The Otago Central Lakes Regional Deal Negotiation Committee has appointed consultant and lobbyist Conor English as the negotiator to help steer the Otago Central Lakes Regional Deal.

Conor, a director of government relations consultancy Silvereye, is a former independent advisor to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and a former CEO of Federated Farmers New Zealand. 

The appointment was announced in a statement on Thursday (September 18) by the committee, which at a meeting in July agreed to filling such a role.

According to the statement, Conor has experience across government and parliamentary relations, policy, agriculture, exporting, investment, technology, and smart cities. 

Committee chair Gretchen Robertson said the team was pleased to have Conor on board as negotiator.

“[His] expertise will help us make the most of this opportunity and ensure we balance our growing infrastructure needs while maintaining the high-quality natural environment that we all value,” she said.

“The Regional Deal is about leveraging the value created by growth, higher visitor numbers, and other potential sources of income, to enable key infrastructure investment that supports the community and visitors alike.”

Conor described the regional deal process as a unique opportunity for the fast-growing Otago Central Lakes Region.

The Otago Central Lakes Regional Deal is a long-term partnership between Central Otago District Council, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Otago Regional Council, and the government. 

It is designed to set a 30-year vision and a 10-year strategy aimed at aligning local and national priorities on issues such as housing, transport, and infrastructure.

Otago Central Lakes was among the first regions in the country to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government earlier this year, alongside Auckland and Western Bay of Plenty. 

Conor is the brother of former prime minister and long-time Southland MP Bill English.

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