Maddy Harker
11 December 2024, 4:04 PM
Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has formally appealed the outcome of Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) representation review and a hearing will be held in January.
In October ORC councillors voted to add an extra seat to the Dunstan ward (which covers Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago) and reduce the number of seats in the Dunedin ward by one.
In a letter sent to ORC this month, QLDC said it was appealing the decision as the change in the allocation of seats did not go far enough.
It “do[es] not provide effective representation of communities of interest”, the letter, signed by QLDC mayor Glyn Lewers and chief executive Mike Theelen said.
“There is a clear and evident change in the size and distribution of the region’s population and the ORC decision demonstrates an unwillingness to proactively respond and adapt to the trajectory of change within ORC’s boundaries and populations,” they said.
ORC staff had recommended an additional seat for Dunstan during the lengthy representation review process (which regional councils must undertake every six years) because of population growth in the ward.
However, during the submissions process, QLDC said a fifth ward encompassing Queenstown, Frankton, Wānaka, and Cromwell, should be created instead to more equitably represent the growing area.
Read more: Fifth constituency recommended to ORC
Glyn had indicated after the vote in October that QLDC was considering an appeal.
The letter from Glyn and Mike (dated December 2) said the seat allocation does not fully meet the requirements of the Local Electoral Act 2001 (LEA).
ORC had “abrogated its responsibilities to its communities” by failing to make changes that will “provide stability across its constituencies”, they said.
ORC told the Wānaka App QLDC’s letter had been forwarded to the Local Government Commission, which will hold a hearing in late January.
PHOTO: ORC