Mr MacDonald, 67, spent five years as a Queenstown Lakes district councillor, during which time he chaired the Mayoral Housing Taskforce and served on the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust.
He stepped down in early 2021, due to his declining health after being diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy-P.
The founding chairman of Destination Queenstown, he was also the chairman of the Queenstown Winter Marketing Group and spent eight years in various governance roles with Health New Zealand Southern — Te Whatu Ora, formerly the Southern District Health Board.
MSA-P is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain.
It can cause symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, such as loss of balance, stiffness and tremors.
There is no cure for MSA-P and the symptoms tend to worsen over time, causing people to lose mobility.
An obituary will follow.
