Staff working for the Queenstown Lakes District Council and two council-controlled organisations will find out today whether they still have a job when chief executive Adam Feeley presents his final decision on an organisational review of the council's activities.
The council announced on March 20 it would disestablish two of its council-controlled organisations - Lakes Environmental Ltd and Lakes Leisure Limited, and transfer their functions back to the QLDC. A consultation document outlining a proposed new council structure which was presented to staff earlier this month, and subsequently leaked to the media, recommended a decrease of 80 staff members, or 41.82 full-time equivalent roles, from a total existing staff of 334.
About 150 staff had made submissions on the document, QLDC communications manager Meaghan Miller said yesterday.
Mr Feeley would make his announcement on the review today as planned, probably after lunch, she said. The final structure would be made public along with a statement from the chief executive. However, nothing would be released until staff had received the information.
Meanwhile, the Protect Wanaka Library group has called a public meeting this week to discuss aspects of the restructuring which would impact on the district's libraries.
''QLDC don't think they need to consult with our community about the proposed changes to the library services but people have been surprised and disappointed by our council's approach,'' group spokeswoman Nicola Martinovich said.
''People have been asking what they can do to help. The best thing they can do at the moment is to make a submission to the QLDC annual plan. That way your opinion about what our libraries should be like now and in the future goes on the public record.
''We need to make sure the council staff and our politicians know exactly where our community stands on this issue.''
Fellow library supporter Prue Wallis said it was ''extraordinary'' the QLDC felt it had the right to take such ''drastic action'' without consulting the community.
The public meeting will be held at 1pm this Friday at the Presbyterian Church Hall on Tenby St, Wanaka. Submissions on the annual plan close on Monday, May 13.
