Plenty of questions remain following a vote in which Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) gave its go-ahead to the Otago Central Lakes Regional Deal proposal. 

While the proposal - created in partnership with Central Otago District Council (CODC), and Otago Regional Council (ORC) - made it across the line, three councillors voted against it at Tuesday' meeting (February 25), and they and others were wary of a lack of clarity.

By approving the regional deal proposal QLDC was agreeing, in principle, to enter a partnership with the other councils, central government, and the private sector, to deliver initiatives ‘to address critical needs and support economic growth’, QLDC strategy and reform manager Pennie Pearce said.

In broad brushstrokes, the proposal talks about ‘transforming transport’ by partnering with private industry, ‘enhancing’ publicly-funded health services by partnering with private hospitals, clinics and investors, boosting tourism productivity, and improving housing affordability.

Read more: Tourism to drive plan for local regional deal

“I want to highlight that this is a starting point,” Pennie said. “The detail of what the package will actually be will be worked through in a negotiation if we were to be invited to the table for a regional deal.”

The proposal was seen as “an opportunity to do something different” by Lyal Cocks, but it raised concerns for Quentin Smith. PHOTOS: Supplied/Wānaka App

Pennie confirmed QLDC had no information about what the negotiation phase would look like.

Councillor Nikki Gladding said there were “lots of red flags”. 

They included the risk of private enterprise influencing public health decisions, a lack of clarity on whether there would be community consultation if initiatives in the plan were to progress, and the lack of information on the negotiation phase, she said.

“This could all blow up on us,” she said.

Deputy mayor Quentin Smith said the limited information was a major concern for him too.

“I’m really concerned it doesn’t answer the primary questions we have - how do we fund the growth in this district, how do we fund the visitor component, how do we fund transport in a different way?”

“The biggest mistakes I've made at this table have been when I haven't had enough information…[and] I haven’t got enough information to inform if this is sufficient to go to the government.”

Others saw the plan as a promising opportunity to resolve some of the ongoing challenges in the district.

“For those that are worried about this being the endgame I’ll point out the [public-private] Manchester deal has been running for 13 years now. They’re on to their eighth deal,” mayor Glyn Lewers said. 

“Here’s your chance, councillors, to be bold, break the system, actually achieve things we want to achieve and have talked about for six years.”

Councillor Lyal Cocks said it was “an opportunity to do something different”.

“Let’s grasp this opportunity and let’s try to get it over the line, being a bit innovative, and making a difference for our ratepayers and residents.”

Quentin, Nikki, and Esther Whitehead were the only councillors to vote against the proposal.

CODC and ORC councillors agreed to support the proposal yesterday (Wednesday February 26).

The next step is for it to be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs to be considered by central government.