A new bloc of candidates for Otago Regional Council (ORC) is promising not just a rates freeze, but actual rates cuts.

Vision Otago, which includes sitting Dunstan councillors Michael Laws and Gary Kelliher, launched its rates and finance policy this week, pledging to “reduce rates, not hold them” over their first council term.

The group said its campaign is fuelled by what it calls the “obscene annual rate rises” of recent years.

While this year the average rates rise for the region was 5.5 percent - significantly lower than the forecast 13.8 percent - it was 16.6 percent, 18.8 percent, 18 percent, and 48.5 percent in the years preceding.

Michael said households in Central Otago and Southern Lakes often experienced rates rises higher than average.

Both he and Gary refused to sign off on rates rises in the past term in a bid to “instil more responsibility to the council’s finances”.

Vision Otago argues the council has let spending spiral, pointing to staff numbers they say have almost doubled in recent years, a new Dunedin headquarters that is over budget and behind schedule, and the contrast of still hiking rates despite fully owning Port Otago and banking a $15M dividend last year.

“In the midst of a cost of living crisis – when farmers, businesses and ordinary households are doing it tough – the ORC has purposefully turned a blind eye,” Michael said.

“This isn’t so much not reading the room – this is not reading the region.”

In the Dunstan constituency, a third candidate for council, Nicky Rhodes, a commercial real estate agent based in Wānaka, is also running on the Vision Otago ticket.

The elections will be conducted by postal vote using, for the first time, the Single Transferable Vote system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference and can encourage strategic grouping.

At a meet-the-candidates event held in central Queenstown on Monday night (September 1), local Queenstown-based ORC hopefuls Matt Hollyer and Ben Farrell reportedly joined forces to suggest voters rank them ‘1’ and ‘2’ on the ballot - then stop there, to up the chance of a strong Wakatipu voice on the council.

The Dunstan constituency covers the communities of Wānaka, Cromwell, Tarras, Makarora, Alexandra, Maniototo and Teviot Valley, in addition to Queenstown.

Long-standing Central Otago councillor and deputy mayor Neil Gillespie, of Cromwell, and Maniototo-based community worker Aime Pont round out the seven candidates vying for election to the four seats representing the area - up from three at the last election.

Ballot papers are expected in letterboxes throughout the region later in September, with voting closing on Saturday, October 11. 

PHOTOS: Supplied