Queenstown on fast-tracked building boom to create rooms for visitors and workers
Read reporter Debbie Jamieson's full story
Two large-scale Queenstown accommodation developments have been accepted for fast-tracking as developers eye tourism opportunities.
One is a six-storey hotel with up to 185 rooms, on the Man St car park in central Queenstown.
The other is a proposal to provide 400 to 600 residential units for temporary worker accommodation in Frankton.
Plans for both are yet to be lodged with the Environment Protection Authority and considered by an expert consenting panel.
The proposals show an ongoing enthusiasm by Queenstown developers to use the fast-track consenting process established during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The legislation blocked the public from the resource consent process in order to fast track projects that created jobs and stimulated the economy.
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Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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37.1% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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62.9% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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