2025 Queenstown-Lakes District Council election
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Incumbents before election:
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The 2025 Queenstown-Lakes District Council election is an upcoming local election to be held from 9 September to 11 October in the Queenstown-Lakes District of New Zealand as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters will elect the mayor of Queenstown-Lakes, 11 district councillors, and other local representatives for the 2025–2028 term of the Queenstown-Lakes District Council. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system will be used.
Key dates
- 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates will open
- 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates will close at 12 pm
- 9 September 2025: Voting documents will be posted and voting will open
- 11 October 2025: Voting will close at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results will be published
- 16–19 October 2025: Final results will be declared.[1]
Background
Campaign
List of candidates
Incumbents not seeking re-election
- Esther Whitehead, councillor for the Queenstown-Whakatipu ward[2][3][4]
- Niki Gladding, councillor for the Queenstown-Whakatipu ward[3][4]
Mayor
| Candidate | Affiliation[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nik Kiddle | Mayoral candidate in 2019[6] | |
| Glyn Lewers | Incumbent mayor since 2022[3][4] | |
| John Glover[7] | Hotel owner.[8] Ran in the 2023 Arrowtown-Kawarau by-election | |
| Darren Rewi | Chair of Mana Tahuna Charitable Trust[9][10] |
Councillors
Queenstown-Whakatipu general ward
Queenstown-Whakatipu general ward will return four councillors to the district council.[11]
| Candidate | Affiliation[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Bartlet | Incumbent councillor[3][4] | |
| Stephen Brent | Lawyer and chair of 45South Community Foundation[12] |
Wānaka-Upper Clutha general ward
Wānaka-Upper Clutha general ward will return four councillors to the district council.[11]
| Candidate | Affiliation[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barry Bruce | Incumbent councillor[3][4] | |
| Lyal Cocks | Incumbent councillor[3][4] | |
| Craig Gasson[13] | ||
| Cody Tucker | Incumbent councillor[3][4] |
Arrowtown-Kawarau general ward
Arrowtown-Kawarau general ward will return three councillors to the district council.[11]
| Candidate | Affiliation[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lisa Guy | Incumbent councillor[3][4] | |
| Melissa White | Incumbent councillor[3][4] |
Other local elections
Voters in the district will also elect members to the Otago Regional Council (four members in the Dunstan general constituency).[14][15] Voters will also elect members to the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board.[11]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c d A candidate may leave their affiliation blank, run as an independent, or run with an affiliation to an organisation, local body ticket or political party. Queenstown-Lakes District Council does not allow whānau, hapū, or iwi details to be used for the affiliation.[5]
References
- ^ "Elections". Queenstown-Lakes District Council. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Newport, Peter (28 June 2024). "Esther Whitehead: Why I won't stand for council again". Crux. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Newport, Peter (17 June 2025). "Quentin Smith considers QLDC mayoralty, other councillors declare their intentions". Crux. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Elected Members". www.qldc.govt.nz. Queenstown Lakes District Council. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Pukapuka Aratohu Kaitonopōti | Candidate Handbook" (PDF). www.qldc.govt.nz. Queenstown-Lakes District Council. p. 15. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "Nik Kiddle to contest mayoralty". The Wānaka App. 3 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "It's now a three-way race for mayor". Lakes Weekly Bulletin. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "John Glover enters mayoral race with "hard reset" of QLDC". Crux. 7 April 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Taylor, Paul (9 July 2025). "Rewi steps forward". Lakes Weekly Bulletin. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ Rewi, Darren (9 July 2025). "Darren Rewi enters QLDC mayoral race". Crux. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Voting". Queenstown-Lakes District Council. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Chandler, Philip. "Lawyer puts hat in the ring". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
- ^ "Wānaka's Craig Gasson to run for council". Lakes Weekly Bulletin. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Dunstan awarded extra regional councillor by Local Government Commission". Otago Regional Council. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Determination of representation arrangements to apply for the election of the Otago Regional Council to be held on 11 October 2025" (PDF). Local Government Commission. Retrieved 25 June 2025.