Govt kicks in funding boost for development near Qtown
A small town on the outskirts of Queenstown is set to get a lot bigger.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford has announced $52 million of 10-year interest-free loans will go to Queenstown Lakes District Council to support major infrastructure projects around Kingston and Frankton Flats.
Kingston is a small town about 47km south of Queenstown and has a permanent resident population of 270, according Statistics New Zealand figures.
Twyford said the loans from the $1 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) would enable the building of 1850 houses in the Kingston township and new greenfield sites in Quail Rise South on the Frankton Flats. ‘‘The infrastructure at Kingston to support new housing includes new water supply and sewage treatment plants.
‘‘There will also be storm water network infrastructure for the existing town and new development, along with the reticulation of water supply and waste water to the existing area.
‘‘This will support Kingston’s development as a more affordable housing location in easy reach of Queenstown.’’
Development in Kingston would be accelerated with the first of the 950 houses expected in 2020, he said.
Kingston Community Association Athol Elliot said with two subdivisions currently under way, the township was expanding on a weekly basis.
The new development, which would be built on Glen Nevis land on the west side of SH6, would have a significant impact on the existing Kingston residents. ‘‘One of the biggest issues is the road between Kingston and Queenstown . . . You can imagine the extra cars travelling back and forth. ‘‘Currently, it’s not up to standard anyway . . . and the junction between SH6 and Kingston is a death trap.’’
The community wanted a discussion with council on the impacts, including the considerable costs to existing residents. ‘‘I think most long term residents believe there needs to be a lot of long term planning how this whole development is going to impact on Kingston . . . It doesn’t matter what the government proposes, it is what QLDC do with it.
The HIF financing would also speed up the building of housing in Quail Rise South on the Frankton Flats by bringing forward housing construction by seven years.
Twyford said infrastructure would include a reservoir and water mains, a gravity wastewater main, and connector road to SH6, bus stops and a pedestrian underpass to the Frankton Flats commercial area.
The development was expected provide 900 houses within 10 years.
‘‘Councils in high growth areas like Queenstown are keen to get started on housing developments.
‘‘Funding towards infrastructure to support those developments will go a long way to ease the pressures on councils.’’
Officials from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the New Zealand Transport Agency were working with the council on a proposal for further development at Ladies Mile, Twyford said.
The $1b HIF would enable at least 28,000 new dwellings in high growth areas to be built over the next 10 years, he said.