Dean Rankin, a self-employed mechanic, has lived in Wanaka for more than four decades and said he started the petition because he was "fed up with the direction we are going with the Queenstown Lakes District Council".
He believed the council wasted money, infrastructure and roading projects were taking too much time and no local contractors were involved in any of the work.
Mr Rankin said he had complained to councillors but it had "fallen on deaf ears", so he contacted the Local Government Commission to ask how Wanaka could go it alone.
He was told the first step was to start a petition and have at least 10% of the eligible voters support a commission investigation and review of the district’s representation.
On Friday night, Mr Rankin started his "Petition for the Upper Clutha to break away from the QLDC", and by yesterday morning he had more than half of the 1500 signatures required.
"If we can overwhelm them [the commission] with an astonishing amount rather than the 10% that would be the icing on the cake to say, ‘hey, we mean business’."
Mr Rankin said he had been amazed at the support on social media and the number of phone calls he had received from people "who you would not expect would support the idea."
"Everyone seems to say the same thing, all our ratepayers’ money is going over the hill and what are we seeing back for it?"
He said currently the two smallest mainland councils in New Zealand were the Kaikoura and Mackenzie District Councils, both with populations smaller than 4000.
The three West Coast councils each have populations of less than 10,000.
The latest census put Wanaka’s at more than 13,000.
The ODT also contacted Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult, council chief executive Mike Theelen and Wanaka Community Board chairman Barry Bruce for a comment but did not receive replies.
Mr Rankin said he expected the process to be a long one but the petition was "the first step to get what we want".
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Comments
Could agree more with this , lived in Kingston for 10 years our rates doubled, for what, still no water or sewerage.
To support Queenstowns delusional direction.
Good on you Wanaka, all the very best to you.
If i remember correctly, Wanaka was granted approval some time ago to come out of QLDC and join CODC but it was in the too hard basket so stayed. Can someone correct me on that?
My suggestions that currently that would be the best option.
Despite some small councils as mentioned (and they never mentioned Kawerau our smallest) the track record is they are wanting to make councils bigger not back to smaller
I think Mosgiel/Taieri should exit Dunedin City Council and do their own thing too.
Wanaka was part of CODC until 1989,when the massive amalgamations occurred,which saw the demise of a huge number of smaller entities.My recollection was that there wasn't a choice as to where you were placed.Before Wanaka expanded,Alexandra was the service town for the rural community as far up as Haast,so CODC was the logical fit.Councils with 13,000 people will not be permitted under the future model,and CODC may well be split & no longer exist.I do not see a Wanaka split from QLDC being permitted.
Queenstown and it mayor need to stop shouting 'poor me' and join the team of 5 million. if they are so hard done by, maybe they should use some of their accommodation for MIQ's with all the support persons that involves. Most of NZ are sick of QLDC wanting handouts as if they are somehow more entitled than anyone else. Mayor Boult was the mayor they needed in 2019 NOT in 2021. Go Wanaka and all the best