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Lakefront plan takes shape
PHOTO: Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan
Barry Bruce: the underutilised land from Wānaka Marina through to Bullock Creek will become a real destination for both locals and visitors to the town.
Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
tage Three of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan is starting to take shape, with a detailed design nearing completion and several artist impressions released to the public. Stage Three will see the implementation of Te Ara Wānaka (a shared pathway) for pedestrians and cyclists and a separate boardwalk along the lake's edge, guided by valuable community feedback received in support of continuous access. Development and restoration of ecology continue to be an integral part of Stage Three, with plans for wide-scale planting in the area to maintain a rugged, natural look, while also
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providing an injection of native flora and fauna. Local organisation Te Kākano will be involved to help eco-source as many locally grown plants as possible, with plans for continued collaboration in planting for future stages of the Wānaka Lakefront Development Plan. QLDC community services general manager, Thunes Cloete was pleased to see Stage Three evolving, saying that once finished, the area would be a combination of ecology and accessibility of which the community would be proud. "We received overwhelming support for Stage Three's concept plan released back in June last year, with our community asking for more planting and improved access," Cloete said. "We understand there was some apprehension about the boardwalk and its effect on Wānaka's
grebe population, but we've worked with stakeholders to not only make sure they're accounted for but that any development in the area supports them." Wānaka resident John Darby was looking forward to the project getting underway, noting that grebe and the majority of Wānaka's waterfowl nest in the area, and would benefit from Stage Three developments. "The introduction of more planting here will improve the ecosystem, and provide an increased food source for grebe and other birds," Darby said. Wānaka Community Board (WCB) Chair, Barry Bruce said the board was delighted with how Stage Three was coming along, noting that the underutilised land from Wānaka Marina through to Bullock Creek would become a real destination
for both locals and visitors to the town. "Both pedestrians and cyclists will be able to move through the area safely, and landscaping will provide places for people to sit, enjoy a picnic and take in some of the best views Wānaka has to offer," Bruce said. "We're really excited at the prospect of sharing more of Wānaka's rich past by way of information panels highlighting the area's significance to Kāi Tahu, and details of native plant and animal life found nearby." "We're also hoping to help facilitate community groups running science projects in this section of the lakefront, with current plans to support Wai Wanaka and the Freshwater Improvement Million Metres Fund in monitoring riparian planting and its effects over time," Bruce said.
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Report shows 7,000 jobs could be lost in district Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
Economists at data analytics company Infometrics have released their early modelling on the economic impacts coronavirus could have on the Queenstown Lakes District. Commissioned by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), the report states tourism, economic activity and employment are anticipated to feel the greatest impact. The report suggests international tourists could return gradually from 2021 but may take years to reach pre-coronavirus levels. The district’s economic output (gross domestic product) over the next year is shown to potentially drop by around 23 per cent and over 7,000 jobs in the district could be lost. Mayor Jim Boult said that while the report paints a bleak picture for the Queenstown Lakes District, the analysis is based on a “do nothing” scenario and we are already making big steps as a district to improve our future. “While Infometrics projects a challenging time ahead, we will meet these challenges headon as a community. We will continue to support those who need it during this tough time. Still, we are already well underway working with government, businesses, and the community to support initiatives which bring jobs back and steer us towards and help to shape our new normal. These need to align with our community vision for 2050 and beyond,” said Boult. “Predicting how and when domestic and international tourists come back to the Queenstown Lakes is a tough game, but we are more hopeful than the research on this front. The projections show that the timing of a trans-Tasman bubble, or the extent to which Kiwis travel down here, could make the difference of nearly 1,000 jobs. “And this could be even sooner than we hoped with recent news the trans-Tasman bubble may be here earlier than expected.” Membership of the task forces recently announced by Boult will have a strong focus on diversification. “We are going to have to look at business in new ways. We can develop our economy to be more diverse, sustainable and resilient and aligned to the effects of a changing climate.” The report also outlines that without intervention, low-skilled workers are likely to be the most affected by job losses especially in the accommodation and foodservice industries, as well as food trade workers, cleaners and laundry workers. As part of the response to these issues, community hubs have been established in the Upper Clutha and Wakatipu Basin (Frankton) to support ways for the
PHOTO: Supplied
Renata Kost and son Gabi have been separated from husband Riki Pereira since February, and forced to stay in lockdown in Brazil, where the coronavirus death-rate is the third highest in the world.
PHOTO: QLDC
Jim Boult: While the report paints a bleak picture, the analysis is based on a “do nothing” scenario and we are already making big steps as a district to improve our future.
community to connect with welfare support and find information about gaining new employment or diversifying their skill set. “Queenstown Lakes is still a unique, beautiful place and international tourism will slowly return. So this makes now an ideal time to look at infrastructure for that return, as well as benefiting our residents,” said Boult. “QLDC is waiting on a final decision regarding the funding applications to the Crown Infrastructure Partners for our shovel-ready projects which, if successful will support more than 1,600 jobs over the next few years and boost the economy.” “Our district has a proud entrepreneurial spirit, and we are doing all we can to shorten the curve and support our businesses and communities through this stressful period. In partnership with other organisations and supported by $1.4m in funding from MBIE, we are working on creating redeployment options for some of our local workers that have lost their jobs.” “I am also very encouraged by the efforts of the Local Chambers of Commerce and the Regional Tourism Operators to assist businesses and actively seek to innovate in promoting the district to the rest of NZ,” said Boult. To support this work, and in response to the 100 ideas received by council and more being shared among the community and other organisations, the council will soon be launching an online “ideas portal” to allow locals to participate in the process of generating and progressing recovery ideas for the district. “Throughout the coming months, it’s important we all support each other during this difficult time by promoting our district, staying and buying local, and being kind. Queenstown Lakes has always been a fantastic place to live, work and play. Our community will show itself to be strong and resilient,” Boult said. Those who require immediate welfare support are encouraged to visit the QLDC website here: www.qldc.govt.nz/community/emergencymanagement/covid-19/welfare-assistance
Wānaka family separated by ongoing repatriation struggles Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
A Wānaka family has been separated after a family visit left Renata Kost and her three-year-old son Gabi struggling to return to New Zealand and her husband. The pair flew to Brazil in February and were due to return to Wānaka in March, but the travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak forced them into lockdown where they were. Kost, a house painter who has lived in Wānaka for the last two years, is on a sponsored work visa and had to apply for an exemption to reenter New Zealand after border admission was restricted to residents and New Zealanders only. After several attempts, Kost was granted an exemption, but missed her repatriation flight at the start of May. Although booked on a commercial flight on June 14, she is still waiting for a transit visa and quarantine exemption for the 20-hour stopover it will make in Australia. In the meantime, her husband Riki Pereira, remains in Wānaka. “Riki is very, very sad because he is alone and he has a very good relationship with Gabi, so it has been very hard for us,” said Kost. “Gabi is crying every single night asking for his daddy.” “The Brazilian government doesn’t want to help us because we are in Brazil,” she said. Kost’s plight is one of many ongoing coronavirus repatriation struggles - both to and from New Zealand. In March, a petition to bring Kiwis home from Latin America reached over 6,000 signatures when many were left stranded in Peru. A repatriation flight on April 15 proved too late for 49-year-old Edward Storey, who died of coronavirus in Cusco in the days before it flew. Kost said she knew of 63 Kiwis still stuck in Brazil, and 45 Brazilians with New Zealand residency or permission to enter the country. She was also aware of many Brazilians in Queenstown who had lost their jobs and wanted to return to South America, but found themselves
facing the same difficulties arranging flights. She was asking Brazilian authorities to arrange a repatriation flight that could benefit both parties. On the other side of the Pacific, New Zealand citizen and Queenstown resident Luana Goncalves has written to the Brazilian Embassy in Wellington to request repatriation on behalf of 153 Brazilians in New Zealand.. According to Goncalves, founder of the Brazilians in Queenstown Facebook group, a single repatriation flight from New Zealand to Brazil took around 20 Queenstown residents home in April, but many Brazilian migrants and tourists were not made aware of this flight. In her letter of June 5, Goncalves said 80 of the 153 she represented were based in Queenstown, and 6 in Wānaka. Alongside working holiday and sponsorship visa holders, the list also included 41 tourists, 3 pregnant women, and 21 students. Only 25 were receiving the coronavirus wage subsidy and 17 the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) welfare support. “The Brazilian Embassy has funds to help Brazilians with these needs, but these will not last forever, and neither will support from New Zealand agencies,” said Goncalves, noting that many would not be able to afford a commercial flight when border restrictions eased. “The best option for these people...is to be repatriated to Brazil, as there they have their families who will help them start their lives again,” she said. As yet, she has received no response to her letter. In the meantime, the NZ government continues to advise New Zealanders overseas to either remain where they are, or seek to return home commercially. Immigration NZ announced that they would send “a team of staff to support migrant workers and employers in Queenstown as some prepare to lose the wage subsidy,” in what Mayor Jim Boult identified as a growing humanitarian crisis in April. Jack Barlow, spokesperson for Queenstown Lakes District Council, confirmed this week that almost 7,000 individuals had requested support through the council’s welfare system.
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Every cloud: a post covid success story
Maude Wine’s award-winning 2017 Mohawk Hill pinot noir.
The local and regional uptake for Wildwire has been phenomenal.
Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
I have a fear of heights in general, and sheer drops in particular. So to say the thought of climbing 320m up a waterfall in an inversion, and shimmying my way along what would (in my opinion) be more accurately termed a tightrope than a bridge, was a daunting one would be an understatement. But the community’s support of Wildwire Wānaka - with over 700 locals signing up for a post-Covid koha waterfall climb - has been such a powerful story that two weeks ago, I found myself driving out towards Treble Cone to try their via ferrata waterfall climb. The intermediate and most popular level, Wild Thing, takes about five hours and involves some steep and exposed sections, crossing increasingly narrowing suspension bridges before finishing at the base of a 60m waterfall. I was probably (definitely) more frightened than the two young boys in my group of eight - who, in classic Wānaka fashion, were on completely separate bookings but turned out to be schoolmates. But the easygoing pace, solid security measures and encouragement of our incredible guide Connie Causa meant that just hours later, I was hanging off a bridge 300m up, spinning around in my harness - and not by accident. The famous Wānaka inversion gave our climb up the iron rungs an eerie, Jurassic Parklike quality, but just as we reached the top, the mountaintops managed to peek through the cloud, giving our experience a unique ending. It was made even more memorable by the sense of community amongst groups and guides alike like spending the day with friends, they said. The local and regional uptake for Wildwire has been phenomenal. Now offering two for one deals, they are close to fully booked for the winter months. CEO and co-creator Mark Morrison told me this is unprecedented, which is impressive
PHOTOS: Connie Causa
considering international tourists usually make up 80 percent of their market. They’re keeping very busy running between two and five climbs a day in what is usually their quietest period. Wildwire’s popularity has had a tangible impact. “At the start of lockdown we told all of our guides that that was the end of any guiding work for the foreseeable future... At that time we were employing about eight guides,” said Morrison. “Since the Koha Climb after Covid scheme has gone so bananas, we have reemployed about twelve guides. Some of those guides chose to volunteer initially, but with the phenomenal response we have been able to pay everyone. Let's be clear, we aren't making money out of this, but we are paying our guides and some of the bills, and we are passing the money on to other establishments like Aspiring Helicopters and Fedeli who are our trade partners.” By employing more guides, they’ve been able to offer work to mountain guides who would otherwise have struggled to find work this winter. “Some of our guides are extremely experienced,” said Morrison, pointing out Mike Roberts, who was set to lead Adventure Consultants Everest 2020 expedition. “This would have been Mike's tenth summit,” he said. “However, with Covid-19 coming along, there is certainly no international guiding work, so we are thrilled to have Mike onboard. We have an amazing team and we are just so thrilled to be able to support them all.” Wildwire are also promoting other locals deals around town, encouraging clients to help businesses recover. “This is a tough time, but it’s great to see a community pull together this way, to support us and in turn support the community,” said Morrisson. “Not only that, everybody gets to have a good time at a price they can afford.” If you can get a space, I thoroughly recommend getting involved. It’s a great chance to support local, challenge yourself, and clear out the cobwebs after all of that sitting around.
The hamlet of Lowburn with Mohawk Hill in the centre above the small lake.
PHOTOS: Supplied
Maude Wines ‘Mohawk Hill’ pinot noir wins accolades Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
Sarah-Kate and Dan Dineen of Maude Wines were "absolutely delighted" when their 2017 Mohawk Hill pinot noir, which they had just released, received five out of five stars in a recent Cuisine magazine review. What's more the wine scored in the top three out of 155 pinots in the magazine's nation-wide tasting. "Cuisine magazine is a go-to for many New Zealanders- its very popular," said Sarah-Kate. "It's an excellent competitive criterion you are judged against, and they have excellent judges. "This wine is in a new range for us," she said. "Its in our 'single vineyard' range and they are all pinot noirs, and they are all vineyards that we have owned or leased. We decided in grape years to make a reserve [flagship wine] from each of those vineyards." Mohawk Hill is a vineyard we have been involved with since it was started. It's in the Lowburn Inlet, she said. The name Mohawk Hill came from the row of pines that grace a hill above Lake Dunstan- its always been known as this, named by the original people who came down here to build the Clyde Dam. Maude Wines have now registered the name. "We have been taking grapes from this vineyard to make our pinot since 2011, and then we took the lease over about five years. So we have been working with the vineyard for 12 years," SarahKate said. When the couple took over the lease, they knew they wanted to make a wine from it, but it took a while to "figure out" where the best parcels of pinot came from and what their best aspect was. "So we have nutted down on what to do with
the Mohawk Creek, and this winner is one of the reserves from that vineyard,” she said. Dan said Maude Wines pinot noirs come from the vineyard in Lowburn, two vineyards in Queensberry, and the original family vineyard in Maungarewa Valley, which is now 26 years old. These are where all the reserves come from, he said. "Our main wines out of Central are pinot noir and pinot gris." This is not the first time Maude Wines has won accolades. Our 2017 Maude pinot noir won best in New Zealand, the best Central Otago wine and then best overall wine at one of the country's top wine shows. Then later that year it became Wine of the Year at the most prestigious wine show in New Zealand. This happened two years ago, and that wine came from Mohawk Hill and our second vineyard, Poison Creek in Queensberry," said Sarah-Kate. "Most of the vineyards in Central Otago are centred around Cromwell- in Wānaka, there is only a handful," said Dan. "But if we could plant more grapes here in Wānaka, we would, but the cost of land is prohibitive. The price is far too high to make vineyards sustainable. We get about 600mls of rain at Maungarewa versus about 300mls down in Bannockburn, which means we don't have to irrigate those vines. The vines reach maturity much earlier if they aren't reliant on irrigation.” "We think 2020 is going to produce some exceptional wines because the crops were quite light," said Sarah-Kate. "What we took off the vineyards [during the lockdown harvesting restrictions] was a much smaller amount of super premium fruit, so hopefully we are going to see some great wines, and they will be something to remember."
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What’s really happening with Wānaka rentals? Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
PHOTO: Pixabay
Cardrona Alpine Resorts: “Cardrona receives none of the proceeds from the sale of these passes. It’s up to the purchaser to decide who they want to support.”
Miffed? Cardrona pass entitlement sale sparks controversy Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
An announcement last weekend that a shareholder of Treble Cone Investments Limited (TCIL) had placed their nomination rights to season passes for Cardrona and Treble Cone up for sale to the public has been met with indignation and confusion by the community. Just days after the early bird sale for Cardrona season passes ended, Soho Basin - the private ski area directly behind the existing Cardrona Alpine Resort, with whom Cardrona have had an expansion agreement in place since 2018 announced that Heritage Incline Limited (HIL) would be selling their rights to instruct Cardrona Alpine Resorts Limited (CARL) to issue a number of unlimited season passes for both ski resorts this winter. These nomination rights were acquired during the sale of Treble Cone to CARL at the beginning of the year - as a shareholder of Treble Cone, HIL was assigned a limited number of pass entitlements, although that number is unclear. HIL is closely related to Soho Basin, but unrelated to Cardrona. According to Soho Basin, the offer of pass nomination rights was made through their website due to their existing ski business and database. After purchasing the nomination right, a season pass can then be assigned to an individual of the buyer’s choosing. Retailing at $799, the nomination rights cost significantly less than a CARL season pass ($1,299 this close to the start of the season) - but with none of Cardrona’s coronavirus protection, which guarantees partial or full refunds if a passholder’s access to the resorts is restricted. Jen Houltham, communications executive
for Cardrona and Treble Cone, confirmed that Cardrona Alpine Resorts “are the only authorised sellers of Cardrona and Treble Cone season passes.” “These passes are being sold by another party, and as such are not covered under Cardrona’s terms and conditions, and updated coronavirus protection,” she said. “Cardrona has had no control over how nomination rights are allocated, nor the price at which rights holders may choose to sell theirs for. Cardrona receives none of the proceeds from the sale of these passes. It’s up to the purchaser to decide who they want to support.” The timing of this, with Cardrona facing a significant reduction in their market due to international travel restrictions, and the early bird sale having closed at the end of May, has sparked criticism. A thread on the Upper Clutha Community Notices Facebook page received a number of comments from its members - some expressing confusion around the legitimacy of the offer, others disappointment at having already purchased a fullprice season pass, and yet more encouraging passbuyers to continue to support CARL. Amongst the participants was Queenstown Lakes District councillor Niamh Shaw, who said she was “happy to support Cardrona-TC.” When asked to comment on the timing of the nomination rights sale, a spokesperson for Soho Basin responded: “The sale of Treble Cone was conditional on a number of matters and was completed in February 2020. As a result of coronavirus, there was also a further period during which there was uncertainty as to whether the mountains would be able to open. The timing of the sale was unfortunately impacted by this high level of uncertainty.”
Drastically reduced rents, Airbnbs in crisis, and demand trouble for winter rentals have been hot topics of conversation around Wānaka after the events of the last months. The Wānaka Sun reached out to rental agencies, Airbnb operators and tenants for more information on the rental environment since coronavirus. Did Wānaka see a blanket rent reduction during Alert Level 4 lockdown? Not at all. Colleen Topping, director of Home & Co. rentals, reported that only 25-30 percent of their tenants requested help with rent during lockdown, with owners offering “temporary rent reductions in those genuine cases.” “Case-by-case basis” is the term repeatedly used by agencies, but it remains unclear how many of these cases there actually were. One local, who was initially denied a rent reduction, told the Wānaka Sun that she ”pleaded” with her rental agency for a reduction after her family lost their income “When I eventually contacted the owner direct, he said that he was willing to reduce the rent - but left it up the agency how much,” she said. “The agency kept on saying that rents in Wānaka had not been reduced - perhaps by 10 percent only - so they would not. Eventually, when QLDC came out with the recommendation to reduce rents by 30 percent... I came to a compromise of 20 per cent with our agency. “I believe all agencies in Wānaka work together, and have not been willing to look into a rent reduction… but I have heard from numerous other tenants that they received a rent relief from private owners,” she said. With regards to rental properties now available, the general consensus across agencies was that rent prices had dropped, but only a little. “The ones that we are advertising now are a bit down compared to January or February - around 5 to 10 percent less,” said Topping. Wānaka’s rental market seems to be picking up again post-lockdown, but there have been shifts in supply and demand at this usually hectic time of year. Construction over the last two years has increased the supply of rental accomodation in the area - but travel restrictions and limited seasonal work have curbed demand. “People haven’t already taken up accommodation, which is normally done around April, so we do still have houses available,” said Topping. On the other hand, some owners have
PHOTO: Pixabay
The general consensus across agencies was that rent prices had dropped, but only a little.
withdrawn seasonal rental properties. Home & Co. have had two withdrawals in the last week as a direct result of a law put in place during lockdown which guarantees that tenants cannot be evicted - currently up for review on June 26. “There’s no knowing if that law is going to be extended,” said Topping. “Some owners are not prepared to risk renting their house out for winter and not being assured they can move back in, say, for labour weekend.” Goodsell added that “a lot of people aren’t wanting to relet their houses” in the current climate, preferring to “sit on them rather than give them away for nothing.” The balance may be stabilising. Harcourts Wānaka Property Management reported “business as usual”, and Topping said that turnover had increased again since Level 2, with some places being filled “really quickly.” Where does that leave our holiday rentals? Airbnb was hammered around the world by coronavirus, but figures released last month showed that domestic bookings in New Zealand have recovered to 85 percent of pre-Covid levels. Topping said that after an initial panic in March, with many Airbnb operators considering switching to longer-term rentals, they were now reassured. “People are realising they can still rent Airbnbs on a short term basis,” she said, signalling the Queen’s Birthday weekend - during which Wānaka experienced 82.3 percent more visitors than the week before. “We’ve stopped getting enquiries of short-term owners wanting to switch.” One Airbnb operator told the Wānaka Sun that, since dropping the price of her accommodation at Level 3, and turning instant book on, she’s had “lots of bookings.” “We are using some of the money to have a long weekend on the West Coast next week, trying to share the love,” she said.
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Southern Lakes Sanctuary one step closer to investment in environment and jobs Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
The Southern Lakes Sanctuary is one step closer to becoming a reality after two days of intense meetings. On June 4, a collective of trapping community groups who comprise the Southern Lakes Sanctuary network, met with Ed Chignell, CEO of Predator Free 2050 Ltd. to present their case for a landscape-scale predator eradication project for the Queenstown-Wānaka district. The group is seeking $19.6 million from Predator Free 2050. On June 5, they continued their meetings with potential co-funders from Queenstown Lakes District Council, Otago Regional Council and Central Lakes Trust. They are seeking $10.4 million of co-funding; bringing the five-year project cost to $30 million. The trapping groups came together to form Southern Lakes Sanctuary. This non-profit public-private partnership aims to eradicate possums, stoats, and rats from 660,000ha of the
local terrain to protect endangered native wildlife species and habitats. The opportunity for the project to go from a blue-sky wish list to a realistic possibility was a direct result of coronavirus which has decimated the local economy. Predator Free 2050 developed a five-year economic stimulus package for predator eradication around New Zealand. The Southern Lakes Sanctuary was borne out of a response to that package which is a win-win for the environment and the economy. The Sanctuary aims to transform the region's environmental identity into a wildlife sanctuary while providing approximately 100 jobs over the next five years. Chignell was optimistic at Thursday's meeting. "I'm looking for a bit more detail regarding the proposal just to make sure the capability and capacity to deliver on the project is there," he said. "I think they are competent, and I think there's just going to be a bit of fine-tuning in how we put the final project together, but it's got a lot of potential."
Project implementation will be fast-tracked to get people into jobs as quickly as possible. "There's no reason why it shouldn't happen within a couple of months but also no reason it shouldn't happen quicker, provided we get all of the information we need," he said. Mayor of Queenstown Lakes District Council, Jim Boult, said; "I met with Southern Lakes Sanctuary and Predator Free 2050 last Friday and I feel optimistic that this project not only benefits our environment but will provide employment for locals impacted by coronavirus. The proposal aligns well with QLDC's work in both spaces, and we are very interested in supporting its progress. I'm looking forward to getting people into work on this legacy project as soon as possible." Leslie Van Gelder, executive officer of Whakatipu Wildlife Trust who has spearheaded the proposal said, "We are excited we've got to this point. We are also delighted at the support from Predator Free 2050, which is encouraging us to be bolder than we would have otherwise been."
PHOTO: Southern Lakes Sanctuary
From left: Ed Chignell, CEO of Predator Free 2050 with Leslie Van Gelder, executive officer of Whakatipu Wildlife Trust at the Lake Wānaka Centre on June 4.
Red Bridge River Trust Environmental Society drops legal appeal announce public meeting Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
After launching a fundraising campaign in May for the balance of a five-year-old land purchase from Contact Energy, The Red Bridge River Park Trust has set up a public meeting to be held on June 18 at the Hāwea Flat Hall. The Red Bridge River Park Trust was created in 2014 by Lewis Verudyn-Cassells, who passed away in August 2019, to create and manage a river park and native recovery centre on riverside land by the Luggate red bridge. Lewis negotiated for the Trust to purchase a property with a cottage, garden and nursery from Contact Energy in April 2015, with a donation of $149,000 from the Verudyn-Cassells family securing the deposit. The balance of $151,000 to finalise the sale was due for payment within five years. The deadline, initially June 2, has now been extended by one month - but the Trust’s Givealittle page has raised just $1,909 of the funds required so far. Trustee Jeromy Van Riel said that he was unaware of the financial situation of the trust until Verudyn-Cassell’s death, when he became the only remaining trustee. “When Lewis passed away in October last year, I didn't realise that I was still a trustee. In fact, the only trustee,” he said. “The house and acre section were at risk of being taken back by Contact Energy because the Trust had not raised the last $151,000 to pay the total sum. Despite our somewhat casual meetings, Lewis didn't divulge this to me.” According to Van Riel, Verduyn-Cassles was a "’prickly visionary’ who really believed in preserving mankind and our connection to ourselves, our place and our community.” With the support of a lawyer and two new trustees, he has decided to “salvage this trust, to better provide both services to the community and uphold the trust’s vision of keeping the Clutha River a pristine environment that the whole community can enjoy.” The trust is urgently seeking funding to support this vision. “We wish to hold workshops, share the use of our space and support you in your projects that fall in line with our purpose. We (the trustees) believe in the benefit of the trust for scientific, humanitarian,
THE WĀNAKA SUN
PHOTO: Red Bridge Riverpark Trust
The trust’s first meeting on June 18 is open to anyone with an interest in, or questions about, the trust. It will start at 7pm at the Hāwea Flat Hall.
educational, health and environmental communities/groups and are aware that, if the trust does not protect this property, it may become another luxury home on the river.” Van Riel acknowledged that it seemed unlikely the trust would raise the required sum, and that the trustees were prepared to take a loan out if required. “$31,000 will give us the deposit for a bank loan. Givealittle is the place to donate and fundraise for causes and charities online,” he said. Van Riel extended his appreciation to those who had donated so far: “although we have only a small part of what we need, we appreciate your belief in us.” The trust’s first meeting on June 18 is open to anyone with an interest in, or questions about, the trust. It will start at 7pm at the Hāwea Flat Hall.
Following on from discussions about Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) 's Proposed District Plan (PDP), the Upper Clutha Environmental Society lodged an appeal to the High Court in February that opposed the Environment Court's interim findings on how the PDP managed landscapes in the Upper Clutha Basin. The society's principal concern was that the Environment Court did not grant its request that QLDC undertake a landscape and land use planning study of the entire Upper Clutha Basin. The society contended that the findings of the study would inform amendments to the PDP, by way of schedules and potential changes to rules around subdivisions and rural living developments (similar to that undertaken by QLDC for the Wakatipu Basin in 2017). The Environment Court decided only priority areas of the Upper Clutha Basin should be identified and added to the PDP through plan changes. However, QLDC has subsequently confirmed it would undertake a landscape study of the entire Upper Clutha Basin. The findings of the study would be used to inform future changes to the PDP. This would involve adding descriptions of those landscapes to the rural provisions and, potentially, changes to rules associated with subdivisions and rural living developments. While QLDC accepted the Environment
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Court's findings to identify only priority areas of the Upper Clutha Basin and include them in the PDP, it accepted ongoing management of the Upper Clutha Basin's unique landscapes would benefit from a study that assesses the entire area. As a consequence of QLDC confirming it would undertake a landscape study of the entire Upper Clutha Basin, the society had withdrawn its High Court appeal. QLDC acknowledged the society's commitment to these issues and appreciated the way it had worked with the council. In a press release the society said it agreed to withdraw its High Court appeal. This enabled council to continue the process of identifying priority areas for landscape values in the district. The quid pro quo for the withdrawal of the appeal was that the council had confirmed it would carry out landscape analysis across all of the rural character landscape in the Upper Clutha Basin. This included assessment of the cumulative adverse effects on the landscape character of rural living subdivision and that the development could result in stricter rules in the basin on the location, quantity, density and design of residential in rural landscapes. The society was delighted that as a result of its work on the District Plan over many years, these impressive Upper Clutha landscapes would be better protected for future generations and that council had confirmed an outcome that proactively protected the landscape character.
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PAGE 5
First taste of the Lake Dunstan Cycle & Walking Trail
Sun Cromwell
Heal becomes new Alliance South Chairman Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Tourism Central Otago have launched their first promotional video for the Lake Dunstan Cycle & Walking Trail, giving residents an initial taste of what is to come as the section of the track - from Smiths Ways to the Cromwell Heritage Precinct - opens. The Lake Dunstan Trail is the first project of five that the Central Otago Queenstown Trail Network Trust are building to link the existing Great Rides of Otago. Construction started on the Lake Dunstan Trail a year ago, linking the Central Otago Rail Trail at Clyde through to Cromwell. The 54km trail will follow the true right of Lake Dunstan from Pisa Moorings to Bannockburn, and then through the gorge to the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club near Clyde. Sections of the track at Pisa Moorings have been open for some time, with this section at Smiths Way the latest addition. It is expected that the trail will be finished and prepared all the way to Cornish Point, opposite Cromwell Heritage precinct by the end of next month. “This will give Cromwell & Districts residents and visitors approximately 36kms of trail to walk and ride on for the rest of this year,” said Project Manager Janeen Wood.
PHOTO: Pixabay
The trail is still on track after Covid lockdown to open late next summer, with an official opening planned for January 2021.
“The rest of the trail goes down beside the lake to Clyde, on the opposite side of the lake to the road. There are some major structures currently being built – bluff bridges bolted onto rock faces and a suspension bridge.” The trail is still on track after Covid lockdown to open late next summer, with an official opening planned for January 2021. Once completed, the trail will form part of 536km of new trails connecting Cromwell to other Central Otago, Queenstown and Wānaka trails. These projects have over $26 million of committed funding from Central Lakes Trust, Otago Community Trust and Central Government.
Cromwell resident Stuart Heal will assume the role of Alliance South chair at the next meeting of the Alliance Leadership Team in mid-June. Alliance South is the partnership between Southern DHB and WellSouth primary health network, overseeing the implementation of the Primary and Community Care Strategy. Its aim is to promote better integration of health services to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities across the Southern district. Healthcare alliances were established in all health districts across the country in 2013 to help DHBs and primary health organizations (PHOs) to better work together and promote a 'one health system' view for the delivery of health care services. Now based in Cromwell, Heal was brought up in Dunedin and has spent most of his career working in Otago and Southland. He is the chair of Breen Construction, Road Transport Logistics, Pioneer Energy and Pulse Energy. He served as chair of New Zealand Cricket from 2012 to 2016 and was made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Sport and the Community in 2016. Heal is a current board member and
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chairman of WellSouth, and before that was chair of the Rural Otago PHO. “Stuart has made an invaluable contribution to WellSouth and primary care services in the district. His knowledge and breadth of experience in many fields means he has perspective that the health sector can benefit from,” said WellSouth Chief Executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs. Southern DHB Chief Executive Chris Fleming also welcomed Stuart into the role at this pivotal time. “The past few months have tested us all, but have also demonstrated what can be achieved through our partnership and shared goals as the Southern Health system. We look forward to deepening these conversations through the Alliance, and thank Stuart for taking on an important role in this,” he said. Ahead of his initiation, Heal has voiced his support for health service responses to coronavirus in the region and his vision for the future of Alliance Health. “Health services response to COVID-19 in this region has proven very effective,” said Heal. “We have a remarkable health workforce and what we’ve seen of late is
PHOTO: Supplied
Cromwell resident Stuart Heal will assume the role of Alliance South chair at the next meeting of the Alliance Leadership Team in mid-June.
not only a willingness to work together but also to do things differently.” Keeping the momentum of change going is likely to be a key feature of the work carried out by Alliance South and health services in the coming months and years to realise the vision of a southern health system. Heal said he saw the role of Alliance South as supporting the main players in health services – WellSouth PHO, general practices, Southern DHB and Public Health South - to coordinate and work together as one health service for the benefit of the people of Otago and Southland.
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HOBBIES
NATURE by Forest and Bird
Mountain biking What’s this talk about
regenerative farming?
PHOTO: Wānaka Sun Archive
What are you waiting for?
Ollie Blyth
journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz
Sometimes, in the business of life, it can be easy to forget about the array of outdoor activities available to us. If you’re in need of a new hobby, it might be just the time to dust off the old bike and hit the track. Any Wānaka resident is likely to already be aware of the variety of different mountain biking tracks on offer in the Upper Clutha area, and how accessible they are. One local biking enthusiast said that, “There are lots of different places to bike within a short drive and they all offer something different. For example, you’ve got the jumps in Lismore Park but there are also some great laps at Sticky Forest you can do with
your friends. Or if you really want to get out there, there are plenty of options in the backcountry.” What’s the advice for beginners? “Start on an easy track, like the ones down the lake and the river. You need a bike. You need a helmet, and you’re off.” Sounds pretty complicated, right? Bike Wānaka manages many of the Upper Clutha tracks, and often hosts races and other biking events. They have a member base of over 800 and work with DOC and QLDC to ensure that bike tracks are being maintained, including Sticky Forest and Dean’s Bank. Bike Wānaka have made track access even easier by providing an interactive digital map on their website which covers all of the tracks in the region, from Gladstone to Luggate to Glendhu.
In recent times the farming community has been bearing the weight of concern from much of the community. Whether it is greenhouse gas emissions, destruction of native vegetation for farm development, excessive use of phosphate and nitrate fertilisers or the despoiling of waterways, the critics are increasingly voicing their concerns. Farmers feel the criticism is unjustified and all they are doing is being good farmers who contribute to our economy and global food security. Wouldn’t it be great if farmers could continue to be what we need them to be – profitable and productive – while the concerns of the community about the negative impacts of farming were addressed. Just as the community is getting accustomed to a “new normal” in a world with coronavirus, some farmers are proposing a new normal for agriculture in a world with growing concerns around chemical use and biodiversity loss. Regenerative Agriculture - or Regen Ag as it is called – is a movement that seeks to introduce into our already highly efficient farming industry, practices that can not only reduce environmental harm but enable our land, waterways, animals and people to thrive. A shift that proponents argue has the potential to benefit generations to come. Regen Ag is based around approaches such as the planting of companion crops – things that through natural processes help restart the nitrogen and mineral cycles replacing the need for chemical fertilisers – to rebuild high producing, sustainable soil, fit for a variety of agricultural and horticultural purposes. In the context of pastoral land, Regen Ag promotes approaches such as using a longer grazing rotation to mimic the processes in places like the prairies of North America and steppe of Central Asia, where herds of grazing animals were sustained for millennia while also producing and maintaining rich fertile soils. In this approach, stock is moved more frequently after consuming the more nutritious upper sections of grass, therefore, allowing lower sections to fertilise the soil. The remaining grass, without the constant pressure of grazing, can regrow rapidly. Crop yields and stock numbers may be lower under this system, but the use of
PHOTO: Pixabay
Regen Ag promotes approaches such as using a longer grazing rotation to mimic the processes in places like the prairies of North America.
synthetic fertilisers can be reduced or eliminated. Farmers that have adopted Regen Ag approaches report increases in the organic matter in the soil after only one year. Increasing the organic content of the soil increases its ability to hold moisture – small increases in organic material can boost the soil’s water-holding capacity by tens of thousands of litres per hectare – so decreasing the need for irrigation and increasing resilience to droughts. Given the prolonged droughts farmers are experiencing across many parts of New Zealand, and the possibility of this being the new normal as climate change worsens, Regen Ag could provide multiple bottom-line benefits: increased drought resilience, improved waterways, protected biodiversity and increased returns from lowinput or organic products. Regen Ag has received recent criticism from advocates of our highly productive businessas-usual approach of industrial agriculture. As we have learned recently with public health, a new normal is needed when the old normal fails to protect us in a crisis. The environmental degradation and biodiversity loss associated with the chemical fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides required to maintain normal agricultural systems in New Zealand has arguably reached crisis levels. Perhaps Regen Ag can help us through this crisis? You may ask why do these matters interest a conservationist like me? It is merely because of the potential of regenerative agriculture to promote biodiversity. Rather than reliance on synthetic chemicals to produce food, Regen Ag is about the natural build-up of nutrients and soil quality through microorganisms and more diverse plantings. That is biodiversity at work. Evan Alty is a past chair of the local branch of the Forest and Bird Protection Society.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
New fence bordering the Wānaka to Luggate highway
The eastern entrance to Wānaka has, for the last 40 years or so, been a very attractive welcome to the town – a wide green margin of grass and trees on both sides of the road. The landowner had generously allowed public use of a wider margin, by shifting the fence back off the original boundary line. The area was then cleared of weeds and rubbish and the trees planted by local families, who with their children cared for them in the weekends until they were firmly established. This was undertaken to enhance the entrance into Wānaka, and a most successful outcome was achieved. Now there has been a two metre deer fence erected, about two metres from the side of the road, on the town side of the Mt Iron walking track car park stretching 100m towards Anderson Road. The trees are within the new fenced off area which is on the original boundary line. Apparently the land was offered to the council. They did not want it, so the landowner has installed the fence and may remove the trees and extend the fence as far as Anderson Road on the same line. Both the Wānaka Community Board and the local council members need to explain why they have allowed this to happen, and what are the likely consequences of having this ugly fence erected so close to the road. I am at a loss to understand why this situation has got to the state that the property owner has seen that the fence is the only way to resolve what seems to be an impasse with council. Dave Kerr
It’s time to recognise strengths and celebrate our college
Our small community has endured significant change over the past few months, and faces more challenges ahead as our town regroups and adjusts to an unprecedented ‘new normal’. The Covid-19 Pandemic, the recent Lockdown and adjusting to online learning/working from home has been extraordinarily challenging for many students and families. Concerns about academic achievement, external and internal assessments, and social integration will be top of mind for most of us right now. These are unprecedented times, and across the country learners, educators and families are grappling with these very significant challenges. For most families, watching our children return to the virtual classroom was the first step back into normality, and we acknowledge the huge amount of work that took place to convert from face to face, to virtual learning, almost overnight. We also acknowledge our children, and how they rose to the challenge, and again, when students and school staff had to manage the even trickier period of integration back into the classroom. Schools all over the country, and indeed the world, have faced these challenges. What they probably have not faced, however, is sad and unnecessary damage done by a small, unrepresentative group within a community. Such groups, with partial or inaccurate information, can act behind the scenes to seriously undermine the management and governance structures so crucial to navigating our kids successfully through this time. During this time, Mount Aspiring College (MAC) also received the resignation of its long serving principal Wayne Bosley. Our school community may find this collection of events unsettling and confusing. As fellow parents we want to acknowledge the following: • MAC has a strong and committed Board of Trustees who have a clear plan and path going forward. • MAC has a dedicated, passionate and skilled teaching staff who continue to ensure the best possible outcomes for our children. • Student success has been, and continues to be, the driver for everything done at MAC. • Student-Teacher relationships are at the heart of where learning happens, and the MAC School Community continues to be very proud of the value and importance staff place on these connections • MAC is a high achieving school, and provides learning, community, sporting and arts options that allow our kids to be uniquely independent and well-rounded confident school leavers • We are proud of the culture of our local College. While every school has areas where improvement is possible, and MAC is no exception, we have absolute confidence in our school and its people to lead our kids into the future. This community cares deeply for its children and we believe that what is important right now is cohesion, unity and working together. Members of the Mount Aspiring College Community
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Thanks to everyone who comes to Wastebusters to donate goods, shop and recycle. Your support helps us work for zero waste and a resourceful community.
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Free delivery to Wānaka, Cromwell and surrounds, PO boxes in Makarora, Cromwell, Haast, Wānaka, Albert Town and Hāwea. Also distributed to businesses in the Wānaka business district Average circulation: 15,000 weekly. Phone: 03 443 5252 • Fax: 03 443 5250 Editor: Pat Deavoll • 0274 487 741 editor@thewanakasun.co.nz Journalist: Ollie Blyth • journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz Joanna Perry • 021 736 740 newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz Advertising: 03 443 5252• marketing@thewanakasun.co.nz Admin: Benn Ashford • 021 956 740 admin@thewanakasun.co.nz Mail: PO Box 697, Wānaka Deadlines: Display Advertising 4pm Friday prior to publication. marketing@thewanakasun.co.nz 03 443 5252 Classified Advertising 5pm Monday prior admin@thewanakasun.co.nz Subscriptions: $175 within NZ (including GST) per year. Overseas rates on request. Remittances to PO Box 697, Wānaka, NZ.
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PUBLIC NOTICE
EDITORIAL
Life is back to normal- well done us Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
So, we have done it. After weeks of catapulting up the Alert Levels, and then slithering back down, we are at Alert Level 1. Hooray! Finally, we are rewarded with the ability to come together in significant mobs for community sport, concerts, bars and nightclubs, A&P shows, and public performances, and to welcome the elderly back into the communal mix. Alert Level 1 also shuts up the nagging refrain the government has had to put up with from its coalition partner, the opposition, the business community and an increasingly fractious public. Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, usually so measured and composed, was positively euphoric: “We have come down faster and sooner and in a stronger position than any other country,” he says. Jacinda says she did a little dance around the living room. So, we have left the rest of the world in our wake. Our situation has gained reactions from admiration to pure envy from countries such as the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and Brazil. They still grapple with coronavirus with little respite in sight. As of Tuesday, there were 7,167,950 cases of coronavirus throughout the world and 407,424 deaths. On this day, the US recorded 2,024,825 cases, 113,042 deaths, 573 on Tuesday alone. Brazil had 694,116 cases and 36,602 deaths, third only to the US and the United Kingdom. The UK had 287,399 cases and 40,597 deaths. These statistics are staggering, but none more so than those of the US. How the world’s leading economy could allow it to get so bad beggars belief and smacks of
appalling leadership and an ineffective government. For the meantime, we must give the rest of the world the cold shoulder, although we are hopeful of PHOTO: NZ Doctor including Australia, Director-General and then the Pacific of Health Ashley Bloomfield: “We have Islands in a “travel come down faster bubble” shortly. For and sooner and in a the rest of the world, stronger position than it’s severe and long- any other country.” lasting border protection measures. But not everyone is as euphoric as Ashley Bloomfield and Jacinda. There are real anxieties around the prospect of business failures and rising levels of unemployment, especially once the wage subsidy ends. There is a steep uphill climb for New Zealand and the countries on which it relies for trade. To revitalise the tourism economy, which has suffered like no other, the government is encouraging us to get out there and explore the country; you might as well because you aren’t going anywhere else. You may have been to Dubai, but have you ever been to Te Anau? You might know New Delhi like the back of your hand, but how about the Coromandel? But we can pat ourselves on the back. As Jacinda said [on Monday], it is now 40 days since the last recorded case of community transmission, 26 days after entering Alert Level 2, 17 days since a new case, and less than 24 hours since having zero active cases recorded. “New Zealanders did something ‘remarkable’ by uniting in the fight against coronavirus, and has achieved one of the lowest rates per capita in the world,” she said. Well done to us, I say.
40 Hour Famine a great success Ollie Blyth
journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz
Mount Aspiring College has seen a phenomenal 40 Hour Famine fundraising effort this year, with $21,790.80 raised at the time of writing. The famine had a slight twist this year, with a larger focus on how senior students could give back to the community, as well as raising money to support families in Malawi. The student leader of the school’s Famine committee, Emily Heath, explained that, “On the weekend, Mount Aspiring College Year 13 students completed a combined total of 192 hours of community service for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine, with 20 more hours being completed in the coming weekends. We saw an opportunity where we could not only help the children in Malawi who are struggling from the effects of climate change, but also help our own community in the wake of lockdown and COVID-19.” “We had a goal to reach $12,000 for the famine, and have well surpassed this,” added Heath, “MAC is currently the second highest fundraising school in the country for the 2020 World Vision 40 Hour Famine. We are blown away with the support and generosity that we have received from the Wānaka community, especially in one of the most challenging
THE WĀNAKA SUN
N o t i c e b o a rd | P a p a P ā n u i QUEENSTOWN LAKES DISTRICT COUNCIL PROPOSED DISTRICT PLAN - STAGE 3 & 3b AMENDMENT TO NOTICE OF HEARING The Queenstown Lakes District Council hereby gives notice that, in accordance with clause 8B of the First Schedule to the Resource Management Act 1991, the Hearings Panel appointed to hear submissions on behalf of the Council on the Proposed District Plan (Stage 3 & 3b) will hear submissions and make recommendations on the following parts of the Proposed District Plan commencing at 9.00am on 29 June 2020: Stream 16 • Wahi Tupuna – Sites of Significance (Chapter 39 and consequential variations to other chapters) Stream 17 • General Industrial Zone (Chapter 18A and consequential variations to other chapters) • Three Parks Commercial (Chapter 19A and consequential variations to other chapters) • 101 Ballantyne Road Rezoning • Business Mixed Use and Residential Design Guides and consequential variations to other chapters • Stage 3 Strategic Overview Stream 18 • General Submissions • Settlement Zone (Chapter 20 and consequential variations to other chapters) • Rural Visitor Zone (Chapter 46 and consequential variations to other chapters) • Arthurs Point North Rezoning • Energy and Utilities, Open Space and Recreation, Glare, Fire Fighting, Residential Flat definition, Heritage, Waste and Recycling, Subdivision, Wānaka Medium Density, and Frankton Road Height Control variations Hearing Dates Council Evidence: Date
Hearing Venue
29 June - 3 July 2020
Heritage Hotel, Queenstown
Stream 16: Date
Hearing Venue
7 - 9 July 2020
Heritage Hotel, Queenstown
14 - 16 July 2020
Armstrong Room, Lake Wānaka Centre
21 - 23 July 2020
RESERVE - Heritage Hotel, Queenstown
Stream 17: Date
Hearing Venue
11 - 13 August 2020
Armstrong Room, Lake Wānaka Centre
Stream 18: Date
Hearing Venue
28 - 30 July 2020
Heritage Hotel, Queenstown
4 - 6 August 2020
Armstrong Room, Lake Wānaka Centre
If extra hearing days are required, these will be scheduled in addition to these dates and all parties who have confirmed their intention to speak will be advised accordingly by email. Usual sitting times will be 9.00am- 5.00pm. The Chair has directed that hearing of those parts of submission #31024 (of Wayfare Group Ltd) and supporting further submission #31050 relating solely to the planning provisions governing the notified Rural Visitor Zone land at Walter Peak (and any land or water surface immediately adjacent thereto) be deferred. A separate notice of hearing will be issued for that hearing. If you have not already contacted the Hearing Administrator to allocate a speaking time please do so as soon as possible (dphearings@qldc.govt.nz or 03 441 0499). Submitters will then be notified when their time slot for the hearing is confirmed. At the direction of the Chair, unless otherwise directed, submitters will each be allocated 10 minutes to present their submission and answer any questions the Panel may have. If a submitter requires additional time, requests should be made to the Chair by contacting the Hearing Administrator. The Indicative Hearing Schedule will be circulated by email setting out the times for parties to attend. The Hearing Schedule and venues may be subject to change. A current schedule will be available and updated regularly on the website www.qldc.govt.nz/your-council/district-plan/proposed-district-plan/hearings under the relevant Stream name. All parties who have confirmed their intention to speak will be emailed advice of any venue change Planners’ Reports and Submitter Evidence The planners’ reports (section 42a reports), supporting information and submitter pre-lodged evidence are available on the Queenstown Lakes District Council website listed under their relevant stream: www.qldc.govt.nz/yourcouncil/district-plan/proposed-district-plan/hearings
PHOTO: Supplied
The MAC 40 Hour Famine Committee helped to organise a school wide effort to collect over $20,000.
financial times of recent decades.” Volunteer based nursery Te Kakano benefitted from the community service hours. Loran Verpillot from Te Kakano helped to organise two sessions for the students, “One session was near the marina where some MAC students planted some trees about four years ago. First we identified the native trees, and then we pulled out some weeds that were growing around the trees, put some carpet around the plants and tidied up the area,” said Verpillot. “The second session was at Penrith Wetland and it was also about looking after the trees and shrubs that are growing out there. It went very well, everyone was keen and stayed a bit longer than an hour.”
Free online access to our website is available at QLDC Libraries and Offices. Preparation for the Hearing The Panel has issued directions in its procedural minute as to the conduct of the Hearing. All minutes issued by the Panel can be viewed on the website at: www.qldc.govt.nz/your-council/district-plan/proposed-district-plan/ hearings Submitters are advised to read the procedural minutes (Minutes 6, 12 & 13) in preparation for the hearing. Submitters presenting expert evidence or with written material they wish to read longer than 2 A4 pages should have pre-lodged their evidence in accordance with the directions in those Minutes. For further information on the hearing, please contact the Hearings Administrator at dphearings@qldc.govt.nz or 03 441 0499. Private Bag 50072 | 47 Ardmore Street Wānaka Phone 03 443 0024 | www.qldc.govt.nz
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Kia Kaha Community Hub expanding services from this week Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
The Kia Kaha Queenstown Lakes Community Hub ‘pop up’ established by the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is adding further sessions and services next week after it opened Thursday June 4 to huge demand. From 2.00pm Friday June 5, more than 300 places were available for workshops in Queenstown and Wānaka. In addition to the current workshops, a new session providing information to business employers will be run
on June 4. This session will also be recorded and posted onto the council's YouTube channel. Further services are being developed and will be added over the coming weeks including tenancy services, employment and financial advice. In the Hub’s first two days the four workshop sessions were fully booked, providing over 120 people with key information and advice on what options and support was available. While coronavirus restrictions meant limited numbers could attend the workshops in person, many more were able to access the information via a livestream on the council’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
WAI Wānaka completes Community Catchment Plan Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
WAI Wānaka’s work with the community has led to the development of a Community Catchment Plan (CCP) to safeguard water quality and ecosystem function in an integrated way across the whole catchment, encompassing Lake Wānaka, Lake Hāwea and the Clutha, Hāwea and Cardrona Rivers. The development of the CCP involved residents, community groups, business owners, iwi, visitors, farmers, scientists, Otago Regional Council and Queenstown Lakes District Council, providing an example of how environmental management issues can be addressed through partnership and collaboration. The two key themes emerging from community input and national guidance are healthy ecosystems and community wellbeing. The CCP outlines a multistakeholder process for future management of the Upper Clutha catchment, setting out 60 actions to be implemented and identifying the organisations best positioned to lead each action. The CCP also makes clear that successful catchment management will require some changes in the way land and water are managed in the Upper Clutha. Mandy Bell, chair of the Wānaka Water Project said: “Completion of the CCP gives our community a head start when it comes to delivering on the new Action for Healthy Waterways announced recently by the government. WAI Wānaka has demonstrated what can be achieved by a community working together at pace and in the process has established solid connections locally and nationally. We all want the same outcomes for our water, and it is encouraging to see positive steps being taken,
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PHOTO: Pixabay
The Clutha River: The CCP emphasises the concept of ki uta ki tai (from the mountains to the sea).
such as the formation of catchment groups working together to turn ideas into action.” Megan Williams, the project manager for the Wānaka Water Project, confirmed that WAI Wānaka continued to work closely with stakeholders, saying that “the CCP is our community blueprint for the future, guiding the many individuals, community groups and businesses undertaking positive work within the Upper Clutha to safeguard our water, improve ecosystem function and reverse biodiversity loss. “The CCP emphasises the concept of ki uta ki tai (from the mountains to the sea), which is important in the Upper Clutha given our location at the headwaters of the Clutha River. Our community has a responsibility to safeguard the water in our catchment and to ensure that the water leaving our catchment is of high quality, to avoid problems being passed on to those downstream,” Williams said. WAI Wānaka thanks all those who contributed to the development of the CCP, particularly the Shaping our Future Water Taskforce, Landpro Limited and Dr Simone Langhans from the University of Otago. The Community Catchment Plan is available at the Wānaka Library and can be downloaded from WAI Wānaka’s website www.waiwanaka.nz.
The sessions presented specialist information and advice from different agencies and groups, including Immigration New Zealand, immigration lawyers and advisors, travel agents, Citizens Advice Bureau and Salvation Army. Kia Kaha Queenstown Lakes Community Hub QLDC lead Marie Day said it had been great to see so many people, particularly the local migrant communities, making full use of the in-person service and watching the videos. “Our team of specialists have been breaking down the myths and unknowns around visas, flights and welfare, giving people the best possible
advice to help them make decisions about their future,” she said. “The Council has made a significant in-kind investment in the Hub, providing both resources and the venue. We would also like to thank the team at Wakatipu Community Foundation who have also made a contribution under the Greatest Needs Fund towards establishment costs. Commitment from Council, government agencies, local social service providers, employment lawyers and advisers (pro bono) and travel agents has been wonderful and meant we can deliver this important service for our community in need,” Day said.
NEWS IN BRIEF Backcountry tracks May 14 2020: The following high country roads/tracks were closed during the lockdown for coronavirus and they will remain closed until the dates shown below. Bridge Huts Road, from Bridge 185. Closed until 30 September 2020. Upper Manorburn Dam Road, from Aston Road. Open from 15 May to 2 June to allow access to huts for winterisation. Closed from 2 June until 30 September 2020. Nevis Road, from Commissioners Creek to Southland District Boundary. Closed until 30 September 2020.Old Dunstan Road, from Linnburn Runs Road to Poolburn Dam. Closed until 30 October 2020. Old Dunstan Trail, from Patearoa-Paerau Road to Dunedin City Council Boundary. Closed until 30 September 2020. Lake Onslow Road, Linnburn Runs Road to Boundary Gate at Lake Onslow. Closed until 30 September 2020. Wanaka Community Hub - Community Information Seminars Wanaka Community Hub invites the community along on Tuesday 16 to provide accurate, independent information and advice with a community connection to local services. Immigration advice, repatriation and travel advice, employment, financial advice and welfare needs will be covered. The session will start with an informative presentation followed by a question and answer session wrapping up with one on one advice with representatives from Immigration New Zealand (INZ), lawyers and advisors, travel and repatriation specialists and other local services, such as Salvation Army. Send in your recipes please A year 13 business group from Mt Aspiring College participating in the 2020 Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme is designing and producing a
THURSDAY 11.06.20 - WEDNESDAY 17.06.20
cookbook with the help of the local community. The vision is to bring generations together by reviving timeless recipes. The group asks the community to collaborate on this project by sharing a classic family favourite recipe. Send in your recipe and, if possible, a photo of the dish plus a memory from a time you enjoyed this recipe with family and friends or a brief commentary on the significance of this dish to you. timelesscookbook@gmail.com Wanaka Backyard Trapping AGM - all welcome Tuesday June 23 7pm at the Lake Wanaka Centre, Faulks Room. All welcome for an overview of what we do, what we have achieved and what we plan for the future. Caught in the act Andre Meyer of Hāwea has put out a call for people not to use the bins at the Lake Hāwea Community Centre- these are not for public use. The centre pays for the rubbish to be collected as the centre is not a residential property He says the centre now has a record of the car registrations of people that drop off their rubbish so will be returning a full bin of rubbish to their houses.“So please stop it. Take the rubbish home with you if you are going back to Dunedin.” Watch out for harrier hawks Neill Williams has put out a call on the Lake Hāwea Community Noticeboard Facebook page for motorists to watch out for harrier hawks. He says he has witnessed two motorists killing birds in the space of a week Both motorists had over 500m to 1000m visibility so any prudent motorist should be able to see hazards on the road and slow down a little, he said. “My experience with the hawks is they take off when cars approach, but slowly. “It upsets me to see these beautiful birds getting killed because people can’t be bothered looking ahead and slowing down safely.”
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