Welcome to Shaping Our Future
The conversations we facilitate inspire action that leads to a better future.
Upcoming Events, Meetings & Workshops
Current Visioning Processes
What We Do
& Why We Do It
What does Shaping Our Future do?
The Queenstown Lakes District is rapidly growing.
Without knowing where we want to go, how can we move in the right direction?
Shaping our Future was formed in 2011 to ensure the community gets a chance to guide today’s decision-makers into the future we collectively envision. We invite you to support us today for a better tomorrow.
We look to the long term – where do we want to be in 10, 20, 50 years?
Our process results in actions towards achieving our shared vision. If we don’t, who will?
“I left feeling really thankful to come together to start the conversation, and have a place that was an open book on discussion and to do something more for the future of Queenstown.”
Maria, Forum participant
“I left feeling really thankful to come together to start the conversation, and have a place that was an open book on discussion and to do something more for the future of Queenstown.”
Maria, Forum participant
Recent News
In this post we’re digging into youth representation, it is a timely discussion with the Young Voters debate on tonight at 7.30 pm (link below takes you to the live stream)![]()
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvyai6SKV7Q![]()
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The local politics of now are future decisions that will affect the next gen. ![]()
We’ve been fascinated to view the results of this election, to see how youth voter turnout has tracked. ![]()
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Youth representation in local politics could be much better and it’s been trending poorly for nearly a decade. ![]()
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The exception was the 2017 election our nation experienced a 'youthquake' with 'Jacindamania'. ![]()
Labour recorded a 6% increase in youth votes over that general election. [source: Guardian: “youthquake rumbles to a stop? Support for the left falls among New Zealand’s young voters – Aug 2023].![]()
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Will we see young people show up this election? ![]()
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There’s a good thesis paper, published in 2020 called Local government and youth voter turnout: Obstacles and solutions for Aotearoa New Zealand from Kyle Daniel Mathijssen Whitfield from the University of Otago. Click here to read it: ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10523/12096/Kyle%20Whitfield%20DBA%20Thesis%20Final.pdf?s... ![]()
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His research found that New Zealanders are losing the habit of voting (Catt & Northcote, 2006) but shines that it’s not just a kiwi problem. ![]()
A 2016 New York times article digs into the same terminology. Quoting Eric Plutzer, political science professor from Washington DC, research into habitual nonvoters and habitual voters. ![]()
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He says, ‘voting is a habit formed over time, and one possible reason young people do it less frequently is they have had fewer opportunities to form and reinforce the habit.’ ![]()
Untangling the reasons why young people aren’t engaged is a multifaceted problem – all research speaks to this. ![]()
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Youth disengagement from feedback mechanisms can be attributed to psychological feelings of cynicism, lack of knowledge of the political policies and the view that their opinion is perceived ineffective. ![]()
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“Young people tend to get sidelined in the policy process and I think a lot of our urban space and infrastructure is a great example. Our cities are not built to support young people’s wellbeing.” ![]()
Academic Researcher, Ngā Kōrero Hauora o Ngā Taiohi (Youth Wellbeing), report by ActionStation and Ara Taiohi (2018) ![]()
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We certainly haven’t cracked the code when it comes to engaging youth in our feedback sessions, but we understand the utter importance of gathering their views, and we will keep trying because the decisions of today or the future we want, they will live to see it. ![]()
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Get involved – follow our social profiles and sign up to our mailing list. ![]()
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shapingourfuture.org.nz/get-involved/ ![]()
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#futureleaders #nzpolitics #youthdebate #youngvoters #nzelection2023
The general election is bracing to open their doors to voters. ![]()
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Voting opens to the public on the 2nd of October and will run for 6 days ending on Saturday. ![]()
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Your vote can determine outcomes for the future of our country. ![]()
Crucially choosing a party which will use our taxpayer earnings to fund projects you believe in. ![]()
These sites are handy and seem balanced. ![]()
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thespinoff.co.nz/politics ![]()
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www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/494809/latest-political-polling-campaign-finances-social-media-targe... ![]()
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www.newsroom.co.nz/politics/raw-politics-august-25 ![]()
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Be informed then vote. ![]()
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Because your vote counts and it has the ability to swing an election. ![]()
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Visit us: shapingourfuture.org.nz/![]()
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#Generalelection2023 #newzealandpolitics #swingvote #voting #yourvotecounts #voteyagoat
The media is heating up as political parties do everything to capture the attention of voters. ![]()
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It’s becoming harder and harder to sieve through ![]()
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Vote for the party with the best aligning policies. ![]()
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You can get an idea of your political stance by taking a blind quiz. ![]()
policy.nz/2023![]()
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The issues you feel strongly about will match you with the party who are creating policy around those issues. ![]()
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This is a good indicator of where you might stand on the political spectrum so you can cast a considered vote. ![]()
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Visit us: shapingourfuture.org.nz/![]()
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#generalelection2023 #newzealandpolitics #swingvote #voting #yourvotecounts #voteyagoat
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
about Shaping Our Future
Who is on the Shaping our Future Board?
The board is comprised entirely of volunteers who donate their time and expertise. Each one has a love for the district and wants to see it continue to develop into a community we are proud of. Meet us.
How does Shaping our Future engage with the community?
We have used an in-person process of forums, involving workshops that foster discussion. From there, a taskforce of volunteers produces a report that gets ratified and presented to the appropriate council. Watch a forum in action.
We also use online meetings, host talks, and collaborate with other organisations to engage with all parts of our community. Got an idea for our next event? Let us know.
Does Shaping our Future work with other community organisations?
Absolutely, yes. Since our foundation in 2011, there are many organisations that work very effectively with their members on specific issues, such as Wai Wanaka, Sustainable Queenstown and WAO. We both support their initiatives and work with them to increase our ability to reach out and hear from as wide a range of people as possible. Keen to collaborate with us? Get in touch.
How can I get involved?
Easy, just sign up at our Get Involved page. Our strength lies in numbers and the more community members involved, the better.
Who funds Shaping our Future?
We are a not-for-profit, apolitical group that receives funding primarily from Queenstown Lakes District Council. The council recognizes the value of supporting an independent group to engage with the wider community to influence policy to align with the community vision. This saves QLDC having to engage private consultants. We also receive funding from the Department of Internal Affairs, as well as private and corporate donations. Keen to help? Donate here.
CURRENT Actions
PAST Actions
Link to: EVENTS
EVENTS
Shaping Our Future hosts a variety of events, including informational evenings, workshops, and forums – check our events page regularly for upcoming events.
Keen to stay in the loop of upcoming events? Join us.
Got an idea for an event? Share with us.
