Key facts
- Fact 01
Queenstown Lakes District Council approved the lease unanimously at a community and environment committee meeting.
- Fact 02
The leased land is an 8250sq m recreation reserve at the foot of Ben Lomond Reserve.
- Fact 03
Hampshire Holiday Parks would provide power and parking for each campsite.
- Fact 04
The council received no submissions after publicly notifying the lease in August.
Queenstown Lakes District Council has agreed to lease an 8250sq m recreation reserve at the foot of Ben Lomond Reserve to Hampshire Holiday Parks for five years, starting 1 January 2027. We read the Otago Daily Times report, published on 26 October 2026 NZ time.
The land borders Queenstown Cemetery and the Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park, which Hampshire Holiday Parks also operates. Councillors approved the lease unanimously at a community and environment committee meeting on Tuesday. Council parks property planner Matthew Judd told the meeting that Hampshire asked for the lease because campsites for tents, caravans and campervans are in very high demand in central Queenstown throughout the year.
The Otago Daily Times reports that Hampshire would build an amenities block, which would be removed at the end of the lease, and provide power and parking spaces for each campsite. Pedestrian access through the site would not be affected. Public use of the land is expected to be minimal until the Lakeview development creates a residential population nearby, and the council publicly notified its intention to grant the lease in August and received no submissions.
For visitors, the practical point is demand. Central Queenstown camping is already in high demand all year, so book early if you plan a campervan or tent stay, and do not assume the new sites will be open on 1 January 2027, because the report does not give an opening date for them.
If you are travelling without a rental car, our car-free stay guide covers getting around, and our Ben Lomond day hike planner covers the walk from this side of town.
Questions visitors are asking
What is the new camping lease in Queenstown?
Queenstown Lakes District Council approved a five-year lease of an 8250sq m recreation reserve at the foot of Ben Lomond Reserve to Hampshire Holiday Parks, starting 1 January 2027. The land borders Queenstown Cemetery and the Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park, and councillors approved the lease unanimously at a community and environment committee meeting.
Why did Hampshire Holiday Parks ask for the Queenstown reserve lease?
Council parks property planner Matthew Judd told the committee that Hampshire Holiday Parks asked for the lease because campsites for tents, caravans and campervans are in very high demand in central Queenstown throughout the year. Hampshire also operates the Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park, which borders the leased reserve land at the foot of Ben Lomond Reserve.
Will pedestrians still be able to walk through the Queenstown reserve?
Yes. The Otago Daily Times reports that pedestrian access through the site would not be affected by the lease. Public use of the land is expected to be minimal until the Lakeview development creates a residential population nearby, and the council received no submissions after publicly notifying its intention to grant the lease in August.
Are the new Queenstown campsites open yet?
No opening date has been reported. The lease starts on 1 January 2027, and Hampshire Holiday Parks would build an amenities block, removed at the end of the lease, and provide power and parking for each campsite. Central Queenstown camping is in high demand all year, so book early and do not count on the new sites.