Queenstown Lakes District Council deputy mayor and Wanaka Community Board member Calum MacLeod is not seeking re-election, having announced his intention to step aside during last week’s Wanaka Community Board meeting.
Including his first three years on the Wanaka Community Board, he had served in council for the past 12 years, Cr MacLeod said.
‘‘It is about time I said publicly: I will not be standing for election this time around and not seeking re-election . . .
‘‘I think councillors do have a shelf life, and while I’m still inside my due date, I’d like to think that somebody else will stick their hand up,’’ he said.
Throughout his time, Cr MacLeod has been involved with various committees including planning and strategy, the chief executive’s performance review committee, the governance subcommittee and the Civil Defence emergency group committee.
His community engagements have included Lake Wanaka Tourism,Film Otago Southland Trust,the Luggate Community Association, Alpine Lakes Research and Education Centre, Friends of Pembroke Park, Guardians of Lake Wanaka, Kahu Youth Trust, Lagarosiphon Management Team and the Upper Clutha Lakes Trust.
Cr MacLeod said the essence of Wanaka had been its sense of community.
‘‘The same for Lake Hawea, Hawea Flat, Luggate. Luggate is such a strong, powerful community,’’ Cr MacLeod said.
He said a ‘‘win’’was seeing the passive›build community hall in Luggate, a first in New Zealand.
‘‘Hopefully we have a model that council could use, in where we need to be in terms of climate change,’’ he said.
Reflecting on the past 12 years, Cr MacLeod said some of the top projects he played a role in included the Wanaka Pool, lakefront upgrades from initial development plans through to completion with the new jetty, WAI Wanaka, and the Mitre 10 building becoming a community asset.
He intended heeding some lessons of the past 12 years, including one from former councillor the late Ross McRobie.
‘‘He [Mr McRobie] used the acronym Wait — Why Am I Talking — where you wait and listen.
‘‘I suggest the best asset or learning I can take away, to continue to try and enhance, is listening, because listening is the art of good conversation,’’ Cr MacLeod said.
Another lesson had been ‘‘the understanding that council isn’t a three›headed dog covering the chamber of secrets’’.
‘‘It’s a team of local people working hard to do the best for the community,’’ he said.
Local election candidate nominations opened on July 15 and close tomorrow at noon.
There are four Wanaka-Upper Clutha ward councillor opportunities this year.
As of time of print, three Wanaka› Upper Clutha candidates had been nominated for council.
