Otago Regional Council (ORC) councillors will consider a range of public transport changes - including moving forward the introduction of public transport for Wānaka - at today’s (June 25) council meeting.

The hearing panel for ORC’s Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) has made a range of recommendations which councillors will consider following submissions from more than 500 Otago residents, ORC regional planning and transport general manager Anita Dawe said.

Submitters had also asked for “better intraregional connections”, Anita said, including services between Wānaka and Queenstown, Dunedin and Dunedin Airport, Outram and Central Otago, and others. 

“The RPTP recommendations include [that] council consider these potential new services in the future and accelerate introducing public transport services for Wānaka to a six to ten year timeframe,” she said.

Other recommendations across Otago include a range of fare changes for public transport in Otago and moving to a zone fare structure further down the line.

In late May ORC made the decision to restore $250,000 in funding for an Upper Clutha public transport business case to the current financial year, a U-turn that was celebrated by Queenstown Lakes District Council and local community groups.

Anita told the Wānaka App this will also be considered today.

“The Wānaka/Upper Clutha business case funding for the 2025/26 financial year will also be considered in a separate item on adoption of the Annual Plan 2025/26,” she said.

Councillor Michael Laws said he had moved the motion to restore local business case funding because it deserved it as the fastest growing ward in Otago.

Fellow councillor Alexa Forbes told the Wānaka App this week that she was pleased about the business case but she’d “much rather see funding in place for an actual public transport system”.

Wānaka and the Upper Clutha “have been needing and wanting public transport for many years now…” Alexa said.

Councillors will consider both items relating to Wānaka public transport as part of the full council meeting taking place in Dunedin at 10am. 

PHOTO: Supplied