The Queenstown Lakes district’s economic development strategy was yesterday likened to a "very nice" parked car with no driver.
At the final Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting for the year, corporate services general manager Meaghan Miller urged the council to give $100,000 to the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce to "support business development in the Wakatipu Basin".
The same sum was granted to the Wanaka chamber during the 2015-16 annual plan process, used to establish The Centre of Unique Business Evolution, known as The Cube.
That was established as part of a broader business development plan implemented in conjunction with the Gigatown Campaign in 2014 and focused on growing Wanaka as a destination for both work and lifestyle.
Cube business development manager Jason Watkins addressed the council via video link from Wanaka yesterday, saying he was "a little bit surprised" the centre had not been consulted on the agenda item.
He said the centre was, essentially, operating as an "economic development unit within the Upper Clutha" and there was potential for duplication and conflict, particularly in respect of creating a new position at the council for a staff member to deliver the economic strategy’s objectives.
"What does the QLDC role look like? How does that relate to other entities in the district?
"We think if the proposal goes ahead it’s important to have a district-wide approach with regard to the strategy."
Cr Ella Lawton had some concerns, particularly in regards to dedicating ratepayer funds "when we don’t know what it’s for".
In Wanaka’s case, a plan had to be presented before funding was agreed, while Queenstown wanted the funding to come up with a plan.
"Given that we don’t have a plan, how do we know that ... there’s going to be a collaborative model of working together with a number of other groups?"
However, Ms Miller said after its adoption in 2015 the strategy "created a void" which became evident during this year’s annual plan.
Requests to fund economic development initiatives totalled $630,000 — including the chamber’s $100,000 — but the council had no framework to work with.
Ultimately, $200,000 was "tagged" for economic development, from which the chamber’s request and $50,000 for Study Queenstown, a joint initiative involving the Queenstown Resort College to support tertiary education promotion activities, could be funded.
"That money was actually set aside ... specifically tagged for economic development.‘‘In that sense, a decision was taken to fund economic development and put ratepayer money towards [it]."
Ms Miller said feedback reinforced the reason for the agenda item, what it proposed and the need for a council employee to work with the business community "to take us where we need to go".
"This puts a little bit of a ring around economic development and allows the business community some certainty about what we will or won’t fund.
"With the strategy, we have a very nice car but at the moment it’s parked up and we need a driver.
"We need some resources within council — not to duplicate work, not to take away ... [but] to help bring together and liaise to make sure that we’re all paddling the waka in the same direction.
"I don’t know what that looks like, but I think this is a very good start."
Ms Miller said a memorandum of understanding would be agreed, which would include key performance indicators, in line with the MOU between the council and the Wanaka chamber.
Council chief executive Mike Theelen said there had long been a need for better district-wide collaboration.
"Study Queenstown is doing some things [with education]; some things are being started in Wanaka.
"We need to bring that together so we’ve got more of a district-wide benefit over all of our economic development ... we think we need to put some resources in it to ... get the car moving."
Ultimately, the council voted unanimously to accept the recommendation.
Cr Tony Hill abstained, declaring a conflict of interest as a director of Queenstown Resort College.
