Govt could fund special projects
But bed tax again ruled out
THE Government will pay for special Queenstown projects if the district makes a strong case for them, Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett says.
Ms Bennett, who is also Tourism Minister, categorically ruled out a Queenstown bed tax for now, but said funding would be made available on a casebycase basis.
That was outside of the new $100 million tourism infrastructure fund.
‘‘Certainly Queenstown’s able to put in applications for infrastructure within that $100 million and that will be taken on its merits,’’ she says.
‘‘But that’s for things like toilet facilities, car parking, footpaths, and I would probably, to be quite frank, see it more for the district than Queenstown central.’’
The Government would be receptive to proposals for major projects if their business plans stacked up, such as a town centre bypass, downtown improvements and transport projects.
She highlighted the new Kawarau Falls Bridge and the doublelaning of State Highway 6 as evidence of the Government’s commitment to the resort.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult, who argued Queenstown’s corner again with Ms Bennett yesterday, said the Government was listening.
‘‘I’m just delighted we have a minister who has listened to our case and said ‘Look, I’m prepared to work with you to see what we can bring out of this.’’
He would even ‘‘shut up for a while’’ about a bed tax, even though he still regarded it as a permanent solution.
The council had already bid for money for some projects such as the innerlinks town centre bypass through the $1 billion housing infrastructure fund — which has to be repaid through development contributions.
Publicprivate partnerships were also being explored.