Stormwater upgrade to begin on lower Ballarat Street as part of Town Centre Arterial Road project

The Kā Huanui a Tāhuna alliance will begin the next phase of work on lower Ballarat Street on Monday 14 October. The work involves the replacement of 90m of stormwater pipe between the Village Green and Stanley Street, and construction of a new outfall structure to discharge treated stormwater into Horne Creek.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) General Manager Property and Infrastructure, Tony Avery said the work would ultimately connect to significant underground service upgrades already constructed along the route of stage one and down some of the side streets into the town centre. 

“The upgraded pipe will be 900mm in diameter, which is close to double the size of the existing pipe.  The piped network has been carefully designed to capture as much of the water flow from uphill as possible, helping to reduce potential surface water particularly during more intense rainfall events we’re seeing associated with a changing climate,” he said. 

“These upgrades, once connected to the wider network, will improve water quality by treating initial stormwater runoff before discharging it into Horne Creek, and ultimately Lake Whakatipu,” he said.

The work by the alliance will require temporary changes to the road layout between Monday 14 October and Friday 20 December 2024. 

• Stanley Street (SH6A) remains two lanes, however there will be one-way access only into lower Ballarat Street. Two lane access will be available during Queenstown Marathon weekend, Saturday 16 November.

• No access to/from Athol Street from lower Ballarat Street.  Resident and business access will be maintained. Entry into Athol Street for businesses and the KFC drive-through will be available from Shotover Street.

• Coach stops on Athol Street will be temporarily relocated to the former Playcentre site on Stanley Street.

• Pedestrian access will be maintained around Athol and Lower Ballarat Street to access businesses, although there may be adjustments during the works. This will be clearly signposted.

Mr Avery said the location of this worksite means construction will be occurring near protected heritage features and within Horne Creek. 

Work of this nature requires resource consent and special conditions to ensure these important features are protected.

“The alliance team will be taking extra care to divert the flow of Horne Creek away from the worksite, allowing it to dewater before any excavation begins. All excavated material will be immediately removed from site to minimise the risk of sediment runoff and excavation will be backfilled as soon as possible after quality checks are complete,” Mr Avery said.

Further measures will be taken with work near the protected Wellingtonia trees on the corner of Stanley and Ballarat Street, as well as excavation near the historic courthouse building and the Ballarat Street bridge.

“Key protection methods by the alliance team include working outside a specific boundary and using an air-vac during excavation to protect tree roots, working closely with a qualified arborist and minimising vibration as much as possible,” Mr Avery said.

Once the stormwater upgrade on lower Ballarat Street is complete, the alliance will return in February 2025 to complete the final stage which involves connecting the piped stormwater network already installed in upper and lower Ballarat Street, within the Stanley Street (SH6A) intersection.

Mr Avery noted that because this final phase of work is within the state highway, it won’t start until the Arterial Road is open to traffic, to minimise disruption as much as possible

“The confirmed opening date for the Arterial Road (stage 1) is Tuesday 28 January 2025.  While a little later than previously communicated, it does factor in some wriggle room in case of challenges outside of our control, such as poor weather affecting our ability to complete final asphalting of the road, or supply delays. It also means the road can open with the traffic signals tested and operating as intended, removing the need for traffic management or temporary signage,” Mr Avery said.

“We’re looking forward to opening the road and celebrating this milestone with the community,” he said.

A video outlining the upcoming works can be found on Council’s Youtube channel:  https://youtu.be/80um72J-7KM

ENDS | KUA MUTU.

Media contact: communications@qldc.govt.nz or call 03 441 1802.

FURTHER INFORMATION | Kā pāroko tāpiri

Video outlining the upcoming works: https://youtu.be/80um72J-7KM

Map of stormwater upgrades and temporary access changes on lower Ballarat Street and Athol Street: https://www.qldc.govt.nz/media/jofjvi0r/qldc_ka-huanui-a-tahuna_ballarat-street-stormwater-project_a4-map-only_sep24-web.png

The Queenstown Town Centre Arterial is a key enabling project for the Queenstown Town Centre. Stage 1 will link Melbourne and Henry Streets, removing general traffic from Stanley Street and unlocking a range of other benefits, including:

• Improved access for public transport.

• Reduced car traffic in the town centre.

• More space for the town centre to grow and support new commercial developments that benefit from more people-friendly streets.

• Improved public spaces in the town centre.

The new section of road linking Melbourne Street to Henry Street will be named Henry Street. 

For more information visit www.qldc.govt.nz/town-centre-arterial-road