Queenstown residents and ratepayers will have the chance to grill those standing for the Queenstown Lakes District Council and mayoralty tonight during the major election debate before the 2013 local body elections.
It is the fourth of a series of regional debates organised by the Otago Daily Times and Otago Chamber of Commerce.
ODT editor Murray Kirkness will co-host the debate, along with Radio New Zealand journalist Steve Wilde.
Mr Kirkness said it was important those eligible to vote made informed decisions about the people who would lead the community and make decisions on its behalf for the next three years.
Queenstown Chamber chief executive Ann Lockhart said this year's elections were ''very critical'' and it was vital anyone eligible to vote was fully informed before casting their votes.
Fourteen candidates are standing for the six places in the Queenstown-Wakatipu ward, along with incumbent mayor Vanessa van Uden and challenger Al Angus, of Glenorchy.
Mrs Lockhart said with the district plan under review for the next 12 to 24 months, elected representatives needed to have ''good governance skills'', a good understanding of local body politics and the district they represented.
''They have to be in touch with their community and their community's needs, but they also have to have a ... vision for the district and where they'd like it to be.
''This is especially important because we're such a fast-growing district.''
The chamber had conducted a survey of its members recently, which would form the basis of some questions to be put to candidates.
Topics included economic development, a visitor levy, the proposed Queenstown Convention Centre and infrastructure.
Respondents had also answered qualitative questions about how well the council had performed in the past three years, what sort of town they wanted Queenstown to become, and where improvements could be made.
Each candidate would have questions targeted towards them, but would not know beforehand what they would be asked. Those questions would be interspersed with ones from the floor.
Mrs Lockhart said it would not be a ''meet the candidates'' forum, but a ''punchy'' election debate targeted at anyone eligible to vote and wanting to make an informed decision.
The forum will begin at 5.30pm in the Queenstown Memorial Centre and is free.
