The uptake of an upcoming community shuttle trial will help inform planning for future public transport in the Upper Clutha.

Both the local and regional councils plan to look at the temporary trial by Community Networks/LINK Upper Clutha to “test the anecdotal demand for public transport”.

Currently in its final development phase, the shuttle will link Wānaka, Albert Town, Hāwea Flat and Lake Hāwea for three months, according to a recent Community Networks-LINK newsletter.

The organisation said the issue of public transport had “increasingly emerged as a topic of conversation”.

The Hāwea Community Association (HCA) has asked for community-driven solutions to infrastructure and service provision for the fast-growing township, where the population is predicted to double by 2048.

The Wakatipu Basin has regular public transport services subsidised by the ORC, NZ Transport Agency, and Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), but there are no such services in the Upper Clutha.

“QLDC and Otago Regional Council have provided advice and been supportive in the development of the concept,” LINK manager Kathy Dedo said.

A QLDC spokesperson told the Wānaka App: "We’re certainly interested to see the outcome.”

At the Otago Regional Council, staff were also awaiting the results of the trial.

“The Community Networks/LINK trial will provide some evidence to inform ORC decisions on public transport needs in the region,” ORC transport manager Doug Rodgers said.

The ORC’s recently adopted Regional Public Transport Plan 2021-31 enables public transport in the Upper Clutha, but at this stage there is no funding for it.

QLDC, meanwhile, is currently in the early stages of its ‘Wānaka Network Optimisation Business Case’.

“Public transport will be one element investigated as part of the business case,” the QLDC spokesperson said.

He said more information would be shared with the public as the project develops.

"We are in the final stages of procurement and route planning," Kathy said. "We have delayed the start date until after Omicron's peak in the Southern region, for safety and to give the trial the best chance of success as both a transport system and a data collection exercise.”

"We look forward to sharing more information soon."

PHOTO: Wānaka App