Climate, Costs, Commuting & Community: How locals rate life in Queenstown Lakes

Seventy-four percent of Queenstown Lakes residents say their quality of life is good or extremely good in the latest 2025 Quality of Life Survey.

While this is a slight dip from last year’s 76 percent, overall quality of life for residents across the district remains high. In fact, the proportion of people who say they have a sense of pride in the district has risen to 70 percent, the highest level recorded since 2020 and a strong increase from 63 percent in 2024.

Nineteen percent of residents report an improvement in their overall quality of life, citing factors such as better housing, general life improvements, and stronger employment opportunities. However, 30 percent say their quality of life has decreased.

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor John Glover said, “It’s encouraging to see some improvements in the metrics around the issues that affect our communities but there are still big challenges to overcome. The Council that was elected in October last year is firmly focused on enabling better outcomes.” 

The number of people who rent or own their own home remains relatively unchanged from previous years. Council continues to work closely with Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust and central government on mid-to-long term solutions outlined in the district Joint Housing Action Plan.

A growing number of residents report experiencing barriers to healthcare, while 35 percent say nothing prevents them from accessing care. Although cost remains a consistent obstacle, wait times and service location have become increasingly significant issues. Only 8 percent of residents feel there are sufficient mental health services in the district, despite 44 percent reporting that they or a family member accessed a mental health service in the past year.

Public transport shortfalls persist. Some residents report having access to well-used services, while others say there are only limited options or none at all. Use of alternative transport modes at least once a month has also declined across the board, with cycling dropping from 42 percent to 35 percent. Additionally, 20 percent reported carpooling. 

Survey results are shared with other agencies including Te Whatu Ora - responsible for public health - and the Otago Regional Council - responsible for public transport - to support their future planning and decision-making.

Concern about climate change has continued to decline over the past three years, while the number of residents who are not concerned has gradually increased. Currently, 68 percent of residents are concerned about the impacts of climate change, and 72 percent are concerned about the health of our local biodiversity and natural environment. Since 2019, QLDC has been working with the community and partners to deliver meaningful climate and biodiversity action across the district and has just released its six-monthly 2025-2028 Climate and Biodiversity Progress Report.

The 2025 Quality of Life Survey received 1,767 responses from residents and a further 330 from non-resident ratepayers. The survey no longer asks residents about their satisfaction with local services, facilities, activities, or governance. These results will now come through the Community Insights Survey, due out next month.

ENDS | KUA MUTU

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FURTHER INFORMATION | Kā pāroko tāpiri

View the full 2025 Quality of Life Survey results

Quality of Life Survey page https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/qol 

Key highlights of the 2025 Quality of Life Survey results

Housing

• 65% of residents own their home, while 18% rent a house and 12% rent a room.

• 10% of residents experienced homelessness or accessed temporary or insecure accommodation in the last 12 months (most commonly relying on friends and family for temporary accommodation).

• 81% agree the home they live in suited the needs of everyone in their household.

Jobs and Income

• 79% of residents are in some form of paid employment.

• 15% of residents work remotely for an employer outside the district.

• 70% of residents have some or a sufficient level of disposable income, and 6% say they are unable to cover their expenses.

Health

• 65% of residents experience barriers to accessing healthcare services in the district.

• Residents identified cost as the main barrier to healthcare, followed by rising wait times (11% in 2019 to 27% in 2025) and location (4% to 12%). A lack of trust in the advice provided and the cost of after-hours services were also noted as barriers.

• 44% of residents either accessed mental health services themselves or had an immediate family member who had.

Transport

• 19% of residents agree public transport meets the needs of residents.

• 43% use a petrol or diesel vehicle less by using alternate transport modes, however those using alternate transport at least monthly has decreased for each type of transport - those cycling has decreased from 42% to 35%.

• 20% of residents carpool.

Neighbourhood

• 70% of residents are proud of the district - up from 63 percent in 2024.

• 62% of residents said they would recommend the district to others.

• 93% of residents feel their community is safe, and 65% agree their community is welcoming.

Environment

• 68% of residents are concerned about the impacts of climate change.

• 72% of residents are concerned about the health of local biodiversity and the natural environment.

• 88% are confident they place items in the right recycling bins – 23% say they know what happens to the recycling but 14% aren’t sure all recycled items actually get recycled.