Your voting papers for the 2022 QLDC election are due to hit your inbox anytime from this coming Friday. So do you know for sure who you’ll be voting for? If you haven’t made your mind up yet, we’ve interviewed all Mayoral Candidates, all Wānaka Ward candidates, and all those standing for the Wānaka Community Board.

Our interviews are short and punchy. We decided to focus on Wānaka airport and issues surrounding it, but there was also a chance for each candidate to make a “pitch” to the people of Wānaka and surrounding areas. All candidates were given the opportunity to do the interview, nobody had questions in advance, and they all had the same questions.

Some candidates are standing for two different roles (eg Mayor and Councillor). Four candidates declined or did not book in for interviews: Daniel Shand (for Mayor and Council), Olly Burke (for Council), Chris Hadfield (for WCB) and Emily Hay (for the WCB). All candidates are listed below in the appropriate categories.

Candidates for Mayor

The following are candidates for Mayor, in alphabetical order by surname.

Daniel Shand did not do an interview with us.

Candidates for Council – Wānaka Ward

The following are candidates for the Wānaka Ward, in alphabetical order by surname.

Olly Burke did not do an interview with us.

Daniel Shand did not do an interview with us.

Candidates for the Wānaka Community Board

The following are candidates for the Wānaka Community Board, in alphabetical order by surname.

Barry Bruce – see video in section above.

Lyal Cocks – see video in section above.

Chris Hadfield did not do an interview with us.

Emily Hay did not do an interview with us.

John Wellington – see interview in section above.