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Community Appointments

Queenstown Lakes District Council appoints elected members to a range of community organisations to support good relationships, open communication and shared understanding between Council and the community.

Here you can find the community organisations that have formal Council representation, the type of appointment in place, and the elected member appointed.

How community appointments work

All community appointments are held by Councillors and Community Board members and are formally endorsed by Council. Appointments can take different forms, depending on the nature of the organisation and its relationship with Council.

Some community organisations have longstanding relationships with Council and have had elected representatives involved for many years.

Others are included because of their work alongside Council to support shared priorities such as delivering key services or receiving significant Council funding. These factors help guide whether an organisation has a direct community appointment or a portfolio appointment.

With more than 500 community organisations and groups operating across the district, formal appointments are limited and balanced alongside elected members’ wider Council or Community Board responsibilities.


Direct Community Appointments

Direct Community Appointments involve a close, ongoing relationship between an elected member and a specific community organisation. These roles typically include regular attendance at governance meetings, participation in discussions, and acting as the key liaison between Council and the organisation. Direct appointments are generally used for well established organisations with strong alignment to Council priorities or districtwide significance.

Organisation Name

Location

Councillor or WUCCB Member

Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association

Whakatipu

Councillor White / Councillor Copland

Film Otago Southland Trust

District-wide

Councillor Copland

Glenorchy Airstrip Governance Committee

Whakatipu

Councillor Brent

Kiwi Harvest

District-wide

Councillor Brent

Lakes District Museum and Art Gallery

Whakatipu

Chris Hadfield / Councillor White

Lake Wānaka Arts and Culture Charitable Trust

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Chris Hadfield

Southern Lakes Sanctuary

District-wide

Councillor "Q" Belk

Sport Otago

District-wide

Councillor Bartlett

Startup Queenstown Lakes Trust

District-wide

Councillor Tucker

Upper Lakes Integrated Catchment Group

District-wide

Councillor Gladding / Councillor Mitchell

WAI Wānaka

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Councillor Gladding

Wakatipu Wildlife Trust

Whakatipu

Councillor Mitchell

Wānaka Airport Liaison Committee

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Simon Telfer

Wānaka Airport Users Group

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Simon Telfer

Whakatipu Wilding Control Group

Whakatipu

Councillor Bartlett


Portfolio Appointments

Portfolio Appointments assign elected members to broader community sectors or areas of interest, such as environment, culture, sport or economic development.

This helps ensure community organisations have a clear and identifiable elected member they can connect with at a governance level and support sector awareness, relationship building, and information sharing.

If your organisation or group does not have a formal appointment, you are still welcome to connect with an elected member that aligns to your organisation type or sector.

*(WUCCB) refers to Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board members.

Portfolio

Wānaka / Upper Clutha

Queenstown / Whakatipu Basin

Environment

Councillor Gladding

Councillor Wong and Councillor Mitchell

Economic

Simon Telfer (WUCCB)*

Councillor Copland and Councillor Brent

Culture

Chris Hadfield (WUCCB)*

Councillor White and Councillor Belk

Education, Knowledge and Youth

Councillor King

Councillor Brent and Councillor Bartlett

Sport, Recreation and Events

John Wellington (WUCCB)*

Councillor Bartlett and Councillor Wong

Founders / Startups

Councillor Tucker

N/A

Organisation

Location

Portfolio

Portfolio Lead(s)

Arrowtown Heritage Advisory Panel

Whakatipu

Culture

Councillor White / Councillor Belk

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

Whakatipu

Culture

Councillor White / Councillor Belk

Creative Queenstown

Whakatipu

Culture

Councillor White / Councillor Belk

Heart of Wānaka

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Culture

Chris Hadfield

Upper Clutha History Society

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Culture

Chris Hadfield

Wānaka Arts Society

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Culture

Chris Hadfield

Wānaka Chamber

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Economic

Simon Telfer

Wānaka Town Centre Business Group

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Economic

Simon Telfer

Wānaka Town Centre Property Owners Group

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Economic

Simon Telfer

Mt Aspiring College

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Education, Knowledge & Youth

Councillor King

Upper Clutha School's Chairs' Forum

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Education, Knowledge & Youth

Councillor King

Wakatipu High School

Whakatipu

Education, Knowledge & Youth

Councillor Brent / Gavin Bartlett

WAO

District-wide

Education, Knowledge & Youth

Councillor King

Friends of Pembroke Park

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Environment

Councillor Gladding

Grow Wānaka

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Environment

Councillor Gladding

Guardians of Lake Wānaka

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Environment

Councillor Gladding

Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Environment

Councillor Gladding

Te Tapu o Tāne

District-wide

Environment

Councillor Wong / Councillor Mitchell

Wānaka Catchment Group

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Environment

Councillor Gladding

45South

District-wide

Social

Councillor Mitchell / Councillor Copland

Ara/Path Wānaka

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Social

Kathy Dedo

Central Lakes Family Services

District-wide

Social

Councillor Mitchell / Councillor Copland

Food for Love

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Social

Kathy Dedo

Happiness House

Whakatipu

Social

Councillor Mitchell / Councillor Copland

Health Action Wānaka

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Social

Kathy Dedo

Hidden Hills Residents Association

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Social

Kathy Dedo

Lakes District Air Rescue Trust

District-wide

Social

Councillor Mitchell / Councillor Copland

Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust

District-wide

Social

Councillor Mitchell / Councillor Copland

Salvation Army

District-wide

Social

Councillor Mitchell / Councillor Copland

Shaping Our Future

District-wide

Social

Councillor Mitchell

Volunteer South | Kaitūao o te Taitonga

District-wide

Social

Councillor Mitchell / Councillor Copland

Wakatipu Interagency Group

Whakatipu

Social

Councillor Mitchell / Councillor Copland

Wānaka Interagency Group

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Social

Kathy Dedo

Whakatipu Community Hub Charitable Trust

Whakatipu

Social

Councillor Brent

Aspiring Gym Sports

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Sport, Recreation & Events

John Wellington

Bike Wānaka

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Sport, Recreation & Events

John Wellington

Queenstown Mountain Bike Club

Whakatipu

Sport, Recreation & Events

Councillor Bartlett / Councillor Wong

Upper Clutha A & P Society

Wānaka-Upper Clutha

Sport, Recreation & Events

John Wellington


Community Association Appointments

Elected members are appointed to Community Associations at the start of each triennium. As Community Associations are place-based, appointments are ward-based and reflect an elected member’s connection to the area, helping support local understanding and advocacy. Elected members play an active role in staying engaged with their Community Association and, where possible, attend meetings and community events.

Community Association

Councillor or WUCCB Member

Albert Town

Kathy Dedo

Arrowtown Village Association

Councillor Samuel Belk

Arthurs Point

Councillor Samuel Belk

Cardrona

Councillor Niki Gladding

Fernhill & Sunshine Bay

Councillor Matt Wong

Frankton

Councillor Stephen Brent

Gibbston

Councillor Melissa White

Glenorchy

Councillor Stephen Brent

Hāwea

Councillor Cody Tucker

Kelvin Peninsula

Councillor Gavin Bartlett

Kingston

Councillor Jon Mitchell

Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country

Councillor Melissa White

Luggate

Councillor Nicola King

Makarora

Councillor Cody Tucker

Mt Barker

John Wellington