Holiday alert: Please note that kerbside collections between 25-27 December and 1-3 January will be pushed out a day (even recyclers need a holiday). For more on Rubbish & Recycling in our district, see our dedicated webpage.

Council offices will close at midday Wednesday 24 December 2025 and reopen 8.00am Monday 5 January 2026. For urgent issues, call us on 03 441 0499 (Queenstown) or 03 443 0024 (Wānaka). For non-urgent issues, please us the Snap Send Solve App. We hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Council Committees and Community Board Structure

Kā Komiti

On this page you can find details of the decision making structures and groups that the elected Council works within, who is in each committee or on the Community Board, and what type of decisions they can make. 

Quick links

Independent Committee Appointments

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  • The Queenstown Lakes District Council has the important job of making decisions alongside and on behalf of the people living in this district. Specifically, we are responsible for:

    • Community well-being and development.

    • Environmental health and safety. (building control, civil defence, and environmental health)

    • Managing infrastructure. (roading and transport, sewerage, water and stormwater)

    • Facilitating recreation and culture.

    • Resource management including land use planning and development control.

    The Council consists of the Mayor, four Queenstown-Whakatipu ward Councillors, three Arrowtown-Kawarau ward Councillors, and four Wānaka-Upper Clutha ward Councillors.

  • The Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board is not a committee of Council but a separate unincorporated body established under Section 49 of the Local Government Act 2002. The role of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board is to represent and act as an advocate for the Wānaka and wider Upper Clutha community. The Council has given extensive delegation to the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board to make decisions on many of the facilities and services located within the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Ward.

    • Community Board elected members are: Kathy Dedeo, Chris Hadfield, Simon Telfer, John Wellington
    • Community Board appointed members are: Niki Gladding, Nicola King, Cody Tucker
    • The Chair of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board is: Simon Telfer
    • The Deputy Chair is: Kathy Dedo

  • The objectives of the Smart Growth Committee will be detailed once terms of reference are adopted in February 2026

    Committee Members are:

    • Councillor Cody Tucker (Chair)
    • Councillor Jon Mitchell (Deputy)
    • Councillors Heath Copland, Quentin Smith and Melissa White

  • The objectives of the Assets & Infrastructure Committee will be detailed once terms of reference are adopted in February 2026

    Committee Members are:

    • Councillor Gavin Bartlett (Chair)
    • Councillor Cody Tucker (Deputy)
    • Councillors Samuel Belk, Stephen Brent, and Quentin Smith

  • The objectives of the Smart Finance Committee will be detailed once terms of reference are adopted in February 2026

    Committee members are:

    • Councillor Heath Copland (Chair)
    • Councillor Samuel Belk
    • Councillors Niki Gladding, Nicola King, and Matt Wong
    • One independent member to be appointed

  • The objectives of the Risk & Assurance Committee will be detailed once terms of reference are adopted in February 2026

    Committee members are:

    • Councillor Niki Gladding (Chair)
    • Councillor Stephen Brent (Deputy)
    • Councillor Samuel Belk
    • Three independent members to be appointed

  • The objectives of the Community & Environment Committee will be detailed once terms of reference are adopted in February 2026

    Committee Members are:

    • Councillor Matt Wong (Chair)
    • Councillor Gavin Bartlett (Deputy)
    • Councillors Jon Mitchell, Cody Tucker, and Melissa White

  • The objectives of the Organisational Excellence Committee will be detailed once terms of reference are adopted in February 2026

    Committee members are:

    • Councillor Melissa White (Chair)
    • Councillor Nicola King (Deputy)
    • Councillors Niki Gladding, Jon Mitchell, and Matt Wong

  • The objectives of the Chief Executive Relationship & Recruitment Committee are to monitor, review and report back to Council on the Chief Executive's Performance Objectives and Performance Review. It is also responsible for the process of recruiting a Chief Executive. 

    The Committee is a "Committee of the Whole" which means all Councillors are members.

    The Mayor is the Chair. 

  • The objective of the Dog Control Committee is to hear and make decisions on enforcement matters relating to the Dog Control Act 1996.

    A panel of three members is convened to hear these matters and these members are chosen from the elected Council. 

  • The District Licensing Committee will consider and determine all applications (opposed and unopposed) for new and renewal licences and manager’s certificates, temporary authorities and special licences under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

    Committee Members are: 

    • Mr Lyal Cocks
    • Mr Ian Cooney
    • Mr Chris Cooney
    • Mr Neil Gillespie
    • Mr John Mann
    • Mr Brett Pay

Independent Committee Appointments - expressions of interest

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is a territorial authority in Te Wai Pounamu South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, with a resident population of approximately 54,440. In recent years, the district has undergone significant and sustained growth in both resident population and in international and domestic visitor numbers. QLDC has the important job of making decisions alongside and on behalf of the people living in this district. 

Our elected Council comprises the Mayor and 11 Councillors; elected on 11 October 2025. The elected Council concentrates on setting policy and strategic direction, while management provides policy advice to inform Council’s decision making and implementing policy and strategy. 

The decision-making structure a council puts in place can assist the organisation to achieve its objectives and meet its obligations in a timely and transparent manner. In November 2025, Council appointed a structure of standing committees that includes the appointment of independent members to its Risk & Assurance Committee (three appointments).  

Expressions of interest are sought from suitably qualified candidates for these committee appointments. A person specification for this committee and further information about QLDC are available below. Governance experience in local government, finance, audit, risk management, compliance, and a background in governance (particularly in the public sector) would be an advantage.  

Applications close on Sunday, 1 February 2026 and should be sent for the attention of: Katherine Harbrow, General Manager Assurance, Risk & Finance, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Private Bag 50072, Queenstown; or via email: 

Katherine.Harbrow@qldc.govt.nz  

Related Content

Council Meetings, Agendas and Minutes

See dates, times, and locations for upcoming Council meetings, along with all agendas, reports, minutes and recordings

Archive Agendas and Minutes

See all the archive (pre-June 2024) agendas for council, community board and committee meetings, as well as details of decisions and discussions and previous meetings.

Elected Members

Learn more about the different Councillors, Community Board members and the Office of the Mayor.