Regular mayoral contender Al Angus has announced he will stand for mayor of Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) this October, promising Upper Clutha residents he would engage and act on Wānaka’s concerns.

The Kinloch based candidate told the Wānaka App he is a member of Protect Wānaka (the Wānaka Stakeholder Group), and has traveled from Kinloch “many times” to support the group's cause.

“I witnessed the appalling lack of regard council had for well thought out, and correct input from the Wānaka community,” he said.

“Under my watch, council will engage and act on community concerns.”

Al listed five items on his agenda should he become QLDC mayor. 

The first was to “use every tool and mechanism available to retain total control of our water infrastructure and completely reverse this council's support for the three waters theft”.

He wants to undertake “a comprehensive and transparent investigation” into the Queenstown Lakeview sale to identify who benefited from it.

He also wants to investigate how the QLDC “was driven to sign the illegal lease of Wānaka Airport”.

He says he will suspend all the council’s consultancy contracts, assess them for value, and “again see who is financially benefiting, either directly or indirectly”. 

“It certainly doesn't appear to be the ratepayers,” he said.

Finally, Al said he will “identify and lock in for future generations the immense environmental recovery that has been an accidental upside of Covid-19”.

PHOTO: Supplied