The Lowburn resident is a familiar face around the council table, having first taken up a seat as a district councillor for the Cromwell ward in 2001.
Prior to becoming a district councillor, Mr Gillespie sat on the Cromwell Community Board from 1998, bringing his tenure with the district council to 27 years.
Speaking to Allied Press after announcing his decision yesterday morning, Cr Gillespie said prior to recent elections he had felt compelled to stand for re-election to offer his experience in light of challenging times for local government decision-makers.
"But every year, every cycle, they [the challenges] are getting bigger and bigger, so I can’t keep telling myself that," he said.
"I could have chosen to put myself up for more of the same, or branch out into something new."
He decided to "give it a crack", confident decades spent working in the electircity industry as well as on the district council meant he had plenty to bring to a regional council role.
"I think I understand Central Otago as good as anybody — the issues facing it, both in the rural and urban sense," he said.
"I think I’ve got a skillset that will work. I’ll put my name in the hat and see what comes of it."
It has been a year of big decisions for Cr Gillespie, who in January resigned from Contact Energy based at the Clyde Dam, where he had worked for 47 years.
The decision had freed up his time, and removed a potential conflict of interest that could have impeded any role with the regional council, he said.
Deputy mayor for 15 years, Cr Gillespie said he never harboured mayoral aspirations.
He never wanted to give up his fulltime job to dedicate the time he knew was required for the role, plus he always had confidence in those who had put themselves forward to be mayor, he said.
After a representation review, voters will elect an additional member to the regional council from the Dunstan constituency, bringing the total number of seats post-October’s election to four.
Sitting councillor Alexa Forbes, of Queenstown, announced in Febraury she would not stand for re-election.
Cromwell broadcaster Michael Laws and Springvale farmer Gary Kelliher also represent Dunstan on the regional council.
