Last week, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown announced more details of the regional deals framework, designed to address infrastructure shortages across the country.
The long-term agreements — often between 10 and 20 years — hinge on agreed regional outcomes that enable central and local government to make joint funding commitments.
They also provide a basis for local authorities to have greater autonomy, powers and responsibilities to deliver a range of urban and regional initiatives.
The government’s going to invite up to five regions to pitch "straightforward, basic proposals", though it’s not yet clear when that’ll happen.
New Zealand’s first regional deal will be finalised next year.
Regions selected will be based on certain criteria, including being in a high-growth area, and having a track record of working successfully with central government, other councils, the private sector and iwi.
Lewers says, at face value, the Queenstown-Lakes fits the mould.
"When you look at the high-growth areas, have an existing partnership with the Crown with regards to planning — that’s our urban growth partnership — and have worked with the Crown previously, or have delivered Crown projects, well, believe it or not, the arterials and CBD upgrades are Crown Infrastructure Projects, we tick all three."
That said, "I’ll temper my enthusiasm until we get an invite."
But Arrowtown-based regional economist Benje Patterson thinks Cromwell, specifically, needs to be annexed into any deal, given it forms an integral part of the "golden triangle", particularly as it pertains to the flow of people and resources, in terms of business supply chain and from a social and recreation perspective.
Central Otago District mayor Tim Cadogan says he’d be keen to see his entire district included, too, questioning whether Queenstown’s council can "go on its own", noting it’s a regional deal, not a "district deal".
"I feel that the two districts ... are inextricably linked.
"I’m sitting in my office in Alexandra at the moment, I’ve got people from Queenstown and Wānaka who work here, who commute every day — and, certainly, there’s vice versa.
"Inland Otago, or the Central Lakes, or however you want to put it, that area comprising CODC and QLDC, is the powerhouse of Otago now, in many ways.
"We’d be open for discussion [with Queenstown’s council] on what that means and how we work alongside central government to increase that."
While the Queenstown-Lakes’ population growth was 8% last year, Central Otago’s was 2.4% — but Cadogan says that district’s always in the top three or four for population growth every year, and always well above the national average.
Additionally, they, too, are dealing with housing pressure, in part driven by people moving from Queenstown in search of more affordable, secure accommodation.
"The housing pressure that’s put on us is incredible, and it’s causing significant issues for us, but it’s just indicative of being a place where people want to live."
Lewers says a lot of Queenstown’s workers also travel from Wānaka and Central, and points to a proposed "substantial" goldmine, near the historic Bendigo reserve, which will add even more pressure to that area’s accommodation sector and labour force.
It will also impact the Queenstown-Lakes’ infrastructure, he says.
"How are [workers] going to get there?
"Is it a drive in-drive out model, is it a fly in-fly out model?
"It obviously brings a bit of pressure for us.
"Those sorts of things can come into the discussion, but if there are areas where we can work together, where it drives those outcomes of greater economic growth, widening skills base and employment base, we’d be silly not to [work with CODC]."
Queenstown-based Southland MP Joseph Mooney also sees "good synergies" if the two councils teamed up, should the opportunity arise.
While he’s tight-lipped, he believes "there’s a good argument that we should be seriously considered for [a regional deal], that’s for sure".
