QLDC and ORC candidates join forces for Shotover election meeting

By Amanda Robertshawe.

Candidates standing in the Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward of the QLDC went head to head on Monday evening at the Shotover Primary School with one central theme emerging - money.

To be more precise, the lack of money to cover everything that needs to be done by our local bodies - and the mechanism by which the money that is available should be controlled and allocated.

Also, in a novel twist, the four QLDC Arrowtown-Kawarau councillor candidates (Heath Copland was unable to attend) were joined by the two Queenstown based Otago Regional Council candidates standing for the newly enlarged four seat Dunstan Ward.

In our main image above are (LR) Samuel Belk, Melissa White, Lisa Guy and Tim Manning (all QLDC Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward) and Matt Hollyer and Ben Farrell contesting the ORC Dunstan Ward.

Matt Hollyer and Ben Farrell decided to join forces to make the point that two Queenstown representatives on the Otago Regional Council would be in the interests of the Queenstown Lakes District. Mr Hollyer has a strong tourism/conservation background, including having been chair of Destination Queenstown, while Mr Farrell is an experienced developer/planner currently linked to the controversial Coronet Village project that recently saw the exit of Rod Drury.

The Regional Council’s preferential voting system requires voters to elect four candidates in order of preference. Hollyer and Farrell recommended voting for just them in order to secure two Queenstown representative seats on the ORC.

Topics kicked around between the audience and candidates included the existential challenges of climate change as well as isolation due to a natural disaster and the subsequent problem of food security, along with the anticipated failure of electricity supply to the district.

The well-publicised, pressing issues of inadequate infrastructure, traffic congestion, wastewater disposal, and the pressure of growth in the region also featured.

And, of course, the pressure on households from constant QLDC rates rises.

The prospect of a bed levy for visitors, and road user taxes on car journeys, to alleviate the burden on ratepayers of funding infrastructure came up for discussion - frequently. None of the candidates opposed these possible solutions.

The pros and cons of Regional Deals with Central Government were also raised, with all candidates supporting the core idea however they all agreed that the details needed to be carefully scrutinised. Candidate Samuel Belk said he didn’t see Regional Deals as being the ‘fairy dust’ to solve the region’s problems.

As both incumbent and prospective councillors pointed out, funding, or rather the lack of it, is the obstacle for solving most of the district’s problems.

Poor community trust, and a secretive internal culture within the QLDC, were referenced by first-time hopeful candidate, Samuel Belk, aka Q.

Belk listed governance as one of the five major issues for the next Council term. He said that the incumbent mayor’s election pitch of stability would only result in the status quo.

Belk said this would not address the pressing issues resulting from inadequate infrastructure, traffic congestion, wastewater disposal, and the supply of drinking water. He is also opposed to a separate entity for managing Three Waters. He criticised the current council’s recent vote to spin off responsibility for Three Waters into an external Council Controlled Organisation (CCO).

Incumbent councillor, Lisa Guy, is in favour of the CCO.

Guy also felt that electing new Council members would result in risk, as opposed to the stability she believed experienced local body politicians would bring to the council table.

Guy also made a plea that electors not cast a vote in hate, and that she had no problem working with the incumbent Mayor. She said she appreciated Mayor Lewers for his financial stewardship and his engineering knowledge.

Guy asked for a stop to name calling in this campaign and for the community to have empathy for local body politicians who have to live in local neighbourhoods with their families.

The meeting’s chairperson, Anita Golden of the Lake Hayes and Shotover Community Association, requested at the outset that everyone behave respectfully towards the candidates. If anyone felt they could not be respectful to candidates, it was best that they leave the meeting.

Incumbent councillor, Melissa White, gave her perspective on high-profile problems with sewage disposal and the emergency runoff into the Shotover River. White opposed the establishment of the CCO and pointed out that, whatever entity administers Three Waters, all households, in time, will be receiving at least a $4,000 annual bill for water costs.

Her plea was that everybody make an effort to vote so the Council becomes a true representation of this community.

Business is clearly what candidate Tim Manning knows best. Most of his address to the audience emphasised that his skills in business will be his contribution to the next Council and would go along way to solving the issues which QLDC faces.

Candidate Heath Copland sent his apologies to the meeting as he had a family emergency to deal with.