Public submissions relating to the proposed representation model for the Queenstown Lakes district have been released ahead of scheduled formal hearings this week.
A total of 302 submissions were received. Of those, almost three-quarters came from Upper Clutha residents, and the remainder largely from Arrowtown.
Liz Simpson, of Queenstown, submitted while she "roughly" agreed with the wider ward splits, she was "unclear why Arrowtown requires its own representation when areas such as Hawea, Glenorchy and Kingston do not".
"Either they should also be considered separately or Arrowtown should form part of the Kawarau ward," she said.
Arrowtown resident Alison Dench, meanwhile, wanted the option to elect "more than one councillor for Arrowtown".
"It is more democratic because four people would be trying to earn my vote rather than just one, and they could form a voting bloc with genuine power."
John Luke Ashall, however, believed the Arrowtown ward should be expanded to include Arrow Junction and Gibbston, communities which relied on Arrowtown more than other areas and required representation.
Hawea resident Di Kenton submitted if Arrowtown had its own ward there was "no justifiable reason" Hawea should not also have its own.
"Population in Hawea exceeds Arrowtown and thanks to the ongoing circus of [Special Housing Area] submissions in Cemetery Rd, Hawea is on a growth projection exceeding any other ward in the QLDC area," she said.
Wanaka’s Cynthia Robinson submitted the Arrowtown ward should be abolished because it "does not match with fair representation".
In a statement, the council said there was broad support for the overall proposal, which included increasing the number of councillors from 10 to 12, electing councillors by ward, the proposed four ward boundaries, and the number of proposed councillors elected per ward.
More than half the submissions supported the proposed ward names — Whakatipu, Kawarau, Arrowtown and Wanaka-Hawea — while there were suggestions for Arrowtown to also be given the Maori name Haehaenui.
Two-thirds of submitters, mainly from the Upper Clutha, supported the current arrangement to retain the Wanaka Community Board, with 57 submitters from across the district in favour of no community boards in the district.
Hearings are scheduled in Queenstown on Thursday and Wanaka on Friday, after which the council will consider whether to retain the original proposal or change it.
That decision would be made at a full council meeting on September 16, following which there would be a four-week appeal or objection period.
