Population projections shed light on average day and peak day for the district

Population projections for the Queenstown Lakes District have been published on the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) website.

The data sheds light on the average day and peak day population figures for all of the communities in our district - urban, rural, large and small – and projects forward to 2048.

QLDC Policy and Performance Manager Anita Vanstone has overseen the data gathering process and advised the projections will be released to the public twice a year – in June and December.

“The projections are based on a ‘business as usual’ model and do not assume any constraints or intervention in the market,” said Ms Vanstone.

In addition to average and peak day population figures, the data also includes projections for the number of required visitor units and occupied / unoccupied dwellings.

“Having access to this information more frequently will be extremely useful in future planning – not only for QLDC and other government bodies and ministries but for business owners who want to pre-empt periods of particularly high demand,” Ms Vanstone added.

QLDC Chief Executive Mike Theelen added that the revised predictions reinforced the value of Council’s ongoing partnership work with Central Government.

“These figures reflect the challenges our district is facing more clearly than previous numbers, and it’s easy to see the demand that this places on the services and infrastructure Council and other agencies provide,” said Mr Theelen.

“It certainly underpins Council’s recent decision to instigate the visitor levy referendum and our case to Central Government for alternative and innovative funding mechanisms.”

ENDS.

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