Prominent Queenstown Businessman Tony Hill Seeks QLDC Ticket

July 28 2016: Prominent Queenstown businessman Tony Hill is putting his hand up as a candidate for the Queenstown Lakes District Council at this October’s elections bringing with him vast experience in management in the health, hospitality, tourism and aviation sectors.

Hill has been a resident in Queenstown for almost 40 years and was appointed chairman of the Wakatipu Primary Health Organisation (PHO) in 2004 which led to other health related positions and a strong interest in health services both locally and nationally.

In addition to being a member of the Institute of Directors with ten years’ experience as a director of a range of companies he was chairman of the council controlled organisation Lakes Environmental for six years and a founding director of Queenstown Resort College, a role he has held since 2003. For 13 years he acted as secretary/ manager for the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust.

Hill believes the Wakatipu is at a critical point and he wants to be part of a team which shapes and develops the next crucial stages.

“I have lived in the community for a long time. I hear what people are saying and am very aware of the issues that concern them, not only in Queenstown but throughout the Wakatipu, in key areas such as Glenorchy and Kingston. I would like to think I can play a pivotal role in resolving some of the important issues as the council moves forward.”

He is advocating the much talked about bed tax to help fund costly infrastructure and ensure the burden is not on ratepayers with no connection with tourism.

“But any such tourist tax has to be sanctioned by the industry to enable it to be implemented fairly across the board. We need a consensus and a combined approach with the accommodation providers so it can be successfully introduced.”

He has particular concerns about the perceived safety issues in downtown Queenstown at night.

“We need to ensure everyone who goes out in the resort at night feels safe and the streets are as incident free as possible. Additionally the often filthy state of the streets ‘the morning after’ does not fit the pristine tourism profile we promote and I would like to find ways, by supporting the Downtown Queenstown business organisation, to mitigate this.”

Hill believes he has the business and corporate governance expertise to make a strong impact at the council table.

“I think the combination of my skills and my long term status as a local resident make me well placed to assist and be part of a council facing some tough community issues over the next three years.”

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