Ms van Uden, Queenstown Lakes Mayor and Queenstown Lakes District Council representative, said the Wakatipu Health Reference Group (WHRG) was ''disappointed'' Southern District Health Board (SDHB) funding and finance director Robert Mackway-Jones was resigning, effective from May 24.
''He has played a key role in building a good working relationship with the WHRG on behalf of the SDHB and his attitude to getting things done for the Wakatipu community will be missed,'' Ms van Uden said.
Asked if she was concerned the momentum of progress made by the group will be slowed when he departs, Ms van Uden said: ''No, as we are sure that the SDHB will appoint a replacement for Robert that will be able to deliver on the recommendations for provision of health services in the Wakatipu with the focus and same level of authority that Robert has.
''This has been discussed with the SDHB and will be raised with the board next week.''
Ms van Uden said the group continued to focus on the implementation of the recommendations and its areas of key focus as defined in its annual report, released in mid-March.
The group was established in October 2011 to provide input into the planning of health services for the Wakatipu and also to monitor the SDHB's delivery of 21 recommendations made by the National Health Board.
Nine of the recommendations were completed by the time of the annual report and all the others were in progress.
DHB chairman Joe Butterfield told the Otago Daily Times last week Mr Mackway-Jones had given the DHB ''exemplary service'' over 18 years and it was his decision to move on.
''My understanding is that he has decided that it is time for a change and after the amount of time he has been with us, that makes sense,'' Mr Butterfield said.
