Anniversary Day muddles on

Which anniversary day Wakatipu businesses should observe - and when - has long been a contentious issue.

But the Chamber of Commerce is considering canvassing its members to gauge support for a uniform anniversary day, which Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes said he would support.

The issue regarding whether businesses should align with Southland (January 18) or Otago (observed today) - for the anniversary, is in itself confusing.

The Wakatipu is included in the Otago phone book and comes under the Otago Regional Council.

It is included in the Clutha-Southland electorate and, until next month, is under the auspices of the Southland District Health Board.

However, it is not within the Southland District Council catchment, instead being governed by the QLDC.

Both the Southland and Otago anniversary days are nominated dates, meaning that it is up to individuals and businesses whether the anniversary is observed on the actual day, or moved to another time.

Chamber president Alastair Porter said many businesses took an extra day at Easter to mark Otago Anniversary Day, while the Queenstown Lakes District Council took an extra day at Christmas.

"It's confusing."Mr Porter said it should be on one day.

"Clearly, the day it's on now doesn't work."The chamber did not have a problem with the way businesses marked their respective anniversary days, but it would provide more clarity and less disruption if the Wakatipu marked the statutory holidays at the same time.

As it stands, all but one bank - including the SBS [the Southland Building Society] - mark Otago Anniversary Day in Queenstown.

Both the Queenstown and Arrowtown public libraries take Otago Anniversary Day, while the QLDC, which operates the libraries, remains open.

However, many others choose to observe the anniversary on the Tuesday following Easter.

"One wonders if the best solution wouldn't be to gauge community interest on having Otago Anniversary Day after Easter."Mr Porter said if it was marked in conjunction with Easter, it would be better for the Queenstown economy and would also mean less disruption for parents with school children, as all schools could then close on the same day.

"I think we need to take it up and raise it with the business community and the council.

"Certainly, it is an interesting idea and we'd like to table it with our members and the council and see if that proposition is supported, " Mr Porter said.

Mr Geddes said the topic had been talked about "endlessly" at the council.

"The problem is that there is no one body that can require an anniversary day be observed on any particular day," he said.

"FOR instance, the council cannot resolve that an anniversary day be observed on a particular day.

"The legislation simply doesn't anticipate the problem where there are communities that are caught between boundaries.

"Either we have a consensus that everyone observes one day, or we continue on as a muddle."

While his preference was for a consensus, Mr Geddes said for many it would be "just another day" at work.

"It will not be a day where they take the day off, except for banks, law firms [and the like]."

When asked if he would like to see a consensus reached to take the anniversary days at Easter, Mr Geddes said it would be "a great idea".