Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult moving on after two terms

"It's time to move on."

After almost six years leading the Queenstown Lakes district, Mayor Jim Boult yesterday announced he would not seek a third term.

Boult, 70, said "good leaders understand that they're there for a period, they're there to do the best they can and, at a point in time, move on".

The decision had not been an easy one, but after lengthy consideration and discussions with his family - wife Karen, son James and daughter Victoria - he had decided to step down.

Looking back on his two terms, he said one of his highlights was the way the district had navigated the "Covid crisis" and work done behind the scenes to get support for the community at large and, particularly, migrant workers.

He was also "delighted" with the work done to relieve housing pressure and believed the past two terms had solidified Queenstown Lakes "on the map with New Zealand Inc and the Government", which now recognised the major part the district played in the country's economy.

His biggest disappointment was not getting the long-mooted visitor levy across the line.
There was "full support across the district" for the levy, to help relieve the financial burden placed on infrastructure by visitors, and agreement had been reached with the Government to introduce legislation to the House, but when Covid-19 hit, that went on the backburner.

Boult planned to put more energy into his personal businesses - a commercial asset financing company and two "significant" equipment hire firms - and would likely take on a bigger role in the Child Cancer Foundation, with which he had a more than 30-year association.

Outgoing Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult and his wife, Karen, at their Lake Hayes home yesterday. Photo / Tracey Roxburgh

He said his time as mayor had been "marvellous", he had worked with "wonderful people", and he had enjoyed "practically every moment of it".

"I'll miss the cut and thrust of council meetings - I look at our council and I think it's been a very effective and busy one and I know that our council is the envy of many around New Zealand.

"But I think the time is now right for me to move on."