The relocation of ORC’s Queenstown office tenancy, within the same Terrace Junction building, next to the BP service station at the Frankton Rd roundabout, takes effect from today (Monday, January 26).  

The new rented space, which is well signposted, will be more visible on the corner ground-floor of the building compared to the previous upstairs space. 

“This means ORC’s services can stay close to the nearby Queenstown bus hub for customer convenience and provide a more accessible and wheelchair-friendly presence,” says General Manager People and Corporate Tami Sargeant. 

 Queenstown is the fastest growing town in Otago with the second-largest population in the Region. 

“The larger and more publicly visible tenancy gives us a more welcoming reception area for staff and public – and a public engagement space.  

“This reinforces ORC’s commitment to supporting this growing community through a stronger local presence. It will be easier to find and use, and more pleasant for both staff and the public alike,” she says. 

"By providing staff with fit-for-purpose, modern facilities, the project supports more efficient ways of working, stronger collaboration, and improved responsiveness to community needs.” 

Adding to the refurbishment is a Kāi Tahu cultural narrative integrated into the design of the external signage, carpet, and motifs throughout the public reception area. The cultural design has been provided by mana whenua through Aukaha – Mana Ahurea, their cultural design integration team. 

The design draws on similar concepts used in Aonui – the Otago Regional Council’s new headquarters in Dunedin, says Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou upoko Edward Ellison. 

“Through the partnership between mana whenua and the Otago Regional Council, the design features incorporated into the ORC Queenstown refurbishment reflect the values and concepts of kaitiakitaka (guardianship), wai māori (fresh water) and wāhi tapu (ancestral places), under the umbrella of the whakataukī ‘toitū te marae a Tāne, toitū te marae a Tangaroa, toitū te tāngata – if the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive’,” Mr Ellison says. 

“These elements speak to the immeasurable importance of wai māori and our collective responsibility to uphold its mauri. The designs also reference ki uta ki tai – the connection between inland and coastal environments – and the areas of shared significance to mana whenua and the seven rūnaka with interests across the inland takiwā (area).”

The boardroom in the office is a larger public-facing space that will be available for council meetings, or as a community activity space when not in use. Traditionally, ORC’s Queenstown meetings have been held in the Queenstown Lakes District Council building.   

ORC has operated out of the first-floor offices within the Terrace Junction complex since 2019. 

A total of 17 Queenstown-based staff will be re-housed at the new premises from Monday January 26.   

The project is funded within Council’s approved capital budgets.