy bunch too.

The survey found 79% exercise at least three times per week, 69% rate their physical health as good or very good, and 65% rate their mental health as good or very good. However, 14% suffer from a long-term health condition, affecting their quality of life, mental health and ability to cover expenses. And problems and stresses remain on the whole, especially where housing is concerned. Queenstown has a well-documented housing crisis, with limited rental properties and some of the highest house prices in the country. A fifth of respondents have had to move in the past 12 months, and 16% of those because their home was unhealthy to live in. Some 16% overall are worried about having a place to live, and 2% can’t find anywhere.

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers said the quality-of-life stats were up one per cent from the previous year.

“But dig a little deeper and we also see our district’s most pressing challenges reflected in these results, particularly when it comes to housing and the lower ratings in life satisfaction reported by people who are generally younger, have less work security, and are renting,” he says.

Lewers said the evidence will help council advocate on behalf of the community in partnership with other organisations, including central government, as well as informing its own Spatial Plan.

“Right away, it is being used to inform the Joint Housing Action Plan which will be out for consultation next month.”

A separate, abbreviated survey of people who own property in Queenstown but don’t live here full time found 49% do not rent their property out, 20% rent their property full-time to long-term tenants and 11% full-time to shortterm tenants.

Some 62% of respondents to the main survey said they would consider living in higher-density housing to help solve the problem.

Public transport also got a battering. There has been long-running cuts to the Orbus service, run by Otago Regional Council, due to driver shortages. Only 12% agreed that public transport is meeting their needs.

Lewers says the survey has also been provided to the Otago Regional Council to help inform its work on public transport.

And satisfaction with QLDC itself hit an all-time low. Only 19% are satisfied with elected members, and 20% with council performance.

However, council-run facilities and services, such as trails and cycleways, parks and reserves, and libraries, scored well, with user-satisfaction scores of 88%, 88% and 84% respectively.

The contrast between satisfaction with council-run services versus its performance was interesting and this disconnect would be explored further, Lewers says.

Finally, 76% of Queenstown Lakes residents are concerned with the effects of climate change. Satisfaction with the steps QLDC is taking to protect the environment increased from 19% to 22%.

Some 69% walk, and 37% ride their bikes, as an alternative mode of transport.

If the blood bank came to Queenstown monthly, would you donate blood regularly?

With the recent change in focus, do you feel that government is still taking climate change seriously?

Is QLDC’s proposed rates increase of more than 13% reasonable in the current environment?

Has taxi deregulation allowed independent drivers to operate without any oversights?

Should Chinese video-sharing app TikTok be banned from

Daylight saving time ends this weekend at 3:00 am Sunday 3rd April. Clocks get turned back to 2:00 am to give you an extra hour of sleep time.