More housing stock for the Queenstown Lakes District is progressing thanks to joint investment in supporting Three Waters infrastructure by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and developers Kingston Village Ltd (KVL).

QLDC General Manager Property & Infrastructure, Tony Avery welcomed the opportunity to work with KVL to deliver critical infrastructure in Kingston, which in the future would include new water and wastewater treatment plants and a range of stormwater improvements in the township.

A share of the delivery of these services and their costs has been arranged between Council and KVL to coincide with the developer’s plan for 750 new residential sections in Kingston, starting with 217 sections as part of a first stage of works.

“Given the area’s proximity to fast-growing Queenstown and its surrounding townships, Kingston has long been considered an appropriate location for more housing but limited by a lack of supporting infrastructure,” said Mr Avery.

“We’ve worked with KVL to arrive at an approach that works for us, the developer, and most importantly for our community and future families looking to make Kingston their home.”

Three Waters upgrades in the area are partly financed by an interest free loan from the Housing Infrastructure Fund, with debt repaid through Development Contributions from KVL and targeted rates as and when new properties connect to the services in the future.

The infrastructure has been designed to eventually provide capacity for and allow connection of existing dwellings in Kingston. But for now, properties within the township will need to continue managing their own water and wastewater systems until Council completes further planning, design, and financial analysis work before working with the community to develop a servicing plan.

Construction of a bore is complete and work on the water treatment plant and associated pipework through Kingston is expected to begin in July 2024.

Stormwater improvements for the township and to service KVL’s new development will get underway in October 2024, followed by construction of the wastewater treatment plant in the first half of 2025 once detailed design is complete.

Zoning for Kingston was revised under Plan Change 25: Kingston Village Special Zone, allowing for residential development. Since then, Kingston Village Ltd (KVL) has obtained resource consent to provide 750 new residential sections in Kingston.

Regular updates will be provided to the community as the project progresses.

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