A council report on community wellbeing has been sent back to the drawing board by councillors, having been described in part as “poorly written, vague, and negative”.

Four measures of community well-being - social, economic, environmental and cultural - were reintroduced into the Local Government Act in 2019, and the change gives local government a broader role than simply delivering core services.

The draft community wellbeing strategy is meant to help the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) “better understand and promote the wellbeing of its communities, define its role, identify the different communities in the district, explore different aspects of participation and outline supporting strategies and plans”.

Wanaka’s elected members all voted to send the draft strategy back to council staff for more work, with Quentin Smith saying it needed more specific direction and outcomes, and Niamh Shaw saying input from community associations and elected members was needed to ensure the report was community-led and focused on measurable outcomes.

Calum MacLeod led the criticism of the report.

Calum MacLeod said the council “can and will do better” before the next draft is released. PHOTO: Supplied

“I hate to push back on any council documents however I felt I had to in this case,” he told the Wanaka App.

The report, which Calum said had been seen only briefly by councillors at a workshop, “read like a document that was written to meet timelines and not outcomes”. 

While the draft said it focused on achieving the goals identified in the Vision Beyond 2050 community consultation, which took place in 2019, the text did not back that up, he said.

“Why would we - after spending two years and countless numbers of dollars - ignore these powerful vision statements that were drafted in consultation with the community,” Calum said.

Calum said neither did the draft report demonstrate “bold leadership”, as claimed, nor did it form the basis for developing a framework to deliver on an action plan.

The draft report, written by council staffers Marie Day (community lead, recovery team), corporate services general manager Meaghan Miller, and community services general manager Thunes Cloete, was welcomed by LINK Upper Clutha facilitator Kathy Dedo.

She said it was great news council was embracing its responsibility to “play a broad role in promoting the social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of their communities, taking a sustainable development approach”, adding that the council is already partnering with many community groups working in these areas.

However, Kathy said revisiting the draft strategy will lead to more clarity around its relationship with existing frameworks like Vision Beyond 2050, the council’s Climate Action Plan, and the upcoming Spatial Plan, as well as “what outcomes we should expect from focusing on wellbeing”.

“Community wellbeing underpins everything and being clear how this will guide decision-making in other dimensions of council work should be helpful,” Kathy said. “I know staff are planning to consult with key stakeholders as they re-draft and I look forward to participating in this process. I hope it will result in a meaningful, action-oriented strategy that the public can then engage with and provide their input.” 

The draft report will be reworked by council officers and others before being represented to full council for a further workshop. It will then be presented to the community for its feedback, Calum said.

“We can and will do better before the draft is released for community input,” he said.