‘Upper Lakes’ constituency a no-go for ORC

Maddy Harker / Wānaka App

Queenstown Lakes District mayor Glyn Lewers says he is disappointed with the outcome of Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) representation review and is considering an appeal.

After a months-long process, ORC councillors yesterday (Wednesday October 23) 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.

ORC staff had recommended an additional seat for Dunstan during the representation review process (which regional councils must undertake every six years) because of significant population growth in the ward.

During the submissions process, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) said a fifth ward encompassing Queenstown, Frankton, Wānaka, and Cromwell, should be created instead.

After yesterday’s vote, Glyn told the Wānaka App a fifth ward would have “fairly and equitably represented areas with distinct growth-related needs”.

While he was disappointed with the vote, he wasn’t “totally surprised [the ORC] settled for something that more closely matches the status quo”.

“We’ll now take a bit of time to reflect on the decision and consider our approach from here which may include an appeal to the Local Government Commission,” he said.

ORC is made up of 12 councillors, elected from four constituencies (Dunstan, Moeraki, Molyneux, and Dunedin).

In July the ORC launched public consultation on the proposal to increase Dunstan’s seats from three to four, reduce Dunedin’s from six to five, and leave the single seats in Moeraki and Molyneux unchanged.

QLDC told the ORC in its submission that a new constituency - with the working title of ‘Upper Lakes’ -should be created, and it should elect “a number of members to fairly, effectively, and proportionately represent the growing population now and into the mid-term future”.

Assuming there would be no additional representation review for another six years, this approach would better account for “overall population trends in the wider Otago region”.

The representation review attracted 165 submissions, including one from Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board chair Simon Telfer, who said adding one more seat for Dunstan “does not go far enough in recognising the community of interest centering around Queenstown, Wānaka and, possibly, Cromwell”.

ORC councillors voted unanimously for the additional Dunstan seat and the removal of one Dunedin seat at yesterday’s meeting.

There is now a one-month appeal/objections period, an ORC spokesperson said.