Nonetheless, councillors appointed chairwoman Gretchen Robertson and Queenstown Lakes resident Cr Alexa Forbes as members of a joint committee formed by the regional council and its Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes District Council counterparts.
The new joint committee has been established to collaboratively make decisions for the Otago Central Lakes group and to participate in any future regional deal negotiations.
Cr Alan Somerville said he was concerned about the Otago Central Lakes’ preliminary proposal, submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs in February.
He was particularly concerned about references to medical tourism and partnering with private hospitals, clinics and investors.
"I am very sceptical about the whole regional deals process and I feel it has been an unsatisfactory process getting to this stage," Cr Somerville said at last week’s council meeting.
"I see there’s pretty limited alignment with ORC strategic directions and I’m also very concerned about those health proposals, which ... appear to me to be looking to undermine the public health system, which I would not want to support."
Cr Elliot Weir said they shared Cr Somerville’s scepticism.
Cr Weir’s concerns were particularly related to the proposal’s aim of reinvesting "mining royalties" into areas that could be impacted by mining growth.
Cr Kevin Malcolm said he thought the concept behind regional deals was "absolutely superb".
However, primary production appeared to be marginalised in the Otago Central Lakes proposal, and he could not support it.
Cr Robertson said she believed the group had developed "a pretty damn good proposal".
"I think others have mentioned it as well, that it won’t be perfect at this stage, but it will be a chance to start those conversations.
"My understanding is, as well as this government, any probable future government as well is probably quite keen on regional deals as a vehicle as well.
"So to say that we’re not keen to start that off would be crazy, in my opinion.
"This is a real opportunity, and we need to be there.
"I would strongly urge people to get behind this."
A staff report said the five packages of work outlined in the proposal to support economic growth were: transforming transport; capturing value; electrifying Otago Central Lakes; private investment for public health; and visitors and investors.
Cabinet decisions on the first regional deals were anticipated in the middle of this year and the expectation was that one would be finalised by the end of the year and two more would be finalised by late next year, the report said.
