Queenstown Lakes District Council

23/09/2026

Ka pai to the Quail Rise community for their efforts in planting nearly 300 natives at Jim's Way over the weekend! 🥰

The community will return soon to finish off some more planting and once those are in, they will have planted 2,875 natives on the reserve since Spring 2021.

QLDC is proud to support volunteer initiatives just like this! ❤

📸 Photo Credit: Yvonne Assie

23/09/2026

Work to reinstate the pavement on Bowen Street following damage caused by a recent weather event will commence next week.

For work to be completed safely, the road will close daily from 7.00am-5.00pm Monday 28 September through to Friday 9 October. The road will reopen on weekends, and resident access will be maintained throughout the duration of work.

We're not anticipating any disruption to rubbish collection and will work with residents should there be any.

Thanks for your patience and understanding while we complete this essential work!

📸 Pictured: Photos taken last month of debris and damage on Bowen Street, Queenstown.

23/09/2026

**Winter Road Report – 24 September 2026, 6.45am**
Mōrena Queenstown Lakes!

Winter clearly didn’t get the memo that spring is on the way! We’ve woken up to a crisp morning across the district, but thankfully there are no new winter roading issues to report overnight. Roads are dry and skies are clear.

Today is looking partly cloudy with morning frosts, and there’s a chance of a shower or two this afternoon.

Across the district

Cardrona: -4°C
Arrowtown & Arrow Junction: -3°C
Dalefield & Lake Hayes Estate: -2°C
Kingston: -1°C
Crown Range summit: -0.1°C
Before you hit the road: give that windscreen a proper scrape and de-fog. A ‘peephole’ through the frost might seem okay to look through, but it’s not safe to drive with, and drivers are legally required to have a clear, unobstructed view through the windscreen and front-side windows at all times.

Glenorchy update
Crews are continuing to work hard to reopen a section of Glenorchy-Queenstown Road between One Mile Roundabout and the Sunshine Bay turn-off, following a washout earlier this week.

Access to Glenorchy is being maintained via Fernhill Road. We’ll share updates on our socials once clean-up and geotechnical assessments are complete.

Thanks for your patience while crews get stuck into these essential repairs.

If you spot a roading issue, give us a call on 03 441 0499.

Mā te wā (until next time)!

Hitch
Link to report:

Winter clearly didn’t get the memo that spring is on the way! We’ve woken up to a crisp morning across the district, but thankfully there are no new winter roading issues to report overnight. Roads are dry and skies are clear.

23/09/2026

Roading crews are continuing to work hard to reopen a section of Glenorchy-Queenstown Road between One Mile Roundabout and the Sunshine Bay turn-off following a washout earlier this week.

Access to Glenorchy-Queenstown Road is being maintained via Fernhill Road. A further update will be provided next week once clean-up and geotechnical assessments are complete.

Thank you for your patience while crews complete essential repairs to the road!

23/09/2026

Oh buoy! 😓 A jet boat which appears to have been stripped has been left just south of the Coast Guard building on Lake Whakatipu. If you're the owner or you know how we can get in touch with them, please call QLDC's Harbourmaster on 03 441 0499.

23/09/2026

🚧 Temporary Lane Closure: Hallenstein Street, Queenstown

Heads up for motorists heading along Hallenstein Street in Queenstown from Friday 25 September. Crews will be closing a lane between Sydney Street and York Street to support watermain works in the area. This work is expected to take approximately two weeks.

Once stage one is completed, they will then move the lane closure between York Street and Dublin Street for approximately three weeks.

A short detour will be in place throughout the duration of work (see maps below). Resident and business access will also be maintained.

Thanks for your understanding while this work is completed.

22/09/2026

**Winter Road Report – 23 September 2026, 6.32am**
Mōrena Queenstown Lakes,
We are waking up to a cool crisp morning in our district today, with no winter driving issues to report!

Across the district:

- The Crown Range summit is sitting at a brisk -2.5°C, but the road is dry, so it’s looking pretty good up there.
- Around the district, we are seeing 2°C in Arrowtown to 5°C at Kelvin Heights. It’s a little cooler out at Hāwea Flat on 0°C, Cardrona on 1°C and Wānaka on 2°C.
- There was a light dusting of snow overnight south of Alexandra, but it hasn’t settled on the road.
- There’s a chance of a little more snow today and over the weekend, so winter might be trying to sneak back in for a cameo.

If you spot any issues on the road, please give us a call on 03 441 0499.

Mā te wā (until next time)!
Hitch

Link to report:

Visit our website for information on driving in our district. If conditions change during the day, we will post updates on the QLDC page. If you prefer to stop receiving these reports, please reply to this email with 'unsubscribe' in the subject line. To ensure you keep receiving emails ...

22/09/2026

Crews have been making good progress clearing slips and repairing Skippers Road following a recent weather event. The road is now open up to Deep Creek (approximately 7km from the Summit).

Caution is still advised along the open part of the road while crews continue to repair defects. Please follow their instructions and obey traffic management if traveling through here.

Beyond Deep Creek crews continue to work on Blue Slip and other damaged areas. This includes the installation of a new culvert. We're anticipating this area of the road to be closed for another two weeks and will be sure to provide updates when it reopens.

Thanks for your patience while this work is completed!

📸 Pictured: Some of the damaged areas along Skippers Road which Downer are working on.

21/09/2026

**Conserve Water Notice: Fernhill & Sunshine Bay, Frankton Road and Queenstown CBD**

Update 8.00am, 24 September 2026: This conserve water notice has now been lifted. Thanks for your patience!

[Original Post - 9.55am, 22 September]

A conserve water notice has been issued for Fernhill & Sunshine Bay, Queenstown CBD and Frankton Road due to disruptions at the Two Mile Water Treatment Plant following heavy overnight rain.

Engineers are assessing the plant. We're anticipating the notice to be in place for approximately 12 hours and will provide further updates when available.

Please help by conserving water until further notice - we've provided some tips in the comments below.

21/09/2026

**Winter Road Report – 22 September 2026, 6.44am**
Mōrena Queenstown Lakes,

If you’re heading to or from Glenorchy this morning, you’ll find your usual route is taking a small detour. Overnight, a section of Glenorchy Road between the Fernhill roundabout and Sunshine Bay was washed out, so that section of the road is currently closed. Drivers will be diverted via Fernhill Road while roading crews inspect the damage this morning. So, allow a little extra time, and follow the detour signs.

Across the district:

- We’ve had a few minor rockfalls through Kawarau Gorge and down Kingston Road, so keep an eye out and take a little extra care if you’re travelling those routes.
- It’s a cooler start across the district this morning, but the good news is the rain and wind have largely moved on, leaving us with mostly dry and improving conditions.
- Roads are still wet in places but are drying out, so take it easy and drive to the conditions.
- The Crown Range is looking pretty good this morning. It’s mostly dry, with a few damp patches down in the Cardrona Valley. There’s a light breeze and it’s sitting at 4 degrees at the summit, with no winter-related issues reported up there.
- And while it’s chilly out there, everyone across the district is safely above freezing this morning.

If you spot any issues on the road, please give us a call on 03 441 0499.

Mā te wā (until next time)!

Hitch
Link to report:

If you’re heading to or from Glenorchy this morning, you’ll find your usual route is taking a small detour. Overnight, a section of Glenorchy Road between the Fernhill roundabout and Sunshine Bay was washed out, so that section of the road is currently closed. Drivers will be diverted via Fernhi...