But McDowell has cancelled the rally, given the Australian travel bubble news.
The prime objective of the rally, she said, was for Nash to "come and see how much of a crisis the community was in".
"We wanted him to come and talk to the community but he declined our invitation last night."
Instead, they decided to have a rally to "push for answers on what is the plan, and when is the border opening".
But the rally was scrapped upon news that the Aussie bubble decision will be made on Monday.
She said Queenstown needs borders to be opened – "that will help businesses and the community".
The rally was planned to demonstrate "solidarity ... in the face of the Government's reluctance to come to terms with the high price we are paying to protect New Zealand," the Facebook event said.
According to data from Infometrics, which was commissioned by Treasury, Queenstown-Lakes District is expected to be New Zealand's worst-hit region when it comes to the economic cost of Covid-19.
The data shows the region is expected to have 9000 fewer jobs by 2022 and its economy is forecast to take a $785 million hit.
A large part of that hit, according to the report's author, senior Infometrics economist Gareth Kiernan, is due to recent lack of tourism in the area.
"Tourism represents an estimated 56 per cent of the district's economy, with almost two-thirds of that spending coming from international visitors."
