The council is pushing ahead with its proposal to abolish the Wanaka Community Board as council’s elected members agreed to promote a new representation model to the community “for the purposes of public consultation”.

At Wednesday’s (June 30) full council meeting, all Queenstown Lakes District councillors, including three based in Wanaka, debated at length the number and composition of the various proposed wards.

There was no discussion about reinstating Wanaka’s community board, however, and in a split vote the council agreed to a representation proposal which will reduce Wanaka’s elected members from the existing seven (three councillors and four board members) to just four councillors.

Under the Local Electoral Act 2001, local authorities are required to review their representation agreements at least once every six years, to provide for “effective representation of communities of interest” and “fair representation for electors”.

The population of the Wanaka Ward (Upper Clutha area) has increased substantially since the last review and, as a result, the ward (under the new proposed name Wanaka-Hāwea Ward) will be allocated a fourth councillor.

An independent Representation Review Advisory Group, convened earlier this year by the QLDC, recommended disestablishing the community board, believing just four councillors would provide more equitable representation across the district.

Read more: Group recommends WCB be abolished

The advisory group also recommended realigning and renaming the Arrowntown and Whakatipu wards, to incorporate Arrowtown with other communities, such as Lakes Hayes Estate, Shotover Country and Gibbston Valley. 

Wednesday’s meeting began with a number of public submissions calling for the retention of the Arrowtown Ward and its one councillor, separate to the other wards.

This issue was raised again during the meeting by the existing Arrowtown Ward councillor Heath Copeland who said the advisory group had got it wrong and he proposed four wards: Arrowtown (one councillor); Wanaka-Hāwea (four councillors); Kawarau (three councillors) and Whakatipu (four councillors).

His resolution led to a split vote, with five elected members voting in favour and five against and it was only the mayor’s casting vote in favour of the proposed four wards that carried the resolution.

All councillors agreed, however, that public consultation on the representation review would begin next week with a month for submissions, from July 5 - August 6, and council would hear submissions in Queenstown on August 26 and a day later in Wanaka on August 27.

The council’s proposed arrangement for four wards and 12 councillors can still be amended by public submissions, to include the Wanaka Community Board for instance, and the council must consider submissions before making its final decision on district representation.

People who made a submission may appeal against the council’s final decision by lodging an appeal or objection with the Local Government Commission. The commission then considers the appeals and makes a final determination.

Any final changes to the ward boundaries, community boards and numbers of elected members will take effect during the local elections in October 2022. 

PHOTO: QLDC