Crux lodges complaint with Government as QLDC refuses to answer Lakeview questions

The Queenstown Lakes District Council has again refused to address Crux questions about the $2 billion Lakeview project and a potential $153 million loss for ratepayers.

Our image above shows the Lakeview site yesterday (Monday August 11) - abandoned with no sign of construction activity, eight years after QLDC CEO Mike Theelen was granted sole delegated authority over the project.

The QLDC has somehow spent $100 million on the empty site and surrounding roads but received no money for the sale of the land. A secret QLDC deal with the Australian developers gives them 20 years to pay for the land, using a 2017 valuation of $42 million and adding undefined “super profits” that may or may not eventuate.

No money is due to QLDC until construction starts.

Our questions to the QLDC, published yesterday, with a August 15th deadline have been deflected by the council into an Official Information Act request - against our specific wishes - with a deadline of September 8 (the legal maximum amount of time under LGOIMA).

Crux has today complained over the QLDC’s failure to respond to questions to the Local Government Minister, copied to the offices of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister.

We hope to have a Government response by midday tomorrow August 13.