Community - Consultation - Careful Planning
"I come from a proud family with a long standing record in public service. I know a good operation when I see it. And I believe we can improve the QLDC so it works better for you. I want to reforge a trusting relationship between the Council and the Community. A Council that embraces and reflects Community values and objectives. One that delivers on Community goals. With over two decades of government experience, I know what it takes to find solutions, navigate government agencies and get things done."
Key
Messages
What Matters To Me
Best Practice Governance
Let's reforge a strongly led united council that carries forward the views of the wider community, via its elected representatives.
The relationship between the Mayor and the Chief Executive needs a reset. No more secrets and back room deals. The office of new Mayor must use its collaborative relationship with elected council members to deliver clear policy direction to the Chief Executive. This is the best strategy to drive action at the level of council management.
The council's culture of secrecy and spin must change. We can achieve significant improvements to decision making and policy application if access to information is open and honest. Community inputs are vital, not just a "tick box" exercise.
Too much authority has been slipping away from the elected council table and into the offices of council officials. I will rebalance roles and responsibilities between the elected body and the administration wing. Ratepayers must have a better say.
Managing Sewage
The disastrous failure of the Queenstown water treatment plant is a disgrace. It is hard to believe this has happened while we have an engineer in the office of the Mayor.
Significant issues remain around the management of waste water treatment in other areas of the district - Wanaka, Hawea, Kingston and Glenorchy. Much of the infrastructure is decades old and compliance issues have been around for years.
Instead of tackling these issues, the council has focused much of its attention on getting a license to pollute - a right denied by the Otago Regional Council.
Our highest priority right now must be the restoration of the district's capacity to manage waste water without negative impacts.
Capacity must be matched not only with existing demands but also fit for purpose for new real estate developments. The key objective is to bring new build developments into lock step with the district's capacity to process flushing and run off.
Funding Infrastructure
I am going to go secure a slice of GST for this region. I want this additional capital to augment ratepayers' funding of the district's basic infrastructure. I will do this without disruption to private businesses that uphold our local economy.
Back in 2019 I campaigned to have a share of GST returned to the district. And the government listened. We now have partners in government that have signalled the return of some GST to us.
Central government has also tripled the visitor levy at the border. We need to secure some of that funding back here too.
The job ahead now requires a Mayor who is equipped with a comprehensive knowledge of Wellington - one who knows the traps in Wellington and is capable of applying skilled negotiation experience to nail opportunities down and bring the money in.
I will switch the council's focus away from pipe dreams of new taxes on local businesses to instead seize significant opportunities that are presented to us in the form of GST and the visitor levy.
To achieve this we need a new leader with deep central government experience. One who can navigate the corridors of Wellington and negotiate deals. That leader is me.
Better Neighbourhoods
In our district, house prices and rents are more likely to reflect the dynamics of the visitor accommodation market than elsewhere in New Zealand. It's an issue that we should be debating. Options exist to ease the pressure without compromising existing rights.
Watch this space for more detail on my housing policy.
Transport & Parking
What a mess we find ourselves in! Traffic cones and traffic jams have become a feature of life in the basin. This damages our productivity.
It's way past time for the QLDC to have a bigger say in NZTA's roll out of road works and the design of roading "improvements". Our Mayor must lead a dialogue with Wellington to lift its game on our roads.
Public transport services have improved, but more could be done on scheduling, route planning, shelters and school buses. Let's lift our dialogue with the ORC to deliver more tailored solutions that serve our community.
The displacement of car parking in the Queenstown CBD creates challenges for both consumers and business owners. So too are time limits on street parking in both Wanaka and Queenstown.
Fresh thinking is needed to improve access to the heart of our commercial centers.