With three strong candidates to date indicating they will contest the Queenstown Lakes District mayoralty, incumbent Mayor Jim Boult said this is a good sign for the future of the district.

“I have previously said that in the tail of COVID-19 there continue to be many significant issues to address across the district. This will require strong leadership on a number of fronts including the many upcoming reforms led by Central Government and a sound understanding of the social and economic drivers of our district,” he said.

“I’m constantly asked who will be my successor and whether I am supportive of any particular candidate – whether they are one of the three candidates currently standing or anyone yet to announce their intention to contest the mayoral office. I’ve made it very clear that my position on this should always be a neutral one and I restate that now. It is up to the community to decide who will lead the district for the next three years and it would be completely improper of me to influence that in any way.”

“If I have a disappointment at present it’s the lack of candidates indicating an intent to stand for Council. A number of our existing Councillors have indicated they will not be standing again and at this point we have only one new candidate signalling their intention to stand. A strong Council is vital for the district’s recovery and again I strongly encourage community-minded people to consider their availability. Yes it's a challenging and demanding role but one that’s incredibly rewarding if you genuinely want to make a difference in the future of the Queenstown Lakes," said Mayor Boult.

Resources for anyone considering standing are available via the Council website. Details of a candidate information session will be publicised soon.

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