Lakes Leisure review to embrace all operations

It has been confirmed the Lakes Leisure service-delivery review being carried out by the Queenstown Lakes District Council will be extended to all operations of the council-controlled organisation.

The review was announced in December last year and originally encompassed only the back-office functions of Lakes Leisure, all council staff and Lakes Environmental.

Mayor Vanessa van Uden said the extension was because it was timely to look at ''the whole model'' rather than take a ''piecemeal approach''.

There were no foregone conclusions, but it was timely to ''consider alternatives for service delivery'', Ms van Uden said.

Like Lakes Environmental, the council-controlled model for Lakes Leisure has been operational for over five years.

The review, which began on January 27, is being chaired by former Local Government NZ and Auckland Regional Council chief executive Peter Winder. A draft report with recommendations is expected by the beginning of April.