The chair of the new Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board is going into the first full meeting of the board feeling positive about the board’s relationship with the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).

“At this stage the experience we’re having is extremely positive. It feels like there has been a definite shift,” Simon Telfer told the Wānaka App.

Simon campaigned to be elected to the board prior to the October local body elections, saying the board needs “more energy… to champion initiatives on behalf of Wānaka, rather than just reactively responding to whatever is presented by QLDC staff”.

He said progress on a governance agreement with the council had been constructive.

“It has been really good to look at the delegations… 95 percent of what we have suggested has been included.

“We pushed hard and we got a really good compromise.”

Council governance and stakeholder services manager Naell Crosby-Roe and corporate services general manager Meaghan Miller are presenting a report at today’s meeting (Thursday December 8) which opposes two changes to the governance agreement suggested by the board.

Simon said the changes were “fair”.

He said changing the governance protocol to an agreement was “symbolic of the really strong working relationship that we’ve established with the QLDC”.

He couldn’t point to “anything tangible” to show the community the new board would be more effective in terms of its delegations, but said there was a “spirit of respect” and a “gentleman’s agreement”.

“We’re asking a lot of [council],” he said.

“Council is responding really well to how proactive the board is being.”

One change in the way the board will operate is that each of the board members (except deputy mayor Quentin Smith) is responsible for a specific ‘portfolio area’ within the community.

Linda Joll is responsible for environment; Lyal Cocks for economic issues; Chris Hadfield for culture; Barry Bruce for social issues; Simon for education, knowledge and collaboration; John Wellington for sport, recreation and events; and Cody Tucker for youth issues.

“Each community board member will act as a champion and initial contact person to promote specific community wellbeing,” Simon said.

Today’s meeting will take place at the Lake Wānaka Centre from 10am. The meeting will begin with a public forum.