What happens to Queenstown’s energy supply when a major earthquake hits? 

Queenstown’s location and mountains are beautiful, but that same geography means we’ll be very vulnerable when things go wrong. A major earthquake is likely to damage roads, power infrastructure and other essential connections, leaving Queenstown cut off and without grid power for weeks or months. 

So, how prepared are we really? How long could Queenstown be without power or fuel, what would that mean for our homes, businesses and emergency services, and what can we do now to make sure we’re better prepared?

Join us for an evening exploring Queenstown's energy resilience. Where we are now, what could happen in a major earthquake, and what a more resilient energy system looks like for our future.

What we'll cover

We'll hear from people working across emergency management, infrastructure and energy about:

• Queenstown's energy lifelines: How electricity gets into the region, where the vulnerabilities are, and what could happen if critical infrastructure or transport routes are damaged.
• The earthquake scenario: What a major Alpine Fault earthquake could mean for Queenstown and how long the region could potentially be without normal energy supplies.
• Our roads and other lifelines: What happens when the infrastructure we rely on to move people, fuel, equipment and supplies is disrupted?
• Being better prepared: What households, businesses and communities can do now to prepare for a prolonged disruption to electricity and other essential services.
• The future of Queenstown's energy system: What opportunities are there to make our energy system more resilient, local and adaptable — and what role could technologies such as solar, batteries, electric vehicles and other distributed energy resources play?
• Who needs to be involved: How can electricity networks, councils, emergency services, businesses and communities work together to build greater resilience?

Hear from a range of perspectives

The evening will include a presentation from the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator exploring Queenstown's energy vulnerability and resilience, followed by a panel discussion bringing together people involved in the region's emergency preparedness and energy future.

There will also be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and contribute to the conversation.

Whether you're interested in emergency preparedness, infrastructure, energy, climate resilience, or simply want to understand what a major earthquake could mean for your household, this is a conversation for you.

Free but registration essential 

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