• The Otago Regional Council has no immediate plans for a bus service linking Queenstown and Wanaka.
• Economic viability and funding challenges are cited as major barriers.
• Protect Our Winters (Pow) advocates for the service, highlighting environmental and community benefits, including reduced carbon emissions.

A public transport service between Queenstown and Wānaka is not currently in the plans, though public appeals remain.

Protect Our Winters NZ (Pow) recently appealed to Otago Regional Council (ORC) for an electric bus service connecting the two towns, citing the need for sustainable transport options in a region plagued by growing congestion and carbon emissions.

A 2019 Greenhouse Gas Community Inventory commissioned by the Queenstown Lakes District Council foundtransport emissions contribute to 47% of the district’s total emissions — according to the Ministry for the Environment, the national average is 17%.

While ORC acknowledged the demand for an electric bus link between the two towns, there are no immediate plans to implement such a service.

Travellers between the two towns have two main routes: a one-hour drive over the Crown Range or the longer Kawarau Gorge route via Cromwell.

Private shuttle services such as Ritchies and SkyDrive provide transport options, with fares ranging from $30 to $40.

Protect Our Winters (POW) NZ are calling for a public bus link between Wanaka and Queenstown. Photo / George Heard

ORC general manager for regional planning and transport Anita Dawe confirmed the Queenstown-Wānaka route was not included in either the council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) or its Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP).

The RLTP underwent a mid-term review in 2024, with the next full review not due until 2027.

ORC’s manager of transport Lorraine Cheyne added an electric bus service between Queenstown and Wānaka was not currently under consideration.

“We completed the mid-term review of the current Regional Land Transport Plan (RPTP) mid-last 2024. Council’s Long Term Plan, containing our current transport investment proposals, aligns with the RPTP, taking account of what funding towards those proposals is included in the National Land Transport Programme 2024-2027.”

ORC has not yet begun work on new investment proposals for inclusion in the next Regional Land Transport Plan due in 2027, for which co-funding would be sought through inclusion in the National Land Transport Programme 2027-2030.

Cheyne said economic viability remained the biggest challenge in establishing a service, though lessons from a forthcoming Cromwell-Queenstown commuter transport investigation may help inform future decisions on a Queenstown-Wānaka link.

“The Minister of Transport has set clear expectations at this current time for councils (as public transport authorities) to reduce the burden of public transport on taxpayers and ratepayers. A consequence of this is that we need to consider for this route, as for all [public transport], how more of the cost of providing the trip can be recouped in the fare charged.”

The Queenstown Lakes District's carbon emissions from public transport were higher than the national average, according to a 2019 study. Photo / George Heard

Cheyne reaffirmed ORC’s commitment to reducing emissions and improving public transport in the Queenstown Lakes District through fleet decarbonisation and increased public transport use.

“This will see the introduction of a very low-emission, if not fully decarbonised fleet, on the Whakatipu network from 2029 and by 2035 at the latest. The rationale for this approach and the timing is to support a cost-effective transition for the ratepayers of the PT vehicle fleet from diesel.”

Protect Our Winters (Pow) lead advocate Marian Krogh said the organisation continued to call for urgent action to establish a public transport connection, citing both environmental and community benefits.

“In the Queenstown Lakes area, the number one source of carbon pollution is from private vehicles... One of the reasons for that is there’s no other option for how to get around, especially in Wānaka. The only way to get around is by driving.”

She said where the regional council lacked funding, financial support from central Government was needed.

A survey conducted by Pow of residents, visitors, and businesses, found overwhelming support for a bus service linking Queenstown and Wanaka, citing affordability, frequency, and accessibility, Krogh said.

“If you make a bus cost $40, it’s just cheaper to drive, so people won’t take it,” Krogh said.

“It needs to be really affordable, run throughout the day, and cater not just to tourists but also to commuters travelling for work.”

Krogh also pointed to international examples where public transport was funded through local visitor levies.

“The GST collected in Queenstown goes into a central pot and is spent nationwide. That’s fine, but why couldn’t Queenstown collect money from visitors and spend it on infrastructure that benefits both the community and tourists?”