Residents packed out the Lake Wānaka Centre this week for a meet the candidates night hosted by the Wānaka Business Chamber.
The candidates were asked about rates rises, managing growth, health amenities and the need for the council to be more inclusive of the growing resort town.
One audience member pointed out Wānaka’s rates had increased by more than Queenstown’s and asked what candidates planned to do.
The median residential rate increases this year were 18.7% for Wānaka, 17.6% for Luggate, 15.3% for Hāwea and 13.2% for Queenstown.
One audience member said the council had a habit of being "Queenstown-centric" and asked the candidates if they would support a name change which better represented the wider region.
Four out of the six mayoral candidates were present, including Glyn Lewers, Nik Kiddle, John Glover and Daniel Shand. (Darren Rewi and Al Angus were unable to attend.)
All candidates acknowledged the region’s rate rises were unsustainable.
The mayor, Mr Lewers, focused on steps relevant to central government, including stopping unfunded mandates and continuing the introduction of visitor levies.
Mr Shand said one of the burdens ratepayers had had to carry was the high salaries of council executives.
Mr Kiddle said extracting more money from visitors to put back into the region was a step in the right direction to help resolve a leading issue for residents.
Several audience questions were directed specifically at Mr Lewers regarding decisions the council made over the past term, chief among those being the hospital which looks set to go to Queenstown.
"It’s a pitch from private interest," Mr Lewers told the crowd.
He said the regional deal being negotiated with the government had encouraged Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to consider the council’s own population projections which he said was a big step forward.
Mr Glover said he supported a name change for the district and something like the "Otago Alpine" district would be more inclusive than "Queenstown Lakes".
Mr Lewers said he did not support a name change due to cost and potential changes central government might make to local governance.
Other topics raised at the meeting included managing Wānaka’s infrastructure, balancing growth with environmental protection and increasing community engagement with candidates.
