Any deal would be aimed at providing certainty for long-term planning, making it easier to deliver infrastructure to support growth.
Some bold ideas emerged from a private sector group in Queenstown Lakes last month and it is not yet clear to what extent they are endorsed by the district council there and the Central Otago District Council.
In any case, the regional deal pitch will be council-led and tomorrow’s meeting in Alexandra will involve elected representatives from the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago District Councils and the Otago Regional Council.
Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley said she hoped broad agreement could be established by the end of the day, "but recognising that each council will have, I guess, different aspects that are a priority to them".
"And the whole idea is that we reach a consensus that everybody can agree on, because we need to have a united pitch that is going to central government."
A "light-touch proposal" needs to be submitted by the end of this month.
Ms Alley said the Queenstown Lakes District Council had done significant background work with an urban growth partnership also involving the regional council, central government and Kāi Tahu.
"So I anticipate that a substantial amount of that work will be leveraged as a starting point for these discussions," she said.
The government is expected to sign its first regional deal by the end of this year.
Three more might be in place by October next year.
The government has said it will focus on areas that show strong potential for growth and where partnerships and planning are already well established.
Each deal would reflect a 30-year vision for the relevant area and a 10-year strategic plan.
"The idea is that this plan will outlast all of us and outlast the election cycle," Ms Alley said.
She and Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers wrote a joint column last week for the Central Otago News.
"Our councils are developing the proposal around common themes — transforming the transport system, securing local energy needs for the future, developing innovative approaches to the area’s health system, building an international investment gateway into New Zealand, delivering high-quality education and professional development, increasing the value of tourism and increasing productivity through economic resilience," they said.
Queenstown infrastructure consultant Ross Copland talked last month about plans for a Southern Lakes base hospital and a mass-transit gondola link between central Queenstown and Frankton.
Queenstown Lakes District Council strategy and reform manager Pennie Pearce said discussion of those projects with media had come as a surprise to the council.
