​Central Otago features high in 2023 Census as a growth district

It’s not hard to understand why the district is growing at such a rapid rate, Central Otago District Council Chief Executive Peter Kelly says.

Central Otago District, along with the Queenstown Lakes and Selwyn districts, is among the fastest growing districts in the country, according to the just-released 2023 Census statistics.

“When you sit here and look around it’s not hard to understand why the place has become so popular,” Mr Kelly said.

“As a newcomer myself, having lived and worked overseas and in New Zealand, living and working here in Central is pretty close to paradise.

“The district appeals to people looking for a balance of lifestyle, between work and active recreation.”

However, that rapid growth has brought its own set of challenges such as demand on housing, education, healthcare and key infrastructure.

Council had anticipated growth and has developed various plans to deal with it such as the Cromwell Masterplan and more recently the Teviot Valley Spatial Plan. There are longer term plans that link into the location specific planning such as infrastructure, economic and community development plans.

“The challenge we are facing is the growth Central Otago has experienced doesn’t always neatly align with those plans; in simple terms it has come faster than we’ve been able activate the plan. We certainly have the capacity for further growth right across Central Otago, and Council is continually working on refreshing or reviewing plans to account for further rapid growth.

“We’re already seeing a trickledown effect, with people looking at residential options in smaller communities such as Roxburgh and Omakau, with towns like Cromwell and Alexandra either becoming too large for their liking or becoming too expensive due to high demand.”

Earlier this year, Council commissioned independent research to help inform its Shaping Tomorrow Together project, which intends to inform a long term vision for Central Otago set by residents.

“Through that research, our community has told us that healthcare, housing affordability and future-proofed infrastructure are highly important to delivering their vision for Central Otago. These three items ranked in the top four of ‘supporting actions’ to deliver this vision of Central Otago, with 90% or higher rating them these as essential or quite important.”

“As has been regularly raised by the mayors of Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, there is a rapidly growing demand for public healthcare services to be made available in inland Otago. The census data further supports the evidence that the mayors have presented to Te Whatu Ora.“

Equally, there were many opportunities that arose from such growth, such as increasing diversity into communities, new employment opportunities and new skills into the district. Often those skills went on to directly benefit the community through various clubs and organisations as new residents integrated themselves into the community, Mr Kelly said.

“We know many people who recently moved here realised the opportunity to work differently due to COVID-19 lockdowns and the global acceleration of remote working.

“There is a growing global trend for people to find a better balance between work and lifestyle. Central Otago’s reputation as a visitor destination, especially domestically, has been strongly enhanced in recent years, with new product offerings and supporting visitor infrastructure helping drive that popularity. And as we know, many new residents first started out as visitors on holiday who fell in love with this place."