Wanaka Sun | 06 - 12 August 2020 | Edition 986

Meet Josh

INSIDE THIS WEEK

New media sales consultant.

Views: Page 13 Sport: Page 15

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Hawea boy Stands for ACT Party. thewanakasun.co.nz

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PAGE 8 EDITION 986

DELIVERED AND FREE

PHOTO: Mica Drake

This photo was taken by 15-year-old Mica Drake who has lived in Hawea Flat his whole life. The photo is of his friend Thomas Benson (15) who has also lived here his whole life. It’s taken at Treble Cone.

For more pictures of Wānaka’s winter wonderland go to page 11.

Sobering stats for renters in Queenstown Lakes Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

esidential renters in Queenstown and Wānaka are still experiencing significant housing stress in the rental market despite rent prices falling in June, a local survey reveals.

Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) surveyed more than 500 renters in June as part of its regular market research into

R

the residential rental situation across the district.

This year’s survey was expanded to include questions around wellbeing and the personal impact of COVID-19.

In 2007, the Queenstown Lakes District Council recognised an issue in the lack of affordable housing and acted upon it by forming the QLCHT. The trust was an independent, not for profit, community owned organisation.

Key findings of the 2020 survey were:

• 89 per cent of respondents considered housing affordability a barrier to their longterm commitment to the district.

• 78 per cent of respondents who had rented in other parts of New Zealand considered affordability in the district worse than the rest of the country.

• 25 per cent of respondents were unsatisfied with the warmth and dryness of their housing, with the cost of heating and poor

insulation being a key barrier to adequate heating.

• In regards to wellbeing and the personal impact of COVID-19, 79 per cent of respondents experienced some degree of lost income, either through redundancy or reduced hours of work.

• 73 per cent of respondents had a household income under $100,000 per annum.

Continued on page 3

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Winds of change for MAC MAC student paints

Wānaka Preschool mural

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Mount Aspiring College (MAC) is set to have a new charter and annual plan by March 2021, according to an outcomes plan laid out by Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) Madeleine Hawkesby.

Hawkesby, a Christchurch-based employment law and HR specialist, was commissioned by the Board of Trustees in early June to complete an analysis of issues at the Wānaka secondary school, after Principal Wayne Bosley resigned - following closely behind the Board of Trustees Chair.

PHOTO: Supplied She completed her scoping report last week, Madeleine Hawkesby, a Christchurch-based which identified nine objectives requiring employment law and HR specialist, was immediate attention, including a need for strategic commissioned by the Board of Trustees in early June leadership and accountability; relational trust at to complete an analysis of issues at the Wānaka all levels; more effective communication at all secondary school. levels; and improved policies and procedures to to three months. enable more effective and consistent governance.

These included resolving the ongoing uniform Hawkesby said that the school was in a “strong review, which Hawkesy noted had been ongoing position” to implement these changes. Alongside for three years. A design option for the uniform the Ministry of Education and the board, she had was put together for community feedback in developed a detailed outcome plan for the school March after four separate surveys had been sent to follow. out since March 2018. Hawkesby said the board “These outcomes will be supported by a needed to “resolve this and move forward so it further, even more detailed action plan which can focus on other issues.” includes accountabilities and time frames” Ed Nepia, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, she said. “It will be my role as LSM to report said that the steps outlined by Hawkesby’s review to the Ministry on a monthly basis against the could only be seen as beneficial. achievement of this plan.”

“The plan we have put in place will ensure that This action plan sets out steps to be taken over we make progress both cohesively and effectively. the next six months. One objective - for school We will centre on core, priority projects to swiftly leaders to develop an “active” annual plan which improve governance and management of the details actions to be taken to achieve strategic school,” Nepia said. goals, and progress of which is monitored and “We remain focused on creating a healthy, communicated regularly and consistently - had safe and positive environment for both staff and an indicative timeline of March 1, 2021, whilst students, and we firmly believe MAC can become others were estimated to be met in the next one a leading school within Otago, if not New Zealand.”

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Aurora Energy ’s investment plan Public drop-in sessions The Commerce Commission is in the process of making its decision on Aurora’s proposal to increase its prices to fix its network.

Drop in to pick up our consultation document and talk to Commission staff about what the proposal could mean for you.

Wanaka: Wednesday 12 August, 3:00-6:30pm Lake Wanaka Centre, 89 Ardmore Street

Find out more at www.comcom.govt.nz/aurora PAGE 2

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Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Year 13 Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student Ruby Burke has painted a mural at the entrance to Wānaka Preschool as part of her students in the community volunteer hours.

Lead teacher at the preschool, Katrina Brewer, said the piece was chosen to “complement the kowhai trees that sit adjacent to the painting and complement our values as an enviro school.”

MAC’s students in the community programme is the only programme of its type in the country, with over 50,000 hours of voluntary community time having been contributed by MAC students since its conception in 1995.

“We wanted an art piece that speaks not only to Wānaka Preschool's philosophy but that of the community,” Brewer said. “Ruby has captured how much we appreciate the beauty of nature and the gifts of living here. I love that you can see the art from the moment you step inside the gate.”

Burke said that she “wanted to help our area by using my skills,” so was excited to help Wānaka Preschool with the artwork. “I love being able

PHOTOS: Supplied

Lead teacher Katrina Brewer: “Ruby has captured how much we appreciate the beauty of nature and the gifts of living here. I love that you can see the art from the moment you step inside the gate.”

to encourage younger people through my art, as I have had a lot of help from older artists, and painting the mural for the Wānaka preschool was a great way to interact with the children,” she added.

Burke said she intended to study Fine Arts at Massey University next year, and from there pursue a career in art.

Enrol now to make voting easy Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Time is running out to make voting easy in the 2020 General Election and referendums.

About 500,000 eligible New Zealanders still haven’t enrolled to vote, and half of them are under the age of 30.

“Make voting easy this year by getting your enrolment sorted out now,” said Mandy Bohté, National Manager of Enrolment and Community Engagement. “Enrol by August 16 and you’ll be sent an information pack at the start of voting including an EasyVote card which makes voting faster.”

The EasyVote pack will include a list of voting place locations and opening hours.

It will also include information on the two referendums that will be held with the election on whether the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should come into force and whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal.

“These are important issues,” said Bohté. “You can still enrol right up to and on election day, but anyone enrolled after August 16 will have to cast a special vote which takes a bit longer.”

You can enrol or update your details online at vote.nz using a New Zealand driver licence, New

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

PHOTO: Electoral Commission

Enrol by August 16 and you’ll be sent an information pack at the start of voting including an EasyVote card which makes voting faster.

Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity, or by filling in an enrolment form. Call 0800 36 76 56 to ask for a form to be sent.

Voting starts in New Zealand on Saturday, September 5 and ends at 7pm on election day, Saturday, September 19.

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Sobering stats for renters Stage Two – have your say in Queenstown Lakes Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Continued from page 1 • 78 per cent of respondents wanted to buy a home in the district.

QLCHT executive officer Julie Scott said the survey results were important findings for the community, adding that the Trust received consistently high demand for housing assistance.

“We have 600 households on our waiting list, and demand has been growing post-COVID-19.

Housing costs are the single largest cost item in a household budget for most of our key workers and incomes simply don’t compensate for these higher costs in our district – and this remains the case despite Queenstown rents taking their biggest drop in seven years.”

QLCHT had several programmes in place to help low-moderate income households including public housing, assisted rental, rent-tobuy, and assisted ownership. It had assisted 177 households to date with another 50 expected over the next 12 months.

The Trust had received funding through grants from Housing New Zealand and also through ongoing contributions of land, buildings and/ or funds from private local developers who had committed support for community housing as part of the up-zoning process of their land.

In order to be eligible for housing assistance through the QLCHT, a household must meet the following criteria: • It must have lived in the Queenstown Lakes District for a minimum of six months and have made this its permanent home.

• At least one adult member of the household must have New Zealand residency or New Zealand citizenship.

• At least one member of the family must be working full time.

• The household must not own, or have shares, in any property or land, anywhere in the world.

• It must not own or be a beneficiary of a

QLCHT executive officer Julie Scott

PHOTO: QLDC

business or trust that has adequate income and/or assets that enable it to enter into home ownership independently.

• The total household income from all sources cannot exceed income caps (see the QLCHT website for these.)

The online survey was designed and conducted in-house by QLCHT. It followed on from previous research undertaken in 2009, 2012 and 2016. Respondents were predominantly female (74 per cent), New Zealand citizens or permanent residents (80 per cent), NZ European ethnicity (40 per cent), aged 30 to 39 years (40 per cent) and living in Queenstown (82 per cent).

Scott said the research, “helps us better understand what housing hurdles renters are facing and where the greatest need lies in terms of future programmes and the allocation of resources.

“While there is a steady stream of people willing to move into the district, an unusually high percentage of these people leave the district after 12-18 months. The reasons cited are usually due to the high living costs, with the largest of those being the cost of housing,” she said.

The survey report, along with full findings, can be found on QLCHT’s website www.qlcht.org.nz

MAC appoints Ian Hall as chairman of the board Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Mount Aspiring College yesterday today announced the appointment of Ian Hall as chairman of its Board of Trustees.

Hall, who was co-opted on Monday and then voted in as chair, is an experienced educational leader and succeeds Ed Nepia who has held the position for the past three months.

Nepia said the Hall brings significant professional gravity to the position.

“As a board, we are lucky to have someone of Ian’s expertise. To have a new chair with such a strong background in school governance is a real asset, and I know Ian will bring positive and effective change alongside our trustees moving forward,” he said.

“I stepped into the role of chair following the resignation of Glenn Peat, and only saw it as temporary. I stand behind the appointment wholeheartedly and believe that as a school we need to be open to calling on the very best experience we have available to us - and Ian is a great example of that,” said Nepia.

“Ian’s experience will be invaluable particularly over the next two terms as we have a comprehensive work plan underway, ” he said.

Hall, most recently chairman of new Wanaka primary school Te Kura O Take Karara’s

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establishment board, has over 30 years experience in the education sector including as the principal of Otago Polytechnic.

He has also worked within the Department of Education and served as chair on multiple education boards.

“I welcome a further opportunity to be involved in the Wānaka school community and look forward to working closely with all stakeholders of the college.

“As a board, we are at a turning point for change, and I am confident we have the skills to do so and do so with conviction and transparency,” said Hall. Acting principal Dean Sheppard agreed and said “I would like to thank Ed for taking on the difficult task of chairman these past few months.

I have appreciated Ed’s strength of character and know he will continue to add value to our board as a trustee.

“I am delighted to welcome Ian and carry on our progression as an effective and cohesive team with the best interests of our students at the forefront,” said Sheppard.

The appointment follows the release of an outcomes plan by limited statutory manager Madeleine Hawkesby last week. Hawkesby will remain in the role of the limited statutory manager (employment and communications) and supports the board’s appointment of Ian to the position of chair.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has released two concept plans for Stage Two of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan and is calling for community feedback.

QLDC General Manager Community Services, Thunes Cloete said that both plans featured an active travel promenade along the lakefront, providing pedestrians and cyclists with the continuous access they craved. Parking would be removed from grass verges in the area, with existing trees retained and a new feature garden introduced.

"In 2019, we received direction to revisit our plans for Stage Two with community feedback presenting opposing views. Some members of our community wanted more parking alternatives, and others wanted the Millennium Pathway to stay in its current location," Cloete said.

"However, the proposed parking along Ardmore Street first consulted on and adopted in the 2016 Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan overlaps with the Millennium Path. We acknowledge that both elements are essential to the Wānaka community, and we're looking for their guidance on how to proceed."

Wānaka Community Board (WCB) Chairperson, Barry Bruce said that while some might struggle with the choice at hand, he was encouraged by the fact that both Concept Plans would see people and pedestrians able to enjoy the lakefront in all forms.

"Stage Two is largely driven by providing continuous access around our lakefront, and by removing car parking from the grass verges, we're taking one of the most popular places in Wānaka and safeguarding it for our residents and visitors to enjoy, both now and into the

future," Bruce said.

"Whatever the outcome may be, I'm heartened by the fact that we're one step closer to seeing runners and cyclists, pedestrians and picnickers enjoying Wānaka's lakefront in all its glory."

The Wānaka Town Business Group (WTBG) will be running a series of community drop-in sessions to familiarise folk with Stage Two. Group Chair and QLDC councillor Chris Hadfield said: "We've (WTBG) have been identified as potential stakeholders for work we've got coming up regarding Stage Two. This is the area of Wānaka's lakefront running from Dungarvon Street to McDougall Street."

Concept Plan #1 features the introduction of parking along the lakeside of Ardmore Street and new Millennium Pathway tiles being laid in an alternative location. Options for that are along the active travel promenade, or in and around the proposed feature garden.

Concept Plan #2 features the Millennium Pathway staying in its existing location, and no parking added to Ardmore Street.

"Ahead of making a final decision on the plans, we're interested to hear people's thoughts on both these options and invite them to share their feedback from Monday 3 August on letstalk.qldc. govt.nz " Hadfield said.

"We are running several sessions in the community to chat about the Stage Two concept plans, Community drop-in sessions include: 1. Tuesday 11 August - 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm at the Lake Wānaka Centre.

2. Saturday 15 August - 11.00 am to 1.00 pm on the lakefront between Dungarvon Street and McDougall Street.

3.Thursday 20 August - 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm outside the Three Parks New World.

Feedback closes on Sunday 30 August at 5.00 pm.

Wanaka Sun Gynaecologist Ben Sharp will regularly be working from Wanaka Lakes Health Centre from mid-August 2020.

To book an appointment, talk to your GP or simply call Oxford Women’s Health on 03 379 0555.

Ben provides expert advice and treatment for a wide range of women’s health issues including pelvic pain, endometriosis, pain during sex, urinary incontinence and heavy periods.

Gynaecologist Ben Sharp will regularly be working from Wanaka Lakes Health Centre from mid-August 2020.

Ben provides expert advice and treatment for a wide range of women’s health issues including pelvic pain, endometriosis, pain during sex, urinary incontinence and heavy periods.

To book an appointment, talk to your GP or simply call Oxford Women’s Health on 03 379 0555.

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

oxfordwomenshealth.co.nz

PAGE 3

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Tourism Central Otago gets Meet Josh, our new media $700k government funding sales consultant Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Tourism Central Otago has secured $700,000 from the Government’s Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme for Regional Tourism Organisations (RTO).

The funding, which is for one year only to support Council funding of the RTO, almost doubles Tourism Central Otago’s (TCO) budget for the financial year 2020-2021.

“What is particularly exciting is the ability this funding has to supercharge progress on a range of priority projects identified in the Central Otago Tourism Strategy,” said Tourism Central Otago General Manager Dylan Rushbrook.

“When pulling together the proposal documents, we focused on projects that will have legacy benefits for Central Otago... By the end of the financial year, we will have further research and visitor data, a set of new assets, undertaking a series of collaborative projects with stakeholders and neighbouring regions, and a destination management plan,” Rushbrook said.

“Marketing will of course be part of the programme, and we’re just about to launch our reworked Eat.Taste.Central. campaign, part of a wider food and wine tourism project identified in the tourism strategy. It will be a full-on year bringing everything together, something the team is excited, if a little nervous about.”

The month-long 2020 edition of Eat.Taste.

Central will take place from September 25.

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said the funding had the ability to “provide the impetus

The Wānaka Sun welcomed Josh Baines to the team last month as our media sales consultant, here to help local businesses be heard.

Originally from Dunedin, Josh has lived all over New Zealand, but spent much of his childhood here in Wānaka, where he still has family and feels a familiar connection.

In his spare time, he enjoys boating on the lake and DJing in the local bars.

Josh returned to Wānaka two years ago after five years in Melbourne, where he worked in audio visual accounts and venue management for hotel and sporting venues. Most recently, he worked as a sales consultant for Wyndham Destinations based at the Ramada Resort Wānaka.

“I'm very excited and committed to helping our local businesses build their brand awareness and maintain a visible presence within our community,” Josh said.

PHOTO: Wānaka Sun “My priorities lie in building strong client Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said the funding relationships in order to provide the best ongoing had the ability to “provide the impetus for our support for my clients, so let's meet for a coffee small tourism team to progress and complete a and get your voice heard.” set of strategic projects that will provide value and leadership to our wider Central Otago community.

You can give Josh a ring on 022 588 1642 or email adrep@thewanakasun.co.nz to find out for our small tourism team to progress and more about what he can do for your business. complete a set of strategic projects that will provide value and leadership to our wider Central Otago community.

“Tourism is a significant contributor to our local economy, and together we must ensure that Central Otago is best positioned to achieve a destination that both visitors and our communities value,” said Cadogan.

PHOTO: Supplied

“My priorities lie in building strong client relationships in order to provide the best ongoing support for my clients, so let's meet for a coffee and get your voice heard.”

Wānaka climbers step up for awards

Temporary COVID-19 testing centre opens in Frankton Gary Dickson.

PHOTO: QSO

Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTOS: Pixabay

After a visitor to the Queenstown Lakes tested positive, QLDC is setting up a temporary COVID testing station.

Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

The Ministry of Health has established a temporary ‘pop-up’ COVID-19 testing centre in Frankton. This follows the positive test of a person currently in South Korea who visited Queenstown in early July.

Southern District Health Board (SDHB) opened the centre in the car park of Pak ‘n Save (302 Hawthorne Drive, Frankton) yesterday helped out by council staff and contractors, and the store’s management.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said it was a responsible precautionary measure.

“The recent case of the person travelling to South Korea is an important reminder that we

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must remain vigilant. In that sense, the temporary testing centre is a good insurance policy, and we are pleased to support our health officials with this latest initiative,” he said.

“There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand outside managed isolation facilities, but one only has to look at the situation across the Tasman to realise how quickly the virus can spread if allowed to do so.”

“I would encourage as many people as possible to get a test so the Ministry can build a broad picture across the whole community. In particular, I would ask employers to give their staff the opportunity to visit during working hours if they so wish,” said Boult.

The temporary testing facility is very similar to the one established in the same location in April this year.

Wānaka mountaineers Lydia Bradey and Gary Dickson received their New Years Honors awards at a ceremony at the Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown last night.

Gary Dickson was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for his service to search and rescue, which exceeds more than 30 years of volunteer efforts in the South Island. Dickson has served as the communications advisor for Wānaka Search and Rescue (SAR) for the past 18 years and as the alpine rescue leader for nine years in his dedication to the role.

“It’s almost busier than my real job, but someone’s gotta do it,” Dickson admits. Dickson moved down from Mount Cook to Wānaka at the start of the century after seeing the benefits for guiding and mountaineering in the area.

He’s credited as developing Wānaka SAR from a group of casual volunteers to one of the most professional volunteer alpine cliff rescue teams in New Zealand.

“When you turned up to a job back then, you turned up with all your own gear, and so a volunteer had to have their own ropes etc. so it was like, oh well, we need to sort this out, and someone needed to take it on, and I did.”

Since those days Dickson has gone from strength to strength, including a stint as advisor to Land SAR New Zealand as well as president of the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association.

He represented New Zealand at the International

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

Lydia Bradey.

PHOTO: NZOM

Commission for Alpine Rescue and the International Federation of Mountains, helping to facilitate New Zealand’s Land SAR membership, and developed qualification standards for the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association.

This latest honour is a testament to Dickson’s selfless attitude and passion for his craft. He said, “It’s a privilege, I’m humbled by it, and I know some people around me think I’ve done a decent enough job to put me forward for this thing, so thanks very much to them, I hope to do justice to them.”

Lydia Bradey was awarded the title of Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to mountaineering. She is an internationally acclaimed mountaineer who, over the past 35 years, has been a trailblazer for women climbers and an inspiration to many.

Bradey was the first woman to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, having achieved this feat in 1988, and remains the only New Zealander to do so. She’s since climbed Everest six times, is the only New Zealand woman to have climbed the mountain more than once, and has guided it successfully five times. Collectively, with her partner Dean Staples, they have made 15 ascents of Everest, the highest number of shared ascents of any household in the world.

Bradey is an IFMGA International Mountain & Ski Guide, and in 2011 was appointed Life Member of the New Zealand Alpine Club. In 2017, Bradey was one of three Kiwis to make the first New Zealand ascent of the world’s seventh-highest mountain, Dhaulagiri, 8157m, Nepal, and in July 2019 became the first Kiwi woman to climb Broad Peak, 8047m, Pakistan.

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Public consultation proceeds Pink ribbon lunch on Three Waters Bylaw raises almost $3,500

QLDC general manager Property and Infrastructure Peter Hansby: Feedback was strongly in favour of developing an Integrated Three Waters Bylaw to take a more holistic and consistent approach.

Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) gave the green light to proceed with public consultation on a proposed Integrated Three Waters Bylaw at its meeting on July 23.

QLDC general manager Property and Infrastructure Peter Hansby said that taking an integrated approach followed community feedback late last year and would provide a more responsive regulatory framework to manage wastewater (including trade waste), stormwater and water supply in the district.

“Last November we asked the community what steps the council could take to manage challenges like water overuse, sewer overflows and inappropriate discharges to our stormwater network,” Hansby said.

“Feedback was strongly in favour of developing an Integrated Three Waters Bylaw to take a more holistic and consistent approach and better support the district’s precious environment and vital infrastructure.”

“We currently have an existing Water Supply Bylaw 2015 and Trade Waste Bylaw 2014 which needed to be reviewed and we’ve recognised an increasing need for a stormwater and wastewater

PHOTO: Pixabay

bylaw. Bringing these together to cover the whole network was a no brainer, providing much clearer guidelines and better outcomes for the environment and community.”

QLDC is now inviting submissions on the proposed bylaw until Sunday 27 September.

Details on the proposed bylaw, including the Statement of Proposal and proposed administration manual, along with how to make a submission can be found at letstalk.qldc.govt. nz or at council offices and libraries across the district.

Drop-in sessions will be scheduled in Queenstown and Wānaka for anyone who would like to provide feedback in person or talk through how the bylaw could work.

“I would urge people to take a look at the proposed bylaw in relation to their water management and discharges to the network, either as a business or a household,” Hansby said.

“Our environment is precious and it takes a collective approach to protect it for future generations. Not just for our people, but for those living and playing downstream from us. And while the council is responsible for building, operating and maintaining the essential infrastructure, we all have a part to play to keep things running smoothly”.

PHOTOS: Jill Gardiner

Tickets included a glass of bubbles, canapes, a shared banquet lunch and entertainment from Wānaka’s country music star Jody Direen, who was back in town for the weekend to go skiing and agreed to sing at the event.

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

A pink ribbon luncheon held by locals Anna Laming and Jane Sharman raised $3,450 for the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ last Friday, with nearly 90 guests attending the event at the Hāwea Hotel.

Sharman said it was “great to see some familiar faces, many who have been to most of our events over the past few years, but also many new faces.”

The pair organised their first pink ribbon event in 2017 and have hosted two breakfasts, one high tea and now a luncheon.

Tickets included a glass of bubbles, canapes, a shared banquet lunch and entertainment from Wānaka’s country music star Jody Direen, who was back in town for the weekend to go skiing and agreed to sing at the event.

Sharman recalled that Radio Wānaka presenter million, a portion of which will be allocated to Jen Anderson was a “fabulous MC, adding her personal touch and humour to the event,” and Central Otago by regional agreement.

“While we welcome any investment from Central Government in our region it is important, we take the time to consider the detail of the latest announcement and our next steps,” said Jacobs.

“Our Council, led by Executive Manager - Infrastructure Services Julie Muir, has been working with our neighbouring Otago and Southland councils to investigate what a collaborative approach to the delivery of drinking Penny Fisher RN MBA water, wastewater and stormwater services could 027 343 4776 look like and how it could benefit our communities and environment. That work will now ramp up to ensure that Central Otago can determine its involvement as part of a regional response to the Professional Trustworthy Friendly Reliable Government’s proposal going forward.”

Jacobs said CODC would be in a position to Household help, comment further in due course once the proposal Meal preparation, had been fully considered.

Outings companionship, Central Otago District Mayor Tim Cadogan Shopping carer support. said he as “looking forward to discussions with councillors this month on the best way forward www. pennyshom ecare.co.nz for Central Otago”.

Three Waters Reform developments ramping up Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Central Otago District Council has acknowledged Monday’s announcement by the Minister of Local Government of the Three Waters Reform funding allocations.

Chief Executive Sanchia Jacobs said the proposed water reforms have been on the radar for some time and staff had been “working to position CODC to be able to respond however the Council deems appropriate once they have a chance to consider the proposal”.

“That work has included keeping a close eye on all the information coming out of Wellington, working with our regional counterparts and taking time to consider the best options for our community for Council to consider.”

The government’s investment package is structured into two components – a direct allocation to each council and a regional allocation. Central Otago District Council’s ‘notional’ allocation has been set at $4.73 million and the Otago regional allocation at $20.6

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Tanette Hickey, from the Tiny Temple for Wellbeing, also spoke on mindfulness and led a guided meditation session.

There was also a raffle, with prizes donated by a multitude of local businesses, and spot prizes for those best dressed in pink.

Sharman and Laming said they were “so pleased with the result and grateful for the generous support of everyone involved.”

The Pink Ribbon Breakfast fundraising campaign is usually held in May, but was delayed this year due to COVID-19. So far in 2020, 1,514 pink ribbon hosts across New Zealand have raised over $500,000 for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. The Foundation thanked “all of the amazing people” who hosted events. “The money you have raised will help fund breast cancer education, research and patient support.”

You can still fundraise for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ at any time. Visit www.breastcancerfoundation. org.nz/how-you-can-help/ for details.

Here when you need us the most

Penny’s Home Care

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

Opening hours: Monday—Friday 8:30am—6:00pm 03 443 0725 • aspiringmedical.co.nz • 23 Cardrona Valley Rd

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Mayoral Forum hosts Conservation Minister Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: Highlands Motorsport Park

Tourism Central Otago: Highlands provides “broad ranging economic value and social benefits to the region.”

Highlands receives strategic tourism asset grant Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

More than $300 million in government funding to protect strategic tourism businesses, drive domestic tourism through regional events and lift digital capability in the tourism industry was announced by Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis last Saturday. Among the recipients was Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell.

The funding includes a mixture of grants of up to $500,000, and loans to support the industry through the uncertainties brought by COVID-19.

“Through the Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme (STAPP), we have approved support for 126 tourism businesses including 18 Māori tourism businesses that will help secure jobs and boost business at this incredibly tough time,” Davis said.

“We’re supporting the tourism industry to help weather the storm, adapt to build new ways of working and new products, and build a foundation that will mean we have a more sustainable tourism industry that benefits all New Zealanders in the future.”

Highlands received a grant of $500,000 and a loan of up to $1.5 million dollars.

Dylan Rushbrook, General Manager of

Tourism Central Otago, who supported their application to the STAPP fund, said that Highlands was “a notable and unique contributor to Central Otago’s visitor experience offering” providing “broad ranging economic value and social benefits to the region.”

Highlands Chief Operating Officer (COO) Josie Spillane said the grant would help the business retain their “specialist skills and staff ” as well as enable it to “continue the momentum we’ve gathered,” after a “significant downturn” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlands met all the criteria under the STAPP, which stated that an asset is likely to be considered strategic and eligible if it is a key attraction for New Zealand and is responsible for significant visitation to the region where it is located, among other key measures.

Spillane said that, over the next two years, Highlands planned to invest a further $2 million to enhance the business and what the region has to offer.

“Highlands has always been loud and proud in its advocacy for Central Otago as a destination,” said Spillane. “We know that it is going to be a long road back for tourism, but Highlands is determined to play its part to help drive the recovery and bring tourists back to Central Otago.”

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ADULTS: $35; STUDENTS AT SCHOOL: FREE Cash ticket sales at Gifted Design Store, 19 Helwick Street.

Online sales at www.eventfinda.co.nz booking fee applies.

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Presented by Wanaka Concert Society.

PAGE 6

The Otago Mayoral Forum welcomed a Government Minister and a senior public servant to its meeting in Dunedin on Monday.

Eugenie Sage, Minister for Conservation and Associate Minister for the Environment, and Sarah Stuart-Black, Director of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, joined the Forum to discuss opportunities for Otago in a COVID-19 setting.

Minister Eugenie Sage spoke to the Forum about solid waste and recycling, as well as the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme.

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan, who chairs the Mayoral Forum, said the Minister’s visit was valuable for the Forum.

“Otago residents are committed to managing waste within our region, and not sending it away to become someone else’s problem. This is an issue where we need to work together to achieve our goals.”

“And Jobs for Nature is a great fit for Otago.

We’re a big region, and the pandemic has hit hard for some of our workers, especially in the tourism sector,” Cadogan said.

“It’s important that Otago’s leaders work together, especially when we’re engaging with central government. The collective is stronger than each of us as individuals.”

This was evident during the COVID-19 response period, Cadogan said.

“The Otago Mayoral Forum met online regularly during lockdown, leading to a joint request to Civil Defence to increase support for

PHOTO: Beehive

Minister Eugenie Sage spoke to the Forum about solid waste and recycling, as well as the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme.

foreign nationals stranded in our region.

“The visit from Sarah Stuart-Black is an opportunity to discuss how we can strengthen our regional response to future events.”

The Forum is made up of the region’s mayors and the Chair of the Otago Regional Council, along with their chief executives. Its role is to encourage collaboration and coordination, for the good of Otago’s communities and natural environment.

The Forum will look for further opportunities to engage with key leaders after the elections in September.

World Hepatitis Day: get tested, get cured

PHOTO: Supplied

Margaret Fraser, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Gastroenterology: “Our message is that testing saves lives – if you’re at risk of hepatitis C talk to your doctor about getting tested.”

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Get tested, get cured was the message from the Southern District Healthboard (Southern DHB) for this year’s World Hepatitis Day. World Hepatitis Day takes place every year on July 28 to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and the impact it has worldwide. The theme this year was ‘eliminate hepatitis – find the missing millions’.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection which causes inflammation of the liver. It affects over 50,000 New Zealanders, although it's estimated only half are currently diagnosed.

Southern DHB Clinical Nurse Specialist, Gastroenterology, Margaret Fraser said: “Hepatitis C is curable, treatment is free, and getting yourself cured contributes to worldwide eradication.”

Hepatitis C can remain asymptomatic for decades. If diagnosed early, a person is able to make lifestyle changes that may help delay the

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

onset of serious complications and undertake treatment to cure the disease. Symptoms can be vague (tiredness or fatigue, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal pain), but once liver disease has developed, people are at risk of developing liver cancer or failure.

GPs are now able to screen for and treat hepatitis in the community.

SDHB recommended that people should get tested if they have ever had a raised liver function blood test, have received a tattoo or body piercing using unsterile equipment, have lived or received medical attention in a high-risk country (South East Asia, China, Eastern Europe, including Russia, or the Middle East), had a blood transfusion or received blood products prior to 1992, have ever been in prison, have injected drugs, or were born to a mother living with hepatitis C. For more information about hepatitis C go to: www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-andtreatments/diseases-and-illnesses/hepatitis-c

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Sun SnowSport

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Obsidian teams and locations revealed

PHOTO: Thomas Benson

Thomas Benson (15) ripping it up at Treble Cone this season. Thomas has lived his whole life in the Upper Clutha and grew up skiing. He has the skills to prove it!

PHOTO: Supplied

Amongst those participating will be the town’s finest skiers and snowboarders - including Nico Porteous, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Christy Prior - as well as Wānaka-based production company Two Bearded Men, who will be joining Team Wells as their embedded videographers.

SNOW BOARDING COLUMN

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

A good workman never blames his tools, but...

PHOTO: Supplied

It wasn’t until the soles came away and I felt icy slush seeping into my socks that I realised my boots might be beyond the masking tape point.

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Back in June, a case of ‘right place, right time’ brought me into contact with my snowboarding gear. I happened to be picking something up from a local backpacker’s for a friend when the owner, desperate to clear out a storage shed-load of abandoned gloves and smelly ski boots, told me to take anything that would be of use to me.

As it happened, a lot of it was of use, including a snowboard and boots - and that was the start of my snowboarding adventure. A season pass was practically a bargain when all the gear was free.

Sadly, it was too good to last. A couple of weeks ago, a friend suggested that my pretty little park board was not well suited to my height or level of expertise. The soft flex and rocker profile made it too flimsy for a clumsy beginner who just wanted to keep both feet safely on the ground. It pains me to admit

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it - after all, fate brought her to me - but last weekend, I tried a bigger, standard camber board, and definitely noticed an improvement.

I was thinking of her the entire time, of course, but my betrayal still had consequences; a day later, my boots fell apart. There had been some warning signs - I’d had to replace a lace when one unravelled as I was tying it up, and there was some peeling at the toes - but it wasn’t until the soles came away and I felt icy slush seeping into my socks that I realised they might be beyond the masking tape point.

Dipping my now-exposed toes into the world of snowboarding has become quite an expensive venture, but giving up at this hurdle isn’t an option. I’m hooked - and I still have a few weeks of this column left to write, too.

Hopefully, with the right board and boots that are still in one piece, I’ll continue to improve and keep coming back year after year.

In the meantime, if you know of some size 7-8 boots or a 154cm board going, drop me an email.

Winter Games NZ have revealed the teams and locations for this year’s Obsidian snowsports event, a reimagined version of the games brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over a ten-day weather window from August 10 to 20, three teams of seven elite athletes and two world-class videographers will be battling it out to win the Edgar Challenge Trophy led by team captains Janina Kuzma, Sam Smoothy and Jossi Wells.

Amongst those participating will be Wānaka’s finest skiers and snowboarders including Nico Porteous (Team Wells), Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (Team Kuzma) and Christy Prior (Team Smoothy).

Five equally weighted challenges make up Obsidian: a freeride competition; a park jam in a custom-built rail garden at Cardrona Alpine Resort; a big air event at Cardrona’s Big Bucks; a Mountain Shred Challenge; and a videography edit competition.

The Mountain Shred Challenge will see teams sent to separate ski resorts, where they will build and session a line that can feature natural, manmade or enhanced natural features. The teams will be judged by both sports and media panels on their style, creativity and sport from their video edit of the day, led by their embedded videographers.

The Mountain Shred locations have been confirmed, with Team Wells drawing Coronet Peak, Team Kuzma The Remarkables and Team Smoothy Treble Cone.

Wānaka-based production company Two

Bearded Men will be joining Team Wells as their embedded videographers.

Founded by Tim Pierce and Toby Crawford, Two Bearded Men is built on a passion for people and storytelling in the mountains of this region. With a wealth of experience working with snowsports athletes - for which the entire production team must also be adept at skiing and snowboarding - Pierce said they were “super grateful” to be involved and to ”tell some stories about a region that means a lot to us, and about some very talented athletes” “Wānaka is where the roots of our company are planted,” he said.

The final eight-minute edits from the videography competition, which Pierce said would feature the videography teams’ unique look into Obsidian, will be premiered at free community events in Wānaka and Queenstown on August 28 and 29.

Winter Games NZ Media Manager, Sophie Luther, said “there will be more information to come on these awesome community events as we look to celebrate the Southern Lakes’ unique mountain culture.”

“From conception to reality, the Obsidian has been an athlete-focused, sport and contentdriven team event. We will be bringing the beauty of this innovative format and all the action to you via our digital channels and Sky Sports NZ,” she added.

“You will be able to follow your favourite athletes and watch some exceptional snow content, which we believe will blow your mind.”

For more information and the full team lists, visit: www.wintergamesnz.kiwi/obsidian.

We’re always here if you need us..

Any Health concerns?

Your GP is just a phone call away. 03 443 0710 www.WanakaMedical.co.nz 23 Cardrona Valley Road, Wanaka

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

Wanaka Medical - Leading the Way

PAGE 7

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Meeting our local achievers

Hawea local stands for the ACT Party Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Beamish, (36) is a mechanical engineer and has been an ACT Party member for about two years.

When the Wanaka Sun caught up with him, he had been doing a "billboard run" and had done five billboards for that day.

He says he has been a member of the ACT Party for a while but didn't have it in mind to run as a candidate for the Waitaki electorate until recently.

It started with me volunteering to put some billboards up for them a while ago, he says.

Waitaki didn't have a candidate, and through a few conversations, this is the result.

So what is your background?

I'm a mechanical engineer. I studied at Otago Polytech and then worked up at Cardrona Ski Resort for a few years in the early 2000s.

Since then I've spent the better part of 10 years in Australia and a couple of years in the Democratic Republic of Congo and most recently up in Papua New Guinea.

The Papua New Guinea and Congo jobs I was mentoring young engineers.

I have lived in Lake Hawea all my adult life, and I commute to my overseas jobs from there.

So why the ACT Party?

Their party values are very much aligned with mine. It's a case of individual freedom and the responsibility that goes along with that.

Also, free-market economics and small governments staying out of people's lives as much as possible and letting them get on with it.

In particular, at the start of the campaign, we didn't know the coronavirus was going to happen. At the same time, it was still about the government letting the private sector get on and succeed rather than taking too much control over what's happening and dictating to them what the recovery should look like.

At the moment we have the border closed and the government managing all of the quarantine.

There is real potential for the private sector to get engaged if the government would give them some guidelines around what the rules are and how they have to manage them. We might find that there is a tourism sector that is very happy to come in and enjoy two weeks in a nice hotel or one of our backcountry lodges.

It's about having a conversation about how we can best take advantage of the situation we have got. We are an island nation that is relatively coronavirus free- it's something that we should be able to capitalise on.

And closer to home?

Our region, in particular, is very much a tourist-reliant economy. So we have to have conversations on how we can get smarter border controls and start opening ourselves up to some of the nations that are already coronavirus free.

Rarotonga and some of our Pacific neighbours, for instance, for tourists, to go both ways.

We don't know what's going to be possible, but we need to start having some conversations about what we can do and how we can get businesses back on their feet rather than have to support them with taxpayer money.

Rarotonga etc. would these people want to come to New Zealand at the moment?

I think those that have family here would be enthusiastic about being reunited. I think it's something we need to be exploring and not shutting our minds to.

So where do you see yourself in the electoral race?

I do not intend to win the seat, but I mean

PAGE 8

PHOTOS: Sean Beamish

Sean Beamish: The ACT Party values are very much aligned with mine.

to be the representative of our community in Wellington. That's the realm of a democratic society - to represent the views of the constituents to the people who are making the decisions in Wellington.

I'm very supportive of what Jacqui (Dean) does as the electorate MP, and I am campaigning for the party vote for ACT in order to increase our influence with the government.

What is it that makes a mechanical engineer want to take a dabble at politics?

Ultimately it was my experiences overseas and seeing what can happen when a country loses its democratic systems and freedoms. It's something that doesn't come naturally, it needs people to step and become involved. And it's very easy having been born in a free democratic country to take for granted really how good we have it.

I would certainly much rather be in a difficult situation in New Zealand than in an average situation in the Congo.

In the Congo, there is 82 per cent unemployment. And a similar percentage living on less than US$1 a day which is the international guideline for poverty.

I was working for a mining company, training engineers on a copper mine. It was really goodthe company I worked for was operating with western safety standards and teaching nationals how to do mining in a safe and productive way.

It was a good experience. I got home every three months.

And the political situation in the Congo?

They call themselves a democratic republic but their election had been delayed for about 16 years. In general, the public had more to fear from the police force and their military than from each other. Corruption is pretty rife. Life expectancy is low, and infrastructure is poor. But they are fantastic people- friendly, polite, willing to learn, and with powerful tribal relationships and separate hierarchies that we are unused to in the west.

With the hierarchies, just because you make someone a supervisor doesn't mean they can tell a chief outside of work what to do.

So where to from now?

I'm going to be on the campaign trail, meeting more people and telling them why the ACT Party policies present a good option for the people of New Zealand and can pull us out of our current scenario much more quickly than some of the others.

Waitaki is a big electorate- I'm going to Mt Cook, Geraldine, Oamaru, down to Moheno, Ranfurly and over this way.

It's pretty impressive when you think that the Waitaki electorate has got the same number of people as 20 square kilometres of Auckland. It's a lot of productive land, and it needs representation.

At work in Papua New Guinea with local engineers.

Sean has worked as a mentor for native Congolese, teaching them to be adept mechanical engineers.

With mechanics in the Democratic Republic of Congo, during a two year stint he spent as a mentor for mechanical engineers. With the general election fast approaching, the Wanaka Sun intends to profile, once a week, the five candidates for the Waitaki Electorate. This week it's the turn of home town boy Sean Beamish who has lived in Hawea all his adult life. He is standing for the ACT Party.

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

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Sun News

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Winter fire safety reminder Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Winter brings a unique set of fire dangers to be aware of, including the risks from heaters, electric blankets and fireplaces. With this in mind, the Lake Hāwea Volunteer Fire Brigade is reminding residents of key fire safety points following a review of the data for Otago and Southland over the last month.

According to the brigade, there was a trend of “common occurrences” that were “totally preventable,” including chimney fires, unattended cooking, combustible items close to heat sources and incorrect disposal of ashes.

Chimney fires, caused by a build-up of creosote where the chimney meets cold air, are best prevented by regular chimney cleaning and burning dry wood only. Heaters should be kept at least a metre away from combustible items, as should ashes - which can stay hot for up to five days and should be disposed of in a steel bucket doused with water.

Alongside reminding residents to draw out and practice household evacuation plans and test smoke alarms monthly, the brigade also highlighted the importance of ensuring water tanks are full, accessible and have the

correct fittings.

“To give us the best chance of effectively fighting a fire on your property we need a large and easily accessible water supply,” they said.

“Time is always against us and the speed and ease with which we can access a water supply is critical.

“If your supply is inadequate then we may need to look at neighbouring properties to utilise, so it pays to be familiar with your neighbours’ tanks.”

John Smalls, Fire Risk Management Officer Central/North Otago Area, also impressed this point in a statement after a fire in Hāwea Flat on July 15 entirely destroyed resident Monika Žďárková’s sleepout and belongings, and melted a water tank situated approximately 15m from the blaze.

“Take away messages for the public would be to install smoke alarms in every bedroom and consider interconnected smoke alarms, especially for out buildings in rural areas that could have alerted occupants of the main house of a fire occurring in the main barn/ sleepout,” he said. “Also consider installing firefighting water supplies in remote or rural areas where hydrant water cannot be guaranteed or is non-existent.”

For any guidance on fire safety, including in rural environments, go to: www.fireandemergency.nz

PHOTO: Lake Hāwea Volunteer Fire Brigade

Following a sleepout fire in Hāwea Flat on July 16, the Lake Hāwea Volunteer Fire Brigade reminded residents to check smoke alarms, create an evacuation plan and make sure water tanks are full and accessible.

MAC students launch ACC helping make the ski shampoo enterprise group season safer Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

From left, Kate Goodsell (17), Libby Bron (17), Moana Watson (17), Phoebe Garland (18), and Ruby Burke (18).

Ollie Blyth

journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz

A group of Year 13 students from Mt Aspiring College have created an environmentally friendly shampoo bar made from locally sourced ingredients and lavender oil from the Wanaka Lavender Farm. The enterprise group, called Awa Hair, set out to create their product as part of a school project, and are now selling it online.

The group’s financial director, Kate Goodsell, said that, “The idea of lavender shampoo bars came around from originally looking at plasticfree and environmentally friendly products that can be made by us. We chose the scent as

THE WĀNAKA SUN

PHOTO: Supplied

lavender as it is an ingredient that is sourced locally from the Wānaka Lavender Farm and supports a local business.”

The handmade shampoo bars are designed as a substitute for liquid shampoo. It is made with sweet almond oil, olive oil, and coconut oil which contains vitamins A and E. Each bar is packaged in 99 per cent recyclable packaging. The group also claims that one shampoo bar saves three bottles of liquid shampoo.

Enterprise studies in a Year 13 course at Mt Aspiring College run in conjunction with The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme. The course is designed to take students through the process of setting up and running a small business.

Last year’s ski season saw 17,935 ACC claims from skiers and snowboarders who had injured themselves on the slopes.

This year, ACC and the ski industry are hoping to see that number come down with the launch of the National Incident Database (NID) app – a custom app designed for the ski industry to help them record, track, and respond to near misses and injuries as soon as possible after they happen.

The app allows ski patrols and medical clinics to record information about injuries and near misses, including where they’re happening and who they’re happening too. The information can then be used to help prevent future injuries – for example, if a field operator sees there have been several near misses on a particular run, all by inexperienced skiers, they can revise the rating of that run.

The NID app is the result of a collaboration between ACC and the Ski Areas Association of New Zealand (SAANZ), who represent New Zealand’s commercial and club ski fields.

Launched at the start of the 2020 season, Andy Hoyle, General Manager of Safety and Environment at Mt Ruapehu said it has already become a critical tool for ski area managers.

“With the old database we had to manually enter data from handwritten forms, which was inefficient, and it meant there was a lag between when the data was collected and when we could use it.

“One of the biggest advances with the move to the app is around being able to get real-time data and geolocate the incident site. We can also load images to an incident file in case there is a need to look at the site to see if it can be made safer or for investigation purposes.”

ACC got involved when they were approached

by SAANZ to help fund the development of the app to replace the former database which was no longer fit for purpose.

“Being able to see where injuries are happening is a great way for ski field managers to respond and make decisions that can improve safety,” said Kirsten Malpas, ACC Injury Prevention Leader.

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

PHOTO: Pixabay

Longer term there could be potential to use this type of technology in other recreation settings such as mountain bike trails.

“With the new app, operators can get precise information and see trends that might be occurring over a daily, weekly or even seasonal timeframe. This is the first time they have had access to that fine level of detail.

“Longer term there could be potential to use this type of technology in other recreation settings such as mountain bike trails.”

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Community projects wanted for Mitre 10 Helping Hands Ollie Blyth

journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz

To kick off its new nationwide community support programme, Mitre 10 Helping Hands is on the hunt for deserving local projects. The home improvement retailer is asking kiwis to nominate DIY projects in their community that need a bit of a helping hand. Mitre 10 Helping Hands provides practical hands-on help with community builds, do-ups or makeovers – anything that would benefit from a bit of DIY know-how and some muscle to get the job done right.

Nominations close August 9 and projects will be shortlisted for public online voting August

12-19. The winning project(s) will be announced August 24 and completed by September 20.

“Our biggest learning over the years is that community projects knit communities together,” said Murray Leaning, community engagement manager, “Our team members get so much out of volunteering their time and energy to help people in our community that we now have waiting lists for upcoming projects. And it’s not just our team. Our suppliers and local trade customers are knocking on the door wanting to know when the next one is happening. Even our customers get involved – one lady brought freshly baked scones along to one project for morning tea for our volunteers!”

NEWS IN BRIEF Queenstown Airport Park and Ride service ‘in hibernation’ Due to the impact COVID-19 has had on activity levels at Queenstown Airport, Queenstown Airport’s Park and Ride service has been suspended since April.

Andrew Williamson, general manager finance & commercial said that “While Park and Ride has stopped for now, we do intend to reintroduce the service in the future and will review this as flight and passenger numbers start to build again.”

Jetstar resumes Wellington to Queenstown flights Jetstar will resume 90 per cent of its normal domestic schedule in New Zealand from August, with travel demand exceeding expectations in the first month since Jetstar flights resumed. The increased schedule will see Jetstar flying more than 100 return flights per week across six domestic routes, including the resumption of services between Wellington and Queenstown catching the peak of the winter season.

Queenstown Writers Competition accepting entries The Queenstown Writers Festival are running a short story competition for writers in the Southland/Otago region. The competition has three categories of adult, high school, and primary school age, with cash prizes for each. More information is available at www.qtwritersfestival.nz/competition.

Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust funding round now open Members of the public are invited to apply

to the current funding round of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust. Chairman Kai Luey encourages people to make applications for proposals that support the aims of the Trust.

The Trust funds activities that promote the preservation and awareness of Chinese New Zealand history and contributions of early Chinese settlers. Any project proposal also needs to show that it can provide tangible support for Chinese New Zealanders’ history, language and culture. The Trust distributes up to $200,000 in grants to organisations and individuals through two funding rounds each year. Applications for funding close on 23 September 2020. Visit www.communitymatters.govt.nz for more information.

Ignite Wānaka plans an art/design weekend Ignite Wānaka are calling on local artists and designers to register their interest for a weekend of workshops and exhibitions to celebrate local creativity. The weekend initiative is planned to go ahead on October 17/18. Those interested should email naomi@ignitewanaka.co.nz QLDC invites public attendees to extraordinary meeting An extraordinary meeting of the Queenstown Lakes District Council will take place on Tuesday, 4 August 2020 in the Council Chambers, 10 Gorge Road, Queenstown beginning at 12.00pm. The public is welcome to attend. Anyone who wishes to speak in the public forum is asked to register with the governance team before the meeting starts.

PHOTO: Peter Wilson

The Scott Base Redevelopment is a multi-million-dollar project that would see the existing base, built in the early 1980s and made up of 12 separate buildings, replaced by a safe, fit-for-purpose and sustainable scientific research base.

A green building on the white continent Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

The colour of the new Scott Base may not be decided, but one thing is clear – the building will be green.

Antarctica New Zealand, together with the New Zealand Green Building Council, has developed a custom Green Star tool to measure the sustainability of the new Scott Base.

“Antarctica New Zealand is committed to minimising its environmental impact in Antarctica and upholding the principles of the Antarctic Treaty System,” said Antarctica New Zealand Chief Executive Sarah Williamson.

“We have chosen to have an independent review of the Scott Base redevelopment so that we can maximise the opportunities to design, construct and operate the new base in an efficient and sustainable way.”

Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on the planet. The new sustainable accreditation scheme for the rebuild factors in the harsh realities of building and operating in the Antarctic environment.

Antarctica New Zealand is aiming for a fivestar, New Zealand excellence, rating.

“An independent accreditation of sustainable design and construction is a key requirement of the redevelopment project. This validates the commitment Antarctica New Zealand has to protect the environment”, said Simon Shelton, Scott

Base Redevelopment Senior Project Manager.

“The new Green Star custom tool encourages the use of more sustainable materials, reduced waste, and more efficient systems designed to lower energy use. It promotes practices that would lower the new base’s contribution to climate change and enhances the health and wellbeing of the people living and working at Scott Base, some for up to 13 months before returning to New Zealand.”

New Zealand Green Building Council Chief Executive Andrew Eagles said the way humans construct and operate buildings is impacting the planet and contributing significantly to climate change.

“It has been great to work with Antarctica New Zealand to help ensure their new home at Scott Base responds to this issue and has as little impact as possible.

“We’ve now got a framework to help Antarctica New Zealand limit their contribution to the emissions that threaten its precious environment and wildlife, and create a comfortable, practical and efficient space for people to work and live in”, he says.

Antarctica New Zealand will present the custom tool at the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) Virtual Conference this week during the ‘Antarctic Station Modernization Symposium’.

The redevelopment design is expected to be rated against the Green Star tool in 2021.

Hebbard Trophy decided by one point

From left: Donald Urquhart(s), Kura Urquhart, Lulu Roberts, Neville Roberts.

One of the Wānaka Bowling Club’s major winter events was held in the club’s stadium on Saturday 1, August.

Eight mixed fours teams played four games, each of 10 ends through the day to decide who would win the Hebbard Trophy in 2020.

No team went through the day unbeaten, and in the end, only one point separated the first and second place getters.

PAGE 10

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

PHOTO: Peter Wilson

In the end, it was the all Hawea team of Donald Urquhart, Neville Roberts, Kura Urquhart and Lulu Roberts (51 points +9) that came out ahead of Richie Muir, Stu Hurley, Rhonda Hurley and Val Ransom (50 points +5).

In third place was Ken Allison(s), Murray Finn, Allison Hebbard and Jan Allen.

– By Peter Wilson

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Sun News

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WÄ naka winter wonderland We put out a request for some winter pics and got this stunning array back. Many thanks to those who contributed.

Winter sunset over the Upper Clutha.

PHOTO: Dave Brown

PHOTO: Hayley Kyle

Look at all the cars! A stunning day at Cardrona.

Hoar frost in the Cardrona Valley- so pretty!

A frosty web one sunny morning on the Clutha riverbank.

Cardrona ski field looking down on the inversion. It was so nice to get above the cloud and ski in the warm sunshine.

PHOTO: Charlotte Brebner

PHOTO: Sue Baker

PHOTO: Jo Direen

I love this photo for the soft fresh powder snow settling on the tiniest barbs of the gorse. The power pole even has its place. Also to see the clear blue sky appear. Can't beat it.

THE WÄ€NAKA SUN

PHOTO: Julia Larkin

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

PHOTO: Paul Rogers

A part of Central Otago not many people get to see; frozen waterfalls at Wye Creek, on the Remarkables Range. Climbing them is a unique sport.

PAGE 11

Sun News

EDITORIAL

CAMERA CLUB ‘IN FOCUS’

The problem with house fires Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

This week we are running a story on being prepared for a house fire should this happen to you this winter. The story is called "Winter fire safety reminder" and it is on page 9. Read it.

This follows on from a story a couple of weeks ago about a sleep out that burnt down.

And before that, there was that yurt that went up in flames out on the Hawea back road. All very scary for the people involved and thank god for the volunteer fire brigade.

All this brought back memories of when I had a house fire a few years ago when I was living by myself in Christchurch. It scared the shit out of me!

I had gone to bed around 9.30 pm after spending the day doing some garden maintenance. I mowed the lawn and put some of the grass clippings over planter boxes which were up against the house. This was for mulch, a good idea, so I thought.

At about 11 pm, I was woken by a beeping noise. It was the fire alarm going off. I went into the living area somewhat casually to be confronted by a wall of flames and smoke. Oh my god, the whole kitchen was alight, and the flames were spreading across the lounge and the ceiling.

I rushed to the front door and let the cat out and then dialled 111. My hands were shaking so badly it was difficult to dial.

Then I stood on the footpath and watched flames shooting out of the roof. One by one the neighbours came out to support me- they were fantastic as by this stage I was crying with hysteria.

The amazing thing was that the fire brigade arrived in seven minutes after I had called them.

Seven minutes! They had the fire out in seconds but because it had spread right through the ceiling, spent a lot of time squirting water up there to make sure it was out. Before they did this, they put tarps over all of my furniture and artwork that hadn't already been incinerated to keep it dry. Amazing!

After a couple of hours, the fire brigade left, and the cat and I spent the rest of the night sitting on a soaked bed trying to calm down and decide what to do next. The fire brigade came back at about 4 am to check the ceiling wasn't still smoking away. It wasn't, so they left.

The next morning as Lily and I were contemplating our fate, the fire chief appeared and asked me if I had any enemies who could have set the house alight. I didn't have any of these. Then he asked me if I had put any garden clippings up against the house that could have spontaneously combusted. Of course, I had, so that solved that problem. It's a common cause of fires, but it's usually fences that go up because people put their lawn clippings up against the fence.

So the moral of this story is: 1. Smoke alarms. Smoke alarms. Smoke alarms. Make sure you have them, and the batteries are charged. If it weren't for mine, the cat and I could have died.

2. Keep up with your insurance. You never know when you are going to need it. It's worth every penny.

3. Don't put your lawn clippings up against the house. They are the cause of more house fires than you realise.

thewanakasun.co.nz

Lindis Winter.

With winter weather, many photographers can’t wait to get outdoors as a dusting of the white stuff can transform ordinary landscapes into something of extraordinary beauty.

A snow-covered scene is an extraordinary place full of exciting things, each one vying for attention.

However a covering of snow isn’t the only ingredient for a great image.

The same basic photographic principles of an exciting subject, good composition and good lighting are also required.

Fresh snow and clear blue skies can make for stunning wide-angle landscapes, while overcast conditions will require a different approach with a tighter composition.

Winter landscapes are not confined to snow scenes as the prospect of frost can often make an even better alternative.

Both snow and frost make a perfect blank canvas covering everything, including ugly distractions.

Unsullied snow is ideal for creating a simple composition that features a single focal point, such as mountains or trees.

In overcast conditions, snow can be featureless, which is ideal for images with a lot of negative space where the main focal point is quite small in the frame. Winter sun is unique; low in the sky casting a beautiful low-angled light across the landscape, accentuating shadows and revealing shape and form, giving a three-dimensional look

PHOTO: Robert Richardson

primarily when side-light is used.

Pointing our camera at a predominately white scene will often lead to an underexposed (too dark) photo. To overcome this, it may be necessary to dial in some exposure compensation (usually one to two stops) to expose the whites correctly.

This can be checked by viewing the histogram after taking the shot to make sure the graph is very close to the right-hand side.

Winter, perhaps more than any other season, offers a higher chance of extreme weather and an opportunity to create stunning images.

So let’s get out there and make some fantastic pictures.

This is what Robert Richardson did in creating his photo ‘Lindis Pass’ on a late July afternoon.

Rob said that the ‘warmth of the sun contrasted vividly with the cool tones under a pristine blue sky.’ Rob was fully aware that choosing the correct exposure to hold the brilliant highlights while maintaining some low light shadows is always a compromise under these conditions.

Rob used a Canon 5D camera; a 17-40mm lens focused at 29mm, a shutter speed of 1/60th sec, aperture f 8 and ISO 100.

Wanaka Camera Club is dedicated to helping anyone interested in photography, and we welcome anyone to join us. Our next meeting is Monday, August 10, 7.30 pm, St John Rooms, Link Way. – By Bob Moore

SDHB promotes World Breastfeeding Week Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

THE NEW FRAGRANCE

Phone: 03 443 8000, Top of Helwick Street, Wānaka OPEN: MON-SAT 8AM TO 6PM  SUN 10AM TO 6PM PAGE 12

Southern District Health Board (SDHB) is supporting mothers to breastfeed in the workplace as part of World Breastfeeding Week, running from August 1-7, 2020.

Providing a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers returning to work remains a priority for the organisation, which introduced a breastfeeding room for staff in the Dunedin Public Hospital in February this year, and is now planning for a breastfeeding facility at Wakari Hospital.

Southland Hospital has a breastfeeding room available to both staff and visitors, which has been functioning well for the last several years.

"We are pleased our staff have somewhere comfortable and private to breastfeed and pump," said SDHB Health Promotion advisor, Christine Quested. "Having a purpose-fit lactation room really helps working mums resettle back into the workplace."

Charlotte Beaton-Rose, a house officer at Dunedin Public Hospital and mum to one-yearold Ted, returned to work in June this year. She is able to take regular breaks to breastfeed Ted, who attends the on-site Hospital Early Childhood Centre. She also uses the lactation room to

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

express milk on the day's Ted is not in the centre.

"Being able to feed Ted and express milk at work has made me feel less guilty about working, especially as I'm still able to provide for him despite not being with him all the time," said Beaton-Rose. "It's also been a big reassurance to provide him immuneprotection during his introduction to daycare."

To help with World Breastfeeding Week celebrations, Public Health South has provided cardboard cut-outs of mothers' breastfeeding to public spaces in Dunedin, Invercargill, Queenstown and Te Anau.

"We want to provide a visual cue to the public that breastfeeding is normal and welcome," said SDHB health promotion advisor, Kathleen Eade.

"Having these situated in public places is a fun way of celebrating breastfeeding and making parents feel safe and supported."

The theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2020 focuses on supporting breastfeeding for a healthier planet.

"We want to celebrate the short, and long-term benefits breastfeeding has for the environment, mums, babies and families in general," said SDHB health promotion advisor, Catherine Thomas.

"Breastfeeding not only provides baby with all the right nutrients but also is a food source with zero waste!"

THE WĀNAKA SUN

Sun Views

thewanakasun.co.nz

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Environment Court decision on Tussock Rise I am responding to a letter to the editor from Jack Barlow, media advisor to the QLDC concerning the Environment Court decision in favour of Tussock Rise.

With respect, I think Barlow (and the Council) have failed to understand what the learned judge was saying.

As Barlow stated it is not unusual for a Council to take a staged approach to the development of a new district plan and in that sense the QLDC are undertaking a ‘partial review’ of the operative district plan albeit substantive as there are changes to many parts of it.

The issue that has arisen however is that the QLDC chose to ‘notify’ almost all parts of the proposed district plan and this was then followed by a substantive decision version which under the Resource Management Act (RMA) then has considerably more legal weight attached to it.

This is evidenced by Barlow in stating that 99.8 per cent of land in the district has been notified under the new plan. Council then attempted to place more weight on the proposed plan when considering resource consent applications even though most of the rural chapters of the plan were under appeal.

The difficulty with a staged review but full notification becomes obvious.

For example, in the highly contested rural parts of the plan, the strategic and policy chapters three and six drive the more tactical rules and assessment chapters such as chapter 21 and so common sense would suggest the higher strategic chapters would be decided first and only then would lower order chapters be dealt with (the topdown approach).

But the Council in their wisdom chose to notify (make legal) all chapters even though it was ‘reasonably anticipated’ they would change considerably and that is what has happened.

Because of Environment Court appeals and subsequent Court decisions, the rural chapters have and will change significantly. With the decision to undertake a landscape study of the Upper Clutha Basin then it is highly likely important parts of the plan will change further particularly in terms of the assessment of resource consent applications in the rural zone.

So an original submitter (or even someone who did not submit) to the notified version of the proposed district plan could quite rightfully feel aggrieved or even misled because the current greatly amended rural chapters have changed so much as to be very different from the original.

The fairer course of action for the Council to have taken in undertaking a staged review of their district plan was to notify the various plan chapters only once they were more fully determined and settled towards the end of the hearings and appeal process. This would have avoided the confusion that has arisen.

So counsel for Tussock Rise was quite right in calling the actions of the Council ‘crazy’ and the Environment Court also had previously described the Council’s plan review process as ‘confused and contradictory’.

As well, the process the Council has used has proven to be hugely expensive and inefficient. The community has rightfully asked for certainty and consistency from the Council, and this is best achieved by best practice landscape studies being done first rather than after the plan has been developed. Further, the district plan needs to be collaborative and community-driven rather than one based mainly on expert opinion.

John Cossens

Sponsored by

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Jacqui Dean was given the opportunity to respond “As I have previously stated, the airport proposal has potential benefits for the area but the needs of the community must come first.

I have sought reassurances from Christchurch Airport this week that their conversations with local residents are genuine and extensive.

It is clear that local people have strong opinions on this issue and I encourage them to make their views known to the airport directly by emailing enquiries@cial.co.nz With Parliament drawing to a close, I will get to Tarras as soon as is practicable to discuss the issue further with local residents.

Rest assured, I will represent the voice of the community in any communication I have with Christchurch Airport. We need to see a result that works for, and is positive for the people of Tarras.”

Jacqui Dean MP

Tarras airport proposal Dear Ms Dean, I am a Wānaka resident, and I noted with interest your reported comment in the most recent issue of the Wānaka Sun that "you welcomed the Luggate Airport proposal because it would relieve the congestion and concerns around Queenstown and Wānaka airports, and would set the region up for the future."

I would like to ask you if that is an accurate record of your comments, and therefore an actual record of your views on the Tarras proposal?

Either way, I would have thought that even from the distance of your Oamaru office you would be aware of the fact that there are a great many residents of the Wānaka and Upper Clutha area who are vehemently opposed to new jet airport proposals in the region. For instance, the members of the Wānaka Stakeholders Group, which represents several thousand persons.

This same organisation is reported on the same page of the Wānaka Sun as saying "on behalf of our thousands of members we note that many of the concerns we have raised concerning the jet airport proposal at the existing Wānaka Airport are likely to also apply to an international jet airport at Tarras, just twenty minutes further from Wānaka by car."

Even the mayor of Queenstown Jim Boult, who has been a staunch advocate of the mooted Wānaka Airport jet expansion, expressed his views in the same issue of the Sun that the "good folk of Tarras have previously said loud and clear Not Here".

A public meeting which took place a few days later at Tarras reaffirmed that stance.

I wonder who, and whose interests, you might be representing when you express the aforementioned positive opinions about the Tarras proposal?

Andrew Millar

THE WĀNAKA SUN

Crimeline I Ian Henderson

Senior Constable, NZPD

Alcohol continues to be the main driver of incidents attended the last week; mostly on our roads and around our licenced premises. We continue to see good people turn into obnoxious, aggressive individuals due to their inability to cope with their alcohol consumption.

Over the last week police located five drinkdrivers: one having a reading of 1115mg while driving their drunk partner home with their young child in the back seat. Two others received 50 demerit points and a $200 fine.

On July a female was charged with assault as a result of a domestic matter. Central Lakes Family Services can be approached if your relationship is not working out, or pop into the Police Station if you require some help.

On Friday morning, a fallow stag was shot on Lake Hawea Station near Nook Road. The shooter was using the stag purely for target practice. Anyone having information as to the identity of the shooter is asked to contact me at the Wānaka Police Station, or contacting Lake

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

PHOTO: Wanaka Sun

Hawea Station.

A male was arrested in the Dunmore St carpark on Friday night after assaulting another male. It was noted that a number of local males were seen to encourage the aggressor, and police will be following that up later this week.

A reminder that it’s important that motorists slow down when approaching the local school buses morning and afternoon. The speed limit is 20km/hr when the bus is uplifting or dropping off children and you should see the hazard lights flashing.

Great to see the Upper Clutha Rams have a home semi-final, if they get past Alexandra this week.

PAGE 13

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Sun Sport / Classifieds

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An excellent win for MAC

PHOTOs: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Otis Harry reaching high in the line out.

The MAC 1st XV rugby team travelled down to Dunedin last weekend to take on the Dunedin Co-ed Schools Combined team for the second round of the competition.

Damp conditions and a sodden field did not bode well for free-flowing rugby as the teams took to the ground, but from the kick-off, both sides were willing to throw the ball around.

MAC started slowly with a couple of unforced errors as they adjusted to the conditions. Once they held onto the ball for a couple of phases, however, they looked more than a match for the

Prop Jake Jamison taking the tackle.

Co-ed team and were quickly pressuring their line.

Marcus Hetherington opened the scoring when he crossed the line through a gap, and five minutes later winger Zac Smith scored in the corner to give MAC a 12- 0 lead.

Some ill-discipline and sloppy breakdown work, however, let the Co-eds back into the game. They scored a penalty and then later in the half put together a well-deserved try.

MAC looked dangerous with the ball but squandered several scoring opportunities and went into halftime with an unconvincing 12 – 8 lead.

A stern half time talk and a few positional changes got the MAC team back on track, and they came out firing in the second half.

Prop Jake Jamison smashed his way to the line to open up the scoring for the half and not long after fullback Tom Roberts stepped his way around several defenders to score.

MAC kept up the intensity, keeping play down in their opposition's half using the width of the field with some impressive passing and smart kicking.

This was rewarded with Zac Miller, and then Darcy Morrison scoring tries off some great teamwork.

The Co-ed team didn't give up and fought on courageously but fell off more and more tackles as the game went on. Towards the end of the game Marcus Hetherington was able to use his speed to run through the Co-ed team to score once more, genuinely sealing the game. MAC went on to win comfortably at the end 48 points to eight.

This weekend is a home game, but the match will be played in Cromwell as the team also represents Cromwell College and has two players from there.

Kick-off is at 12.30pm at Anderson Park.

– By Clint Hughes

Three wins for WAFC Seniors

PHOTO: WAFC

Center midfielder Scott Mitchell puts a ball through for follow midfielder Ethan Arratia (center) and Xion Lippe (right) to run on to with support from Jacob Lang.

Over at Jacks Point in the Wānaka AFC senior team faced the Queenstown AFC Classics. The Classics were the first team to draw blood with a goal just three minutes into the game, the result of them working their way into Wānaka’s box. There was some bad defending, and total confusion with the Wānaka defenders gifted an open goal and an easy tap in for the Classics to go up 1-0.

Wānaka hit back to even the game 10 minutes later with a fantastic goal that started with some excellent work from the midfield and a beautiful ball from centre-mid Scott Mitchell. This found the feet of right-back Brandon Dickson making a beautiful overlapping run down the right flank which caught the Classics napping. A perfectly placed cross-kick found centre-forward Joe Ellis who had the goalkeeper right on top of him but managed to get his foot to the ball and put it in the back of the net to make the score 1-1.

The joy for Wānaka wasn’t to last. On the 30 minute mark, the classics hit back with a goal to go up 2-1.

With five minutes to go in the first half, a free-kick was rewarded to Wanaka just outside the box. Big Mike Finlay stepped up to take it

SPORTS RESULTS

and produced one of the best free kicks of the season. A beautiful strike sent the ball over the players waiting in the box. The ball looked like it was going over the top of the goal only to have it suddenly dip and go in the top right corner to even up the game going into the halftime break at 2-2.

The second half started with Wānaka much more composed and playing good football. They dominated the midfield which led to their third goal to captain of the day Sebastian Arratia from a corner kick delivered in by Alex Whitehead. 3-2 Wanaka.

With the Classics coming apart at the seams and frustration getting the better of them by the pressure Wānaka was putting on a fourth goal to Wānaka was always on the cards. With 10 minutes to go Wānaka put the final nail in the coffin for the Classics with another goal to Ellis.

Final score 4-2 to the WAFC Senior team which gives them three wins in a row. Come and support both Wānaka AFC Central Otago League teams on Saturday at home at the Recreation Centre for their last game of the season. WAFC Youth is at 12:45 and the WAFC Senior team at 2:45.

– By WAFC

PUBLIC NOTICE

Please send sports results to sports@thewanakasun.co.nz by Tuesday at noon.

Results should be unformatted and presented in the body of the email.

Stadium Bowls Wanaka Stadium Bowls week ending 1 August Tuesday morning 2x4x2 1st B Mackenzie C Fyfe 2nd J Maddison T Tovey 3rd K Davey G McMillan Tuesday afternoon 2x4x2 1st A Moore N Matheson 2nd George Cameron F Beardsley 3rd D Paterson J McGowan Tuesday evening Trades 1st High Rollers 2nd B.N.B 3rd Bowl ’m’ Over Wednesday afternoon Triples 1st D Minson & Team 2nd M Hardy J Hurring R Dickson 3rd N Brown Kathryn Mitchell L Paterson Wednesday evening Trades 1st Shot Bowls 2nd Bad Neighbours 3rd Green Toads Thursday afternoon Triples 1st T Malcolm A Turnbull N Matheson 2nd A Moore D Paterson Gilda Cameron 3rd D Cameron B Mee J Barton

THE WĀNAKA SUN

Thursday evening Trades 1st Taffy 2nd Polly 3rd Grey Power Friday Afternoon Progressive Skips 1st C Kiewiet 2nd P Trainor 3rd B Kane Thirds 1st P Nicolson 2nd J Rich 3rd J Barton Leads 1st J Hill 2nd N Matheson 3rd S Morris Hebbard Trophy Fours 1st D & K Urquhart M &L Roberts 2nd S & R Hurley V Ransom R Muir 3rd K Allison A Hebbard M Finn J Alllen Mens Tarras Golf results August 1 Bisque Bogey: D Wilson +7, D Allen +4, D Agnew +2, M Hyndman, G Rive, B Rowley All Square, S Johnston -1 Nett Eagles: D Wilson No 8, B Rowley No 9, H Reinecke No's 2 and 3 Birdies: B Rowley No 9, H Reinecke No's 2, 3 and 12

N o t i c e b o a rd | P a p a P ā n u i Amendment to August 2020 Meeting Schedule Additional Meeting: Elected Member Conduct Committee – Council Chambers, 10 Gorge Road, Queenstown. Monday 10 August 2020 at 1.00pm.

This meeting will be held with the public excluded, pursuant to Section 7(2)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

Change of Meeting Date: The meeting of the QLDC Infrastructure Committee - previously advertised as taking place on Thursday 13 August 2020, will now take place on Friday 28 August at 10.00am, in the Council Chambers, 10 Gorge Road, Queenstown.

THURSDAY 06.08.20 - WEDNESDAY 12.08.20

Private Bag 50072 | 47 Ardmore Street Wānaka Phone 03 443 0024 | www.qldc.govt.nz

PAGE 15

Sun News

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ORC enabling collaboration for rabbit control Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Starting August 3, a collaborative rabbit control operation coordinated by the Otago Regional Council (ORC) will take place in Clyde.

Bait and toxin will be laid over a period of four weeks, with the operation set to last approximately eight weeks in total.

ORC is facilitating the operation that involves multiple landowners, including the Central Otago District Council, Southern District Health Board, Department of Conservation, and private landowners on the east side of the Clutha River.

The operation will be funded by the landowners.

ORC Manager Biosecurity and Rural Liaison Andrea Howard said the joint operation was the first of a new collaborative engagement process being developed by ORC. "The approach here is to bring landowners affected by rabbits together to look at the problem and work cooperatively on solutions.

This control operation is a result of that process in Clyde, and we're looking forward to seeing some positive results."

Rabbits have been a regular source of frustration for the area, in particular around the Dunstan Golf Club and Dunstan Hospital.

ORC's Regional Pest Management Plan, adopted late last year, requires all landowners in Otago to control rabbits on their property, due to the economic and biodiversity threats they pose in our region.

"It's really important that neighbours cooperate on rabbit management. Rabbits don’t recognise property boundaries, so efforts on one property will be futile if they're not being matched on the surrounding land,” Howard said.

The operation, which involves carrots laced with pindone - a blood thinner - comes with warnings for locals. Toxic bait can pose a danger to people and dogs, so dogs should be kept on a lead until

FNW01707

warning signs have been officially removed.

The carrots will be hand laid by a contractor at least 20m from any building or dwelling, and dyed green so that they are easily identifiable.

Residents are reminded not to touch bait or rabbit carcasses, and to contact the National Poisons Centre on 0800 764 766 if you suspect poisoning.

Dogs need to consume a number of rabbits to be affected, but if you suspect your dog has been poisoned you should contact your local vet.

Find out more about rabbit control and the rules by visiting ORC’s Pest Hub at www.orc. govt.nz/rabbits.

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