The fact ''that an hour apart we have two mayors, two lots of councillors and two lots of chief executives'' is a reason for the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago communities to explore more ways to work together, Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden said.
Ms van Uden raised the idea of amalgamation at a candidate debate earlier this week in Queenstown, telling those present amalgamation was nothing to be afraid of. Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, she said: ''I think it's something that will probably be explored over time. I don't think it's anything we need to be racing down the road to be doing.
''The question I posed was: 'Is there another way of doing it that doesn't replicate all those costs to the community?' But there's lots more to it than that.''
She said it would have to be something which ''comes out from the community'' rather than being council-led.
''Believe me, it's not something I'm racing out to do, without a shadow of doubt.''
Queenstown Lakes mayoral candidate Al Angus said he thought the new council would be ''pretty good on our own'' and he had not ''really gone into'' the idea of amalgamation.
Both Central Otago mayoral candidates said they would oppose any merger with the Queenstown Lakes district.
Central Otago Mayor Tony Lepper said the topic was ''not even on the radar'' and he was opposed to any amalgamation with the neighbouring authority unless he could see big savings for the Central Otago district.
Central Otago mayoral candidate Lynley Claridge said if the district was ''forced into'' a merger, the Wanaka part of the Queenstown Lakes district had the most in common with Central Otago.
Ms van Uden said rather than immediately looking at amalgamation the councils should be considering ways of sharing services.
One possibility, which is in the early stages of discussion, is for the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Central Otago District Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency to jointly manage the roading network.
''Right now, what we have got is Queenstown Lakes [with] its own roading engineers that look after the management and maintenance of the roads and we have a contractor doing the physical work. CODC has the same and NZTA has the same.''
She said funding could stay exactly the same but the three could work together ''and look at not making our contracts work based on artificial boundaries''.
One possibility was it could mean there would not be a difference between a state highway and a local purpose road in terms of who did what but Ms van Uden stressed the idea was still in its infancy.
She also referred to the recommendation to merge the Otago rural fire authorities, which the Queenstown Lakes District Council will discuss on Tuesday.
''You can't take away the service from a community. You still need to deliver those services, but I think in terms of making things affordable ... we need to be continually looking for those opportunities to do it together.''
