The Queenstown Lakes district's ranking as the second-fastest-growing district in New Zealand ratifies the population growth management already in play by the council, the Ministry of Education and the Southern District Health Board.
However, the new census data amplifies the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust's call for a robust housing plan with vision.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden said yesterday the figures simply reinforced what the council already knew.
''Queenstown remains a highly desirable place to live and visit, and therefore all of the council's planning must factor in the impacts of high growth,'' Ms van Uden said.
''Some of these impacts are highly positive, such as greater economic growth, an increased rating base which will help minimise ratepayer costs, and increased property values for existing homeowners.
''But against that are things such as increasing difficulty for families wanting to buy their first home and greater demands on our core infrastructure.''
Ms van Uden said the council would start to update its long-term plan in 2014.
The Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust champions the need for a district housing plan to help prevent pressure on housing from major future developments.
Chairman David Cole said short to medium-term growth emphasised the need for a sound housing plan for the district, similar to Auckland's in the past 12 months.
''We're in a more fortunate position here in Queenstown in that we can work collectively - the housing trust, the council and other developers and stakeholders - to make sure we have a proper planned approach to accommodate housing needs,'' Mr Cole said.
The proposed convention centre, new high school at Remarkables Park, new primary school in Shotover Country and commercial development at Five Mile would stimulate population growth through construction phases, then the operational phases, putting further pressure on housing needs.
''We need to plan for that growth rather than simply react to it after it's occurred.''
The trust has about 250 eligible residents on its waiting list and an interest in about 70 residential dwellings around the district, including 44 at the greenfield Shotover Country development.
It was behind construction of 27 homes in Lake Hayes Estate and controversially plans a further 10 dwellings on Suffolk St, Arrowtown, when the council transfers the land to the trust.
Census data is part of the range of information the Ministry of Education uses to monitor population growth and anticipate demand for school places.
Deputy secretary Andrew Hampton said the ministry worked to ensure all schools had the space to learn and succeed and a lot of planning work had been done in the Queenstown Lakes district, where the population had been growing for some time.
''We are planning to make more space available at Remarkables Primary School and more classrooms are being constructed at Arrowtown Primary School and Wanaka Primary School,'' Mr Hampton said.
''We have identified a site for the planned relocation of Wakatipu High School and the minister recently announced the establishment of a new primary school in the Shotover Country development.''
New census figures would help the Southern District Health Board plan for Queenstown and across the district, chief executive Carole Heatly said.
The figures ''are part of an important story, the other component of which is the health needs of those people'', Ms Heatley said.
''Current demand for health-care from Queenstown residents is being taken into account in our planning process. We welcome the early release of the census date to help inform this study.''
Ms Heatley said census information was grouped by territorial authority, ''which does not necessarily reflect the flow of patients. People who live in Wanaka, for instance, may prefer to access Dunstan Hospital.''
• In tomorrow's Otago Daily Times, we look at how other southern districts are faring.
