The Wānaka Community Board (WCB) is likely to be retained with changes to its membership after a hearing panel took note of strong public feedback.

Queenstown Lakes District (QLDC) councillors will vote on a final representation review proposal at a council meeting this week (Thursday September 16) following community consultation and two public hearings on the issues.

The proposal on Thursday’s agenda has “changed markedly” from the initial recommendations of the independent advisory group, mayor Jim Boult said, “which I see as a clear example of local democracy at work”. 

The hearing panel has now recommended the WCB be retained, with only one elected QLDC councillor in addition to four elected board members. 

The board makeup is currently four elected board members and all three councillors.

An independent representation review advisory group, convened earlier this year by the QLDC, recommended disestablishing Wānaka’s community board, saying an extra councillor, bringing Wānaka Ward councillors to four, would provide more equitable representation across the district - despite the fact the proposal would reduce Wānaka’s representation from eight elected members to four.

Two-thirds of the 300 or so submitters asked to retain the board. 

Some submitters were angry at the way the QLDC had presented the review recommendations, which suggested that the proposed extra councillor for the Wānaka Ward was a trade off for potentially losing the WCB, when the extra councillor was actually a given due to Wānaka’s increased population.

“Councillors will be asked to consider adopting a Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board comprising four members elected directly by voters in that ward, and one of the four Wānaka-Upper Clutha Ward councillors appointed as a member of the board by council,” QLDC senior governance advisor Jane Robertson said.

The panel also recommends an increase in the total number of councillors from ten to 11.

“There would be three wards with four councillors elected by the voters in the Queenstown-Whakatipu Ward, four elected by voters in the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Ward and three elected by voters in a new Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward. In addition, the mayor would continue to be voted for across the whole district,” Jane said.

The final representation review proposal overturns the council’s controversial proposal to retain the Arrowtown Ward and its one councillor.

In a split vote decided by the mayor, council had agreed to go out to consultation with a proposal to retain the existing Arrowtown Ward, which differed from the advisory group’s initial recommendation. 

“The hearings panel subsequently altered that position in the final proposal. The recommendation is now for Arrowtown to form part of an enlarged Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward to better reflect changes in the district’s population over recent years,” the mayor said.

It’s also proposed that the Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward will have only three councillors instead of the initially proposed four.

Jim, who was chair of the hearings panel, said the review process had provided “valuable insights into the community’s views” which were now reflected in the final proposal.

Once councillors have voted on the proposal there will be a period of appeals and/or objections until 5.00pm Friday October 22. If any appeals and/or objections are received, the Electoral Commission will make a final decision.

PHOTO: Supplied