Revealed: The QLDC "hard bargain" for five campgrounds. Was it an Aussie steal?

Mayor and CEO censured by Chief Ombudsman for secrecy decision and process.

The secret QLDC deal for the controversial take over of five local camping grounds by Australian company Hampshire Holiday Parks has been revealed following criticism of both the QLDC mayor and CEO by the Chief Ombudsman for withholding the information.

The National Business Review had to push for months using official information legislation to get the detail which shows the QLDC is getting just under $1.7 million a year in rent for a total of five local camping grounds under Australian control.

The locations include Glendhu Bay Motor Camp as well as Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park, Arrowtown Holiday Park, Wānaka Lakeview Holiday Park, and Albert Town Camp Ground.

In the end it took the intervention of the Chief Ombudsman to publish the Aussie deal. According to the NBR, the Ombudsman censured both Mayor Glyn Lewers and CEO Mike Theelen for the official information refusal decision and process.