Projects — Shaping Our Future

The people of the Queenstown Lakes District and Upper Clutha decide what projects we tackle. We ask what’s important to them and go from there.

We have brought lots of small communities together to define a better future – and helped them produce a Community Visioning Report they can use to guide their actions to reach that goal.

There are also much bigger subjects that affect lives district-wide – like energy, wellbeing and the economy – and we help locals prioritise issues and work on solutions.

Find out about our past projects.

Communities

Featured

community visions

Wānaka Airport

community visions

In 2024 we worked with the Wānaka Airport User Group to help their 150-strong community of businesses, employees and individuals envision their future.

community visions

Luggate

community visions

The Luggate community came together in 2023 to shape a clear long-term vision and a practical list of actions to achieve their goals.

community visions

Kingston

community visions

The Kingston Community Visioning Report (2022) sets out a plan to help Kingston manage future growth, including around 900 new homes.

community visions

Southland

community visions

In 2022 we began work on Call Me Southland, a community-driven vision for 2050 developed through workshops, surveys and meetings.

community visions

Lake Dunstan

community visions

With the help of more than 600 contributors, we drew up this community vision for Lake Dunstan on behalf of the Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust in 2022.

community visions

Hāwea

community visions

In late 2021 and 2022, Shaping Our Future worked with the Hāwea Community Association to explore how locals were feeling about the area growing so quickly.

community visions

Arrowtown

community visions

Arrowtown’s 2017 Community Visioning Report, revised and updated in 2022, seeks a vibrant, diverse community that actively manages its future.

community visions

Lake Hayes & Shotover Country

community visions

In 2018 we took a quick “community snapshot” of life in – and ambitions for – Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country.

community visions

Frankton

community visions

In 2018 Shaping Our Future worked with the Frankton Community Association and QLDC to run a forum to inform QLDC’s Frankton Master Plan.

community visions

Glenorchy

community visions

This report outlines the outcomes of two community forums held in 2015 to develop a long-term vision for Glenorchy by 2035.

community visions

District level projects

Featured

district level

Tourism

district level

We’ve tackled the issue of tourism twice: once with the Visitor Industry Task Force in 2014, and again in 2023 with the Tourism Carrying Capacity Report.

district level

Climate resilience

district level

In 2019 we hosted forums to talk about the climate change challenge. Following up on this, in 2022 we had a Locally Grown Food workshop.

district level

Water

district level

Work on the Whakatipu and Upper Clutha water reports started in 2018 with forums where locals shared their concerns and formed task forces.

district level

Transport

district level

The 2017 Queenstown and Upper Clutha Transport Reports outline a long-term vision for transport across the Queenstown Lakes District.

district level

Community wellbeing

district level

Our forums and survey in 2021 explored how to maximise four types of wellbeing – social, cultural, economic and environmental. We revisited the subject in 2025/26.

district level

Conservation

district level

This project began with a public forum in Wānaka in May 2014, where over 60 people discussed the conservation challenges facing the Upper Clutha.

district level

Energy

district level

The Energy Futures Report lays out a clear goal: help the Queenstown Lakes District build a smarter, stronger energy future by 2035.

district level

Innovation

district level

In 2013 in Wānaka we hosted a forum about innovation to gather like minds and different thinking with a view to raising a task force to work on the subject.

district level

Economy

district level

The Economic Futures and Events projects grew out of our first four public forums back in 2011, where locals shared ideas about the district’s long-term success.

district level