Mayor John Glover is still adamant Queenstown needs a bed tax — despite Southland MP Joseph Mooney claiming the National Party’s proposed alternative funding mechanism will raise more for local infrastructure.

After ‘killing off’ a bed tax on the grounds Kiwis would also pay it, National last week proposed, as an election policy, resetting the international visitor levy (IVL) — regions could claim a share of the levy based on international visitor nights.

National estimated Queenstown Lakes would be in line for $17.1 million in the first year — compared with about twice as much from a bed tax.

However, ruling National government MP Mooney says the bed tax could not be collected until 2030, and by then the IVL would have returned $55.5m to Queenstown Lakes — or $76.7m by mid-2030.

Aussies — Queenstown’s largest inbound visitor market, by far — don’t pay the IVL due to a freedom of access agreement between New Zealand and Australia. (1.29 million Australians visited New Zealand over the past 12 months.)

However, Mooney notes the lVL payout will take into account Australian bed nights anyway.

He says he strongly advocated for the IVL share “which I think actually delivers more for Queenstown than it would’ve ever got from a bed tax — certainly, we would've got nothing for the next three years”.

Glover, however, says he would prefer to see a local accommodation levy paid by all visitors, “and if we just need to start with international visitors, then that would be a great place to start”.

He easily rebuts National’s argument the visitor levy would also be paid by Kiwis — “I mean, Kiwis don’t pay when they go to Te Papa, right?”

“So if they can work it out at the national museum, I’m sure we can work it out in the hotel or in the backpackers.”

As to whether he gives credit to National at least coming up with a policy allowing visitors to fund infrastructure they otherwise haven’t paid for, “I mean all the parties are, now, so that’s great they recognise there’s a cost that falls on our community”.

“But, at the end of the day, it’s one party’s pre-election campaign platform, and what comes out the other end after the election will be likely quite different.”

scoop@scene.co.nz