Ms van Uden, the district's first female mayor, was elected in 2010 having previously served as a councillor for one term and for six years as a council contract manager.
Her nomination for re-election was lodged on Friday afternoon by Phil Dunstan, of Queenstown,and Robert Duncan, of Wanaka.
At the moment, she is the only mayoral candidate.
Ms van Uden told the Otago Daily Times yesterday it was an easy decision to make.
''I don't believe that anybody should stand again saying `unfinished business'.
''You know you've got three years.
''If you can't do what you want to do in three years, you need to look at what you've done.
''I've done what I wanted to do ... but I think there's more to do.''
Ms van Uden said during her term as mayor the council had put ''stoppers on council spending'' and had a ''hard look at structures'', undertaking a far-reaching council review at the end of last year, which has resulted in both Lakes Environmental Ltd and Lakes Leisure Ltd being disbanded and absorbed into the council.
However, she said she now wanted to focus on making sure the council was seen as a ''helper'', not a barrier to progress.
''I want it bedded in so it's a way of life.
''We've got there, but now we need to make sure it stays there.''
Wanaka's Ella Lawton had also lodged her nomination to stand for the Wanaka ward of the council, joining deputy Mayor Lyal Cocks and existing councillor Jude Battson.
No nominations have yet been received for the Arrowtown ward.
Nominations close at noon on Friday.
