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Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

S15-002, S15-003, S15-004, S15-008, S15-010, S15-013, S15-014, S15-016

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Mr Richard Soper

I oppose the creation of a "Southern Lakes" electorate.
Whilst superficially the creation of such an electorate may seem to have some points in its favour, there are reasons not to.
The principal one is the nature of the other electorate to be created if it was done. To have sufficient population a Southern Lakes electorate would include the Te Anau Basin, a small part of Northern Southland, the Queenstown-Lakes District, Clyde and Alexandra, Cromwell to Hawea and the Mackenzie Basin. The resulting Waitaki-Southland electorate would have about 4,500 people in Central Otago, with two-thirds of the rest being in North Otago and inland South Canterbury, and a third in Southland and West Otago. Apart from being able to be very generally described as rural, this electorate would have very little in common. A vast area from Geraldine to the Southland Plains would include parts of three regions, and given that the concentrations of population would be at both ends of it, would be very difficult for an MP to effectively service.
One of the arguments put in favour of it is that at present the MPs are serving areas where the tourist industry is important in some placas and agriculture in others. However many MPs have electorates where a number of industries are important, and they are able to deal with issues relating different ones without any significant problem.

Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

S15-002, S15-003, S15-004, S15-005 , S15-006, S15-007, S15-008, S15-009 , S15-010

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Margot Hishon

These objections have been raised with narrow, somewhat selfish views in mind, that of combining areas that are perceived as 'special'.
There is no doubt these areas are tourist towns, of varying degrees, but there is also no doubt that these towns are important service towns for the rural sectors that surround them.
These towns provide essential services to the rural communities and their families, the suggestions that the rural community cannot live in harmony with the tourist industry is verging on farcical, who do these people think they are?
Throughout New Zealand, there are a wide range of industries, spread across all electorates and communities, to want to single out one sector defies belief, if, as it suggests, it comes down to the Member of Parliament not representing their needs to the extent they wish, that is a matter between the industry and the MP, certainly not a reason to isolate a sector of their community.
Not one of the submissions I refer to acknowledges the population numbers required for electorates, the various communities of interest, services or facilities important to every community or in fact the need to support their communities, regardless of their industry, interests or beliefs.
I strongly oppose any changes to the proposed boundaries to appease any particular sector in isolation.

Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

S15-015

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Miss Cathryn Lancaster

While I agree that the Southern Lakes Region has commonalities in terms of what drives its economies and it shares similar social challenges, unless wholesale change is achieved through these boundary changes, the proposed boundary changes make sense. The communities of Wanaka and Cromwell share more similarities than Wanaka and Queenstown. Wanaka also shares more commonalities with the wider Waitaki electorate than it does with rural Southland.

Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

S15-002, S15-003, S15-004, S15-010, S15-013, S15-014, S15-016

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Mark Wilson

By going away from the proposed boundaries and splitting Queenstown off and including it in an electorate with Wanaka the there are several more challenging issues created elsewhere. Depending on how things could be cobbled together due to low population density there would be an electorate created larger than Clutha-Southland is currently which would be highly difficult to service. The electorate while being predominantly rural in nature would span even more councils and a far more diverse area than Clutha-Southland does now. This is problematic to a far higher degree than keeping Queenstown within the Clutha-Southland electorate. Furthermore Wanaka and Queenstown themselves are as distinctive communities as the likes of Te Anau and Queenstown, with some commonality but huge areas of individual difference and community identity that is unique. While having a Central Lakes electorate sounds appealing for now the reality is the challenges for other electorates it creates are not counter weighted by any gain by creating it.

Objection

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Mrs Jillian Purvis

For general election we have Invercargill but for local government we are Southland and it is confusing. I'm ruled by Southland so I should have a say in who is elected!