The Otago Regional Council (ORC) is working on its plan to spend a considerable amount set aside - $250,000 - for Wānaka transport.
The funding had been removed from the council’s plans this year, but was since reinstalled on the council’s budget for the next financial year.
The original aim of the ORC was to partner with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to assess the need and costings. But when the agency withdrew its co-funding, the council pulled out.
ORC general manager planning and transport Anita Dawe said it would be guided by NZTA on how to spend the funds and where.
The council will consider whether to discontinue free children’s bus fares (5-12 years), increase adult fares from $2 to $2.50 and several other public transport changes at its meeting this week.
The council’s hearings panel for transport is recommending discontinuing free fares for children, increasing the adult fare from $2 to $2.50 and setting child and youth discounts (5-18 years) to 40% off the adult fare (i.e., $1.50). The fare increases are recommended to take effect from September 29, 2025.
The plan’s hearings panel also recommends moving to a zone fare structure once ORC completes further analysis and modelling.
Ms Dawe said no timeframe had been indicated for the recommended change yet.
The decisions are a result of ORC’s review of the Otago Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP).
The RPTP attracted 549 public submissions, and hearings were held in May.
In addition to fare changes, the panel has made recommendations on several potential new public transport services frequently raised by submitters.
"Many submitters indicated their support for some type of community transport to facilitate better intra-regional connections. The panel recommends the council maintains support for community transport as written in the plan, with the timing and scale of any future community transport programme to be decided in future council meetings."
The council has included funding for an Upper Clutha- Wānaka business case that would seek to understand the demand, location and viability of public transport in Wānaka.
The workshop will include a briefing on how the programme has been prioritised following confirmation of funding levels and what the timeframes are expected to be for delivery of designs and construction works.
Feedback is sought from the elected members around the "public concern" aspect of the policy ratings.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council submitted to ORC’s draft 10-year RPTP.
The weight of local feedback undoubtedly helped reverse its earlier decision to scrap a public transport business case for the Upper Clutha in its annual plan.
Wānaka-Upper Clutha is the fastest growing ward in the Otago region, followed closely by Cromwell.
The Wānaka community has been petitioning the ORC for a public bus service for years.
