Wānaka plan to split from Queenstown gains traction

Dean Rankin. Photo / ODT Files

A push for Wānaka to secede from Queenstown Lakes District Council has moved to the next stage of action by the Local Government Commission.

The move follows a petition started by Wānaka mechanic Dean Rankin which gathered 1822 signatures supporting a bid to split from Queenstown.

The commission today announced the petition names had been checked against the electoral roll and the petition met the 10 per cent threshold to be a valid application.

It would now decide whether or not to trigger an investigation by looking at the merits of the application and consulting with the council, iwi, the applicants, the community and other stakeholders.

“If the commission decides to undertake an investigation, it will adopt a reorganisation investigation process and then carry out the investigation.”

Rankin, who has lived in Wānaka for more than four decades, was stoked at the news.

“I’m more than happy with the progress.”

He declined to comment further, but previously told the Otago Daily Times he was “fed up with the direction we are going with the Queenstown Lakes District Council”.

On the support he got after starting the petition in 2021 he said: “Everyone seems to say the same thing, all our ratepayers’ money is going over the hill and what are we seeing back for it?”