Aubrey Road
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Running the gauntlet.
Views: Page 21 Sport: Page 24
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Aspiring Hut $100,000 refit.
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New retirement village project could create 700 jobs Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
new Wānaka retirement village proposal to be built in the Northlake subdivision will be fast-tracked thanks to special Covid-19 legislation. The Northbrook Wānaka Retirement Village, the build of which will create 700 jobs, is being developed by Winton Property Ltd and will include a 100-unit village, a 36bed hospital (including memory care), a clubhouse with café and community centre and a gym and swimming pool. The 700 jobs would be over the duration of construction – from start to finish of the multi-year project. A spokesperson for Environment Minister David Parker said the fast track consent process would provide 700 jobs during the construction process in an area “affected by the reductions of international tourists.” “The Minister considered the application against the purpose of the COVID-19 (fasttrack consenting) Act 2020 and it has been approved for referral,” the spokesperson said. “ We understand that the EPA has not yet received an application. “The Act provides an alternative pathway for consenting projects that have been referred. A referral gives the applicant the ability to lodge the application and supporting documentation with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). “An expert consenting panel will decide whether to approve or decline the resource consent application, with conditions as appropriate,” the spokesperson said. “The project will contribute to the public benefit by providing additional housing supply for aged persons and aged-care facilities and it would "progress faster" than if the company
A
sought consent through the Resource Management Act standard processes.” Winton spokesperson Sonya Fynmore said as well as the 700 construction jobs, the project would create a further 38 jobs when finished. Fynmore said Winton hoped to lodge the final application for the Northbrook Wānaka Retirement Village project with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) by the end of next week. Chris Meehan, Winton CEO said that should Northbrook Wānaka receive resource consent, initial site-wide works, and bulk services will commence onsite within 3-4 months of consent being granted. Construction of the retirement village facilities and apartment units would commence following the completion of these initial works. “Winton submitted applications for Northbrook Wānaka and two other projects to the fast-track process. Demographics and economic forecasts show a shortage of retirement housing in the district within 10 years. The Minister referred Northbrook Wānaka to the fast-track process under the COVID-19 Recovery Act 2020. Unfortunately, the other two were not,” Meehan said. One of the other two projects was for Northbrook Arrowtown, This project is currently under consideration through the District Plan Review process. “As directed by the Minister, Winton is working constructively with the owners of Sticky Forest to provide them vehicular access. Like most Wānaka residents, we love Sticky Forest, so it’s important to note this may not result in the development of Sticky Forest as their planning consents are subject to many other external factors,” Meehan said.
PHOTO: Winton
The Northbrook Wānaka Retirement Village will be constructed on a vacant residential section alongside Outlet Rd at the northern end of the Northlake subdivision.
It will have a 100-unit village, a 36-bed hospital (including memory care), a clubhouse with a café and community centre and a gym and swimming pool.
*Includes house and land. Some conditions may apply. Photo is a sample only.
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Airport debate heats up; councillors weigh in Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
Wānaka’s three local councillors have expressed a united view on the future of Wānaka Airport. Statements from Councillors Calum Macleod, Niamh Shaw and Quentin Smith sent to Wānaka Stakeholders Group (WSG) were made public yesterday. The statements were made in response to WSG’s letter on behalf of almost 3,500 members to the Prime Minister, MPs and councillors from Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and Christchurch District Council last month. The recipients were asked to state their views about plans to build airports in light of climate emergency declarations, emissions targets, the impacts of Covid-19 and concerns about the impacts of tourism. In two emails published by WSG yesterday, Macleod agreed that New Zealand did not need more jet capable airports. “There is ample airport capacity in the South Island,” he said. When asked about international visitor numbers he said: “More is not the answer” and pointed to the recommendations made in Simon Upton’s recent report on tourism. “The discussion demands to be what is the most sustainable - in fact regenerative - way forward for us all.” He added that “there is no reason why Wānaka Airport could not stay as it currently stands.” Shaw said: “At present, with current information
and the global crisis presented by climate change, I cannot see any justification for building (or expanding) New Zealand’s airport infrastructure.” Shaw said that so far she had seen “no compelling case put forward for the provision of additional airport infrastructure in New Zealand beyond response to demand – much of that driven by our tourism marketing which has, over the last ten years, favoured quantity over quality.” She noted that development appeared to be “dictated by airlines or the commercial interests of airport corporations.” Smith said, “With regard [to] effects on our communities, infrastructure and the requirement to reduce emissions, it would be irresponsible to create additional jet capable in airports in New Zealand.” He said that “any additional aircraft movements would be completely contrary” to targets to reduce emissions. “We are going to have to come to terms with either a lesser number of flights or dramatically improved technology.” WSG chair Michael Ross said that all three councillors had noted their public position against any further jet capability in Central Otago, let alone New Zealand. “Against the background of climate change and concerns about both our environment and the local community, it is a very positive step that our councillors have chosen to make these unequivocal statements.” “We hope that all other councillors and mayors of QLDC and Christchurch City Council will follow with acknowledgement of this position.” QLDC mayor Jim Boult commented: “The councillors are entitled to their personal views on
Calum MacLeod: There is ample airport capacity in the South Island.
the subject. In my view the discussion is currently off the table, given the current COVID-19 environment and complete absence of any international visitors for the foreseeable future. “I have been very clear in recent comments that long-term there is no doubt that our beautiful district will continue to be a very attractive place for people to visit, work and invest, and therefore potential airport development is a discussion for the future in the context of what it could offer for our residents and economy, balanced with any impact on the environment.” When presented with the views of the three councillors, Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean said: “With both Wānaka and Tarras, it’s important that residents, businesses and community groups take every opportunity to discuss their concerns directly with airport officials. As the local MP, I
PHOTOS: Supplied
Niamh Shaw: ... no compelling case put forward for the provision of additional airport infrastructure in New Zealand beyond response to demand…
will continue to support the communities involved as they work through the respective processes.” Christchurch International Airport Ltd declined to comment on the matter saying it was inappropriate for it to comment on the councillors opinions.
Dudes scare girls off the skatepark Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
PHOTO: Wānaka Sun
There are too many dudes down there and they are not just kids, they are men.
The Wānaka skatepark was described as a “great facility” but only used by “sons and their dads having a blast” at the Community Board Meeting on Thursday. Colleen Nisbet, spokesperson for Aspiring GymSports Gymnastics Club said that as a mother of a 12-year-old girl, they just didn’t go there as it was confronting for them. “There are too many dudes down there and they are not just kids, they are men,” she said. “I have heard there are drugs as well.” Nisbet is seeking support for the
Queenstown Lakes District Council to buy or lease the former Mitre 10 building in Anderson Heights for an indoor sports centre. Deputy Mayor Calum Macleod said the claim of drugs at the skatepark was unfounded. Macleod said the council supported funding the purchase or lease of the Mitre 10 building but it could not come at the expense of another project in the Upper Clutha. He said the council was in a "live conversation" with owner of the Mitre10 building, Willowridge Developments’ Allan Dippie, about the possibility of giving the building to the wider Wānaka community.
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Aubrey Road safety discussions reopen
PHOTO: Wānaka Sun
The $1.3M project includes widening the path to three meters and a sealed surface from the Aubrey Rd/ Anderson Rd intersection through to Gunn Rd.
Full steam ahead with Aubrey Road cycleway editor@thewanakasun.co.nz PHOTO: Wānaka Sun
Rob Norman said without a pedestrian crossing forcing cars to stop, children were crossing the road when it was unsafe, particularly at the intersection of Aubrey Road and Rata Street.
Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Road safety improvements on Aubrey Road appear to be at a stalemate, while children are “dicing with death every day” as they cross to and from school. Rob Norman, father of three Holy Family School HFS children and Wānaka AFC manager, said without a pedestrian crossing forcing cars to stop, younger children from HFS - as well as Wānaka Primary School (WPS) - were crossing the road when it was unsafe, particularly at the intersection of Aubrey Road and Rata Street. Norman said he often saw cars “having to hit the breaks because a kid runs out” after a car on one side of the road stopped or waved them across, and had contacted Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) numerous times. Jo McKay, HFS Principal, said Aubrey Road was “certainly an area of concern for schools in this area” and with ongoing residential development, there was a “greater need for safety.” She said the issue had been investigated by the board of trustees (BOT) and QLDC several years ago - but after patrolling the crossing, the school found there was “insufficient foot traffic to justify the patrolling of it by our students and parent volunteers, which was disappointing.” McKay said most children crossing over were accompanied by an adult, or were MAC students crossing at the intersection of Aubrey and Rata earlier
in the morning. She said at that time QLDC were ”not prepared to make it a pedestrian crossing due to funding issues etc,” but the school had secured speed limit school zone lights which was “a great start.” A consultant employed by QLDC visited schools at the end of 2019 to investigate safe travel and provide recommendations to Council. McKay said she had not been updated on that process since March 2020. QLDC spokesperson Jack Barlow confirmed the report, from Abley Consultants, had been completed and would be presented to Council later this year. “There is currently a standard refuge island at this intersection [Aubrey/Rata] which could be modified to support a kea crossing. Waka Kotahi NZTA and QLDC’s roading team view this as the best option for improving safety during school hours; the Wānaka Community Board (WCB) also supports this position and has expressed a willingness to fund the project,” Barlow said. “QLDC has in the past liaised with HFS to see if it was interested in operating a kea crossing, but discussions have not resulted in an outcome yet. It remains a project in the minor improvements programme, however, and could be picked up at any point in the future depending on input from the school. “QLDC takes road safety seriously and is committed to finding a solution that will improve safety for our district’s younger residents.”
Councillor Quentin Smith added that Council and the WCB had been “really active” in developing school safety improvements over the last five years including a kea crossing on Kings Drive in conjunction with WPS; school zone warning signs on Plantation Road, Kings Drive, Aubrey Road and Totara Terrace; the pedestrian island near Rata Street and reduced speed limits. Smith said without commitment from “one or more of the primary schools” to supervise a kea crossing on Aubrey Road, Council had been unable to install it. Although many had suggested an unsupervised zebra crossing, NZTA guidelines stated that these actually increased the risk of accident without “regular, relatively high usage” and should otherwise be supervised during peak periods, he said. Andrew Howard, chair of WPS BOT, said the board had already worked with QLDC to establish a kea crossing for WPS students on Kings Drive, which they supervised every day. “It would not be practical for us to supervise a crossing on Aubrey Rd and there comes a point where we have to rely on council to provide the best possible safe travel solutions for our children,” he said. Parent Anna MacFarlane brought the issue to the WCB drop-in last Wednesday. She also believed it was Council’s responsibility, and while options were being mapped out it would make sense to install a pedestrian island on the crossing outside HFS to “at least get the kids halfway.”
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The upgrade to the existing Aubrey Road cycle path is coming along in leaps and bounds and is expected to be finished in late May. The $1.3M project includes widening the path to three meters and a sealed surface from the Aubrey Rd/ Anderson Rd intersection through to Gunn Rd. Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC)spokesperson Jack Barlow said that some residential driveways could be affected by the Aubrey Rd path, inhibiting access for up to three days but that residents would be advised ahead of time so that arrangements could be made However, the upgrade is only one part of a project which includes a cycleway along Anderson Rd and according to Active Transport Wānaka spokesperson Simon Telfer, was part of a far-reaching Wānaka urban cycle network. “However, this is not happening fast enough,” Telfer said. “The community has asked for this since 2017 and impatience is growing. There is an opportunity for QLDC to implement the designed cycleway along part of Anderson Rd. We have asked them to make this a priority.” The Anderson Rd leg had been delayed for years by the need to upgrade Wānaka’s water mains, Telfer said, although detailed designs for a cycleway the full length of Anderson Rd had been drawn up. He said Active Transport Wānaka had been told by the council that it could take another three years before
a shared path could be completed, following the water main work. “We have suggested that the cycleway be built in two phases,” Telfer said. “For example, Aubrey Rd to Wilkin Rd and then from Wilkin Rd to SH84. Or build a gravel path that could be brought up to full spec once the water mains have been completed.” Barlow said the decision on whether there was a need for new water mains would be made in six months. “If the cycleway did have to wait for the water mains to be upgraded, there are interim active travel measures that can be put in place,” he said. The interim plans will be put to the Wānaka Community Board for feedback and if agreed to, the work would begin in the next financial year, Barlow said. Telfer said that although the Aubrey Rd pathway was looking great, his concern was that QLDC had not completed a business case for the Wānaka urban cycle network. “No business case from the QLDC exists for the cycle network and we have been asking for this for 18 months. It is crucial for an overarching plan to be developed so we can tap into funding opportunities when they arise,” he said. The Active Transport Wānaka’s vision was for a “network of protected cycleways that allowed everyone the choice to safely bike between home, school, work, shop and play,” Telfer said. “But despite being the fastest growing town in a fastgrowing district, Wānaka isn’t getting an equitable share of transport investment from the council.”
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Tim Barke: our tourism $100,000 for Aspiring Hut refit industry- where to now?
PHOTO: Lake Wānaka Tourism
Tim Barke- when Covid-19 turned up, many businesses and members of the industry recognised it as an opportunity to review, reimagine, reset and re-plan.
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
General Manager of Lake Wānaka Tourism Tim Barke shares his thoughts with the Wānaka Sun on the future of Wānaka’s tourism industry and where to now. “The visitor industry in our region is well underway with transforming how it has been traditionally operated, and how it could look in the future. When Covid-19 turned up, many businesses and members of the industry recognised it as an opportunity to review, reimagine, reset and re-plan,” Barke said. “The aim was an industry which reflected, protected and continually enhanced the lives of our communities, our people, our places and the things we treasure. It also needed longevity and increasing ongoing net benefit. “This work is well underway despite the effect on our communities of the closure of our borders. The work is to maximise the benefits visitors bring while minimising unwanted impacts. To get the balance right the community needs to feel the net gain of each visitor,” he said. “The Commissioner for the Environment (Simon Upton’s) recent report identifies several important points. The visitor industry produces a large proportion of New Zealands’ GDP and, before Covid-19, was the country’s largest export earner and one of the largest employers. “Communities throughout the country rely heavily on the employment, facilities, infrastructure and supporting businesses that are enabled by visitors. “The reality of what happens when there is no international visitation is now being keenly felt in many popular destinations. Families must leave their homes, whole towns are in danger of collapse as peoples savings dry up,” Barke said. “ What remedies are there? Collecting levies from visitors at the border is one way that revenue
could be raised to offset any potential impacts from visitation. Levies would enable visitors to contribute to the places and communities they visit, benefits which communities would be able to see and feel. “Councils have long struggled to deliver the infrastructure required by communities, particularly in popular destinations where the population has a proportionately small number of ratepayers like Wānaka. This could be alleviated by revenue collected at the border; environmental initiatives and GST collected from visitors. For any of this to work, the money has to be directed to these areas,” Barke said. “The visitor industry plays several key roles in assisting the Department of Conservation (DOC) to meet its performance objectives. Revenue from visitors and contributions from businesses help fund DOC activities and conservation projects. Business operators help guide, provide interpretation and educate visitors. Visitors are introduced to our landscapes, wildlife and natural places. Operators enable Kiwis and other visitors of all physical abilities to access public places. Visitors act as ambassadors of New Zealand, promoting our people, products, places and values to the world. “DOC simply would not have the capacity to fulfil these outcomes without visitors and operators contributions so DOC and the visitor industry must have a strong cooperative relationship so that the objectives of both can be aligned. “DOC relies on the services and revenue visitors and operators provide while businesses and visitors rely on being able to access our public places to contribute and achieve these outcomes. “We all (industries, communities and Government) need to work together to learn, share ideas and find ways for an improving future, not just for ourselves but for our future generations.”
PHOTO: DOC
Aspiring Hut is a significant recreation facility in the Aspiring region.
…all the timber framing, significant earthworks to deal with dampness caused by a historical slip, and a wastewater system upgrade…
Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC) has received a $100,000 Otago Community Trust Grant to assist with the cost of upgrading the Aspiring Hut. The historic stone hut is situated in the Matukituki Valley and needs some major refurbishment work to ensure that it continues to provide a welcoming home away from home for mountaineers and trampers in the region. Built in 1949, Aspiring Hut is a significant recreation facility in the Aspiring region. Being an easy two-hour walk from the Raspberry Flat road end in the Matukituki Valley, the hut has high usage from families, trampers, children and youth groups and overseas tourists.
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Aspiring Hut is a gateway hut towards more adventurous backcountry adventures in the region, including the ascents of Mt Aspiring. The building itself requires a complete internal refit, including all the timber framing replaced, significant earthworks to deal with dampness caused by a historical slip, and a wastewater system upgrade. All this work will be completed in a way that maintains the historic stonework forming the exterior of the hut said Karen Leacock, NZAC general manager. “The east wall of the hut will also be extended, bringing the total bunk number up to 38 (from 29). For both its history, heritage and high usage, the renovation of this hut is very important for recreation access to the Aspiring region,” Leacock said.
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NATURE by Forest and Bird
Killing possums to fight climate change A win-win is at hand! Controlling introduced browsing herbivores – such as possums, deer and goats – in Aotearoa New Zealand’s conservation forests could set the country on a path to becoming carbon positive while protecting more of our precious native forest and wildlife. Much of the attention around our conservation efforts have been about combating introduced predators like stoats, rats and feral cats as they can destroy our natural taonga if not controlled. Less attention has been given to the herbivores that browse our native plants: possums, deer, chamois, tahr, goats and wallabies. Whilst the nuisance value of these animals has long been recognized, their impact on the ability of native vegetation to act as carbon sinks and therefore to sequestrate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is now the subject of exciting new research. With the enactment of the Carbon Zero Act last year and the publication of the Climate Change Commission’s Draft Report recently, the magnitude of the task ahead of us all to achieve our international commitments in climate change is apparent. The search is on for ways to achieve this goal. Tree planting as a tool to help mitigate climate
change has received a good deal of media attention recently and has much to commend it. Trees, however, take a long time to mature and absorb carbon, when the urgent need is for short term solutions. It is against this background that Forest & Bird in its aptly named Counting Carbon project - has been researching the potential climate benefits of controlling introduced herbivores. After reviewing local and international research, the project considered first how much carbon could be captured by different kinds of vegetation and then how much of that carbon would remain in situ - undisturbed after removing large browsing animals. The research found that removing introduced possums, deer, goats and chamois on public conservation land could mean extra sequestration of nearly a third of Aotearoa New Zealand’s current annual greenhouse gas emissions. Remarkably, this extra sequestration would increase to 75 per cent if those browsing animals were removed from all natural habitats, including those on private land. This is a huge reduction without the dramatic economic impacts of other options, and also with many other environmental benefits. These are well-
GREBE DIARY 13 March 7, 2021
Much of my last diary concerned itself with trying to estimate the hatch date of the new crop of chicks from the Hāwea nest. We could only get a real estimate when they actually hatched and as near as we can get it, the first to arrive was confirmed was on the Feb 26 suggesting that mating was close to January 30-31. I had it down for January 29. They have three new chicks, which is great, but I also pondered how well they might do when they were still caring for the first brood of three. What little I have seen of such interactions suggest that the parents will do as much as possible to separate themselves from the first brood and will punish them quite harshly should they attempt to compete with the new brood for food. There is but a single older chick from the first brood, now a juvenile competing with the newly hatched for food and as far as I can see, it is being quite persistent and disruptive even though its parents have chided it from time to time. The three new chicks’, adults and the juvenile sailed to greater parts in the lake over a week ago, but I have just heard that today (7/3/21), the juvenile returned to its home site without the company of others. It is important that the nest platform stays in ANZAC cove through to the next season. To the two adults and all six chicks fledged from this nest site, this is home, their territory, and the place all will return to breed. Earlier this season, we decided to review the design and materials used to build nesting platforms. We have discovered that after time, the noodles we use for buoyancy not only decay, but increase their weight some twelve fold and lose their buoyancy. In the process they release the products of that decay into the lake which is not good. Not only does the buoyancy increase its weight, the timber framing around which the platforms are constructed absorb a great deal of water such that they more than double their weight to 30-40kg. A huge amount of my time has been spent rescuing platforms to stop
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them sinking and or tilting over. We need to rethink many aspects of materials and design To that end we had a productive think-tank this week with Sarah from Mt Aspiring College and PHOTO: Supplied Markus from Wānaka When I first thought to Primary School and see if I could get grebes together with myself to breed in Wānaka, I and Dr. John L from never remotely thought we would be dealing Hawea have brought that in three figure sums. some interesting ideas to platform design. It was a great meeting and I have come away with a mandate to produce two new designs, get them made and launched to see how they manage the winter months. One of the designs incorporates the use of a plastic pallet, but the pallet has to have the bottom and top to be near identical such that we can sandwich flotation between the two surfaces. We still have three nests under observation 5, 9, and 10, one with two eggs and the others with three, though nest 3 has been re-occupied by a pair who are fiercely defending it. There are still no eggs after a week of defending. This last season we recorded 31 breeding attempts producing 106 eggs of which almost 40 per cent failed to hatch. Much of that failure was attributed to the high windstorms in December. So, the statistics from year one in 2013 now read that we have monitored 205 nesting attempts in which a total of 676 eggs have been laid and 298 chicks have fledged. All three of the nests in waiting 5, 9, and 10 will have hatched by next week thus allowing me to complete the stats. Must admit that many years ago when I first thought to see if I could get grebes to breed in Wānaka, I never remotely thought that we would be dealing in three figure sums. –By John Darby
researched and dramatic figures that show solutions to the climate crisis are out there for all to see and only require us to care enough to take action. Most of Aotearoa New Zealand’s manageable carbon stocks are located on publicly owned land, with native forests and their soils holding the largest and most valuable carbon sinks. The majority of these forests are ravaged by browsing animals, and in many parts of the country, there has been no systematic wild animal control for decades. “Most of our natural ecosystems (read carbon sinks) are out of balance because introduced herbivores are browsing vast amounts of leaves, leaf litter, seed and seedlings,” explained Kevin Hackwell, Forest & Bird’s Chief Conservator Adviser. The same animals compact the natural soils reducing their ability to sequester carbon. The biggest opportunity for improving carbon sequestration will come from the control of goats, deer and possums in regenerating scrublands and younger forests. Because these ecosystems are growing rapidly, removing the browsing pressure means even more growth can occur which results in greater quantities of carbon being stored. This is a story about how healthy ecosystems make a healthy planet. You can help take the first steps towards this by helping us save forests and avoiding future climate change. The solution is no further away than your backyard or just down the street: join the Wānaka Backyard Trapping effort or Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust’s planting program with regular planting days attracting
PHOTO: Forest&Bird
Less attention has been given to the herbivores that browse our native plants: possums, deer, chamois, tahr, goats and wallabies.
an enthusiastic following. If you want to get into the bush and save the planet, then join Forest & Bird’s trapping efforts to protect our local forests. Evan Alty is acting chair of the local branch of Forest & Bird. For nearly 100 years Forest & Bird has recognized that healthy nature means healthy people. Learn more about conservation at www.forestandbird.co.nz. –By Even Alty
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Opening hours: Monday—Friday 8:30am—6:00pm 03 443 0725 • aspiringmedical.co.nz • 23 Cardrona Valley Rd
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Bevan Ratcliffe. Isthmus Peak.
Mountain Walks
Adam Donovan. Rob Roy Glacier Track.
Joanna Perry. Hāwea River Track.
Laura Buckingham. Mt Shrimpton.
Derek Direen. The top of Lindis Peak.
Derek Direen. The top of Mt Roy 27th December 2020.
Join us at our Wanaka Roadshow, or visit us at the A&P Show
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Roadshow Rangi families past, present and future are welcome to join our Principal, Dr Sandra Hastie and Director of Boarding, Kyleigh Lyth, for a social and informative evening over drinks and canapés. Date: Friday 12 March 2021 Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm Venue: Urban Grind, 72 Ardmore Street, Wanaka Wanaka A&P Show Come and see us at site C9
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Joanna Perry. Crystal Hut, Skippers Canyon.
Bevan Ratcliffe. Sawyer Burn Track.
Feet First NZ. Skyline Track.
Adam Donovan. Rob Roy Glacier Track.
www.WanakaMedical.co.nz t: (03) 443 0710 a: 23 Cardrona Valley Road, Wanaka
Siskas Hose Guy. Isthmus Peak.
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Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill- what next? Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
Submissions on the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill closed on February 22 2021 after an overwhelming response from the public “highlighted why the controversial Bill should be turfed”, according to Waitaki MP and National’s spokesperson for Conservation, Jacqui Dean. “High country farmers have expressed their disapproval of the proposed bill which would see an end to tenure review and alter regulations on crown pastoral land,” Dean said. “Nearly all of the almost 2000 submissions received on the bill oppose it.” She said it was “fantastic” to see New Zealanders taking a stand for high-country farmers and submitting in such high numbers. “This bill will create a regime where our highcountry farmers require numerous consents for what many would consider the simple day to day activity on farms, like fencing. “It is clear the bill aims to put an end to farming in the high country, as it will become uneconomic and untenable over time. This will lead to poor environmental outcomes as areas become overgrown and unmanageable. The submission process comes after last year when Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage, announced plans to scrap tenure review, saying New Zealanders’ had lost out in a process that saw some farmers on-sell land at huge profits.But the High Country Accord Trust, made up of South Island farmers, said the Bill was poorly drafted and placed several absurd limitations on day-today farming activities for pastoral leaseholders. The accord's chair, Cantabrian Philip Todhunter, said if the changes were brought into law, farmers would be bogged down in red tape and environmental outcomes would go backwards. "Under the Bill as it stands, we'd need to apply
for consent to fence off a wetland or waterway and then another consent to put in a new stock water trough so our livestock can have a drink," said Todhunter. The bill affects 169 Crown pastoral leases covering 1.2 million hectares or about 5 per cent of the country's land area. These aren't fenced paddocks – these properties, stretching the length of the South Island, are some of the most dramatic and rugged landscapes, with beech forests, tussock lands, and mountains. Leaseholders have rights – the leases are perpetual, and they have the right to “quiet enjoyment and pasturage.” They own any improvements. But their activities are limited and any soil-disturbing farm developments need permission from the independent land manager, the Commissioner of Crown Lands. They also have to undertake weed and pest control. The Bill amends the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 and the Land Act 1948, with a single broad policy to end tenure review and redesign the regulatory system to deliver new Crown pastoral land outcomes. Work by University of Canterbury academic Ann Brower showed that since 1991, more than 400,000 hectares had been freehold at high country stations, with leaseholders paid $65 million, or $176 per hectare. By on-selling 74,000 hectares of that, farmers received a further $275 million. The median sale price was about 500 times what the Crown was paid for their portion, which many felt was perverse. Submissions of concern or dispute for the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill were due two weeks ago and Federated Farmers Otago high country chairman Andrew Paterson had urged people to make their voices heard. Paterson believed Sage's proposed Bill would make the management of high-country properties like his more difficult. He owns 8700ha Matakanui Station, near
Omakau, 3600ha of it leasehold. He feels the Bill is being rushed and will not achieve the environmental and sustainable outcomes Sage wants. The changes could negatively affect lessees' ability to farm environmentally, economically and sustainably, he said. "During the past 100 to 150 years, many farmers have successfully and sustainably managed most high-country land. "They [the government] don't care if farming is economical in the high country," Paterson said. "It [the Bill] comes from questionable environmental ideology and goes against what we have been doing." Glen Dene Station owner Richard Burden agrees. Glen Dene station lies on the south side of Lake Hāwea. He said around 160 properties were remaining as a pastoral lease. "My opinion is that tenure review was a fair process, and I would like to see it continue. "It provided benefits for public access, put land back into conservation and allowed farmers to get on with the business of freeholding land that was more suitable for farming. "We (Glen Dene Station) went through a tenure review in 2007. It has worked out well for us. The public access that we provide up onto Mt Isthmus has become a popular walking area- thousands of people now enjoy it. It's a good win for the public and has allowed us to continue farming." Federated Mountain Clubs believe that tenure review’s strongly positive aspect (ability to protect values by redesignating pastoral lease land as public conservation land) should not be thrown out in a single action in order to stop its well-understood downsides (environmental and financial profiteering). “There needs to be a mechanism enabling removal of land unsuitable for pastoral use to be removed from pastoral leases and to be
redesignated as public conservation land. This is a gap in both the existing and the proposed provisions,” FMC said. Forest & Bird has welcomed the Government's plans to cap tenure review, but it said the Bill needed to be strengthened before it could stop long-term biodiversity loss. The group's chief executive, Kevin Hague, said the Bill includes a positive move towards outcome-based decision making, but those outcomes currently still require a balancing of environmental and farming interests. "Forest & Bird seeks several changes to the Bill, including changing the outcomes to prioritise inherent natural values and adding the opportunity for the public to have input into discretionary consent decisions," Hague said. New Zealand Game Animal Council General Manager Tim Gale said: “ The cessation of tenure review would put an end to more land coming back into public conservation land and being made available for hunting purposes. It is important, therefore, that whatever shape the final management regime for CPL takes, hunting access to public conservation land be established in a form suitable for hunters carrying firearms and accompanied by dogs (where dogs are permitted on the land the access is provided for.) Maybe the last word should go to Eugenie Sage. At the first reading of the Bill she said: “The Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill ends tenure review. It aims to ensure the ecological, landscape, cultural, heritage and scientific values of Crown-owned pastoral land are maintained or improved, while at the same time providing for ongoing pastoral farming. “This is a milestone for the sustainable management of the South Island high country. The Bill provides the framework for pastoral leaseholders to continue to farm while safeguarding everything that is unique and precious about this land,” said Sage.
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Sun A&P Show
New wearable arts comp for Show
PHOTO: Supplied
:...from the creations inspired by the wines and fruits of Central Otago to the iconic bra fence in the Cardrona Valley.
Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
Ever wanted to peddle your way to a smoothie, make a pair of earrings out of inner tubes (think Jacinda Ardern) or propagate a native seedling? Then the Our Place tent at the Wānaka A&P show is the spot for you! The site, donated by the Show, is the home for ten ecological organisations for the next two days and invites families and youngsters along to take part in these activities. Te Kakano will show you how to grow a native seedling; you can make a bird feeder out of a piece of guttering; make a water filter courtesy of Wai Wānaka; or blend a smoothie thanks to the peddle power of Team Green and Kahu Youth. You can also create earrings out of an inner tube, or your own reusable cup. The site is next to the President's Room, so don't forget to check it out while you are roaming the Showgrounds over the next couple of days.
The brand-new competition – called The Runway: Art You Wear – is a wearable arts show featuring a collection of creative clothing made from sustainable and recycled materials. The Runway event will be held at the Upper Clutha Rugby Club rooms as part of the 84th Wānaka A&P Show starting tomorrow. Organiser Phillipa Wilson said it was time for the community to reinvent the previously popular Wānaka Wearable Creations show, which was last held in 2016. “Wānaka Wearable Creations was always a prominent event in the local calendar so we have decided to reinvigorate it for this year’s Wānaka A&P Show,” she said. “The Wānaka Show is all about showcasing our region and we look forward to seeing some great designs that reflect this, from the creations inspired by the wines and fruits of Central Otago to the iconic bra fence in the Cardrona Valley.”
Budding designers chose to enter one of five categories; Open (let your imagination run wild), Agriculture (to reflect the A&P Show), Central Otago (something inspired by the local landscape, fruit and wine) and Bizarre Brassieres (kooky, unconventional and considers being a woman today). There is also a special primary school category for entrants in Year 0-8. Every wearable creation has a model. All garments will be evaluated on originality, creativity, use of recycled materials and how sustainable the outfit is by a panel of local judges with an eye for style and design. “We encouraged all primary school students to get involved and come up with an innovative design using recycled materials. Secondary school students could also enter via the Open category.” Wilson said. “We are very excited to see what the talented people of the Upper Clutha can come up with for The Runway.” Judging will take place March 12-13 at the Rugby Club Rooms at 3.00pm
PHOTO: Supplied
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The 2021 Wānaka A&P Show marks the 23rd annual Jack Russell race, a highly anticipated, entertaining and often chaotic event that attracts thousands of onlookers. TheShow hosted the first New Zealand Jack Russell race in 1998, and it has now become a highlight of the event with approximately 60 dogs racing each year. In celebration of this years’ race, the Show announces the formation of the first-ever K9 Natural All Jacks squad – New Zealand’s very own all-canine team of sporting heroes, with five-time Jack Russell race winner Harry named as the first official member of the squad. Applications for the remaining squad members are open and expect to see many Jack Russell owners vying for a spot! The race will take place on Saturday, March 13 at 12.30 pm
PAGE 11
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Warbirds once again! A first year to remember Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
PNZ Spitfire in Al Deere’s markings.
Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
Aircraft will be flying across the Wānaka skies at the Warbirds Over Wānaka International Airshow during Easter 2022. This Airshow will be particularly special as it will help to celebrate the 85th Anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. While the 2020 Airshow was cancelled due to New Zealand being in Covid-19 lockdown last year, the 2022 event is already shaping for all aviation enthusiasts with tickets going on sale later this month. General Manager, Ed Taylor, said following confirmation of the RNZAF’s presence, discussions were already underway with a number of international air forces about displaying at Warbirds 2022. “It’s hoped a number of air forces
PHOTO: Supplied
will be there. Warbirds Over Wānaka has hosted the air forces of the United States, Australia and France over recent years. Their displays add an international wow factor the crowds really appreciate and we’re always grateful for the support they give our event,” said Taylor. The Royal New Zealand Air Force was a regular attendee at Warbirds. Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Andrew Clark, said the ability to mark the 85th Anniversary of the RNZAF at Warbirds was a great opportunity. “Our personnel enjoy being part of the Airshow, involved in the flying displays and on the ground engaging with visitors. To be able to mark an important milestone date in our history at the same time is fitting and we’re thankful to Warbirds Over Wānaka for this opportunity,” said Clark.
Looking back on her first year in post, Hāwea Flat School Principal Tania Pringle talked to the Wānaka Sun about the highlights and challenges of 2020, and how they have shaped the school’s direction for the future. Pringle said her first year at Hāwea Flat had been “really successful” with “plenty of challenges” - most notably, the Covid-19 pandemic being thrown in the middle of it. The school community was starting this year “on a real positive note,” with progress made - and lessons learned. Pringle inherited the school from Sue Heath, principal for 21 years, during a period of significant growth and expansion. The roll has doubled in the last seven years, and Pringle said it was a real highlight to see the new administration building - “what my predecessor had dreamed of ” - come to fruition last July after six years. Although four roll-growth classrooms approved by the Ministry of Education before the start of last year had been “delayed for multiple reasons,” with temporary spaces being installed in the interim, it was still a “really exciting, positive thing for the school to see that happening.” “We hoped it would have happened already, but we have project management teams in place now, which is always a good sign,” she said. “The school has outgrown the majority of its
infrastructure, so before we could build the classrooms, we needed to upgrade the wastewater, the power supply… that’s been going on behind the scenes.” The growth of the school and its catchment also presented new challenges to its vital sense of community - which had been “fractured” by the Covid-19 pandemic. “We are developing master plans around how we maintain all the traditional values of the school and the culture, and grow and adapt that for the newer community,” she said. “Last year, the biggest disappointment was having to cancel a number of key events during the school year, so the community wasn't able to fully engage with the school.” “We really value the input of families in school events, and for that reason we decided to postpone our school athletics day last week [when we were at Level 2] so that parents could be there.” “This year, we’re focusing on developing our sense of school.” Another key learning from the Covid-19 pandemic was that wellbeing comes first. “There’s no model that fits all,” said Pringle. “We continue to support families to do what’s best for their family.” “We encourage children to be able to acknowledge the positives. They developed better self-management and independence, and are taking greater responsibility for their own learning. “The children have had to develop
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Hāwea Flat School Principal Tania Pringle took on the role at the start of 2020, replacing Sue Heath after 21 years.
those skills under constant change, and this year is no different. We just have to do what’s right for the kids, and put people first.” After a year of uncertainty for the whole country, this was to be the school’s overriding focus for this year. “Right through the curriculum, we’ll be looking at how change is in everything - from how seasons change to how the world has changed - and we need to embrace it to grow and improve.”
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Early autumn, feijoa season!
PHOTO: Viva
Honey and pistachio strudel- a great autumn dessert.
Feijoa jelly- great with blue cheese and crackers.
Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
According to Wikipedia, the feijoa comes from the highlands of southern Brazil, parts of Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and northern Argentina. I never knew that. They are also grown throughout Azerbaijan , Iran, Georgia, Russia, New Zealand and Tasmania. So they are far more widespread than I thought. In case you are unfamiliar with the fruit, the feijoas mature in autumn and are green, and about the size and shape of an egg. It has a sweet, aromatic flavour. The flesh is juicy. The fruit drops when ripe, but can be picked from the tree before to prevent bruising. Feijoa fruit has a distinctive smell. The chemical methyl benzoate smells strongly of feijoas and the aroma of the fruit is caused mostly by this and other closely related chemicals. Feijoas are just starting to ripen in New Zealand, so what better time to do a feijoa cooking page than now! There are heaps you can do with them. If you don’t have your tree, they often grow wild on the sides of the road in the North Island and the north of the South although you would be less likely to find them roadside in Wānaka. FEIJOA, HONEY AND PISTACHIO STRUDEL Serves 4 • 6 feijoas, large • 1 tsp ground cardamom • 2 tsp Honey • ½ tsp vanilla extract • 1 Tbsp water • 5 sheets filo pastry • 50 g butter, melted • ½ cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped, plus • 1Tbsp extra • ½ cup icing sugar • 1 lemon, juiced 1. Peel and chop the feijoas. Put into a saucepan with cardamom, honey, vanilla and water. Cook gently for 10 minutes or until soft and pulpy. Spoon into a sieve and let cool. 2. Preheat the oven to 200C. Lay the pastry out. Filo dries out quickly so cover with a sheet of foil and then a damp tea towel while preparing. 3. Take one sheet, brush lightly with butter and sprinkle with pistachios. Cover with a second sheet and repeat until you reach the final sheet. 4. Spoon the feijoa along the end of the pastry, keeping an inch free on either side. Fold the
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Feijoa tarte tatin – easier than it looks!
edge over the feijoa mixture, then roll up. 5. Brush the edge with butter before sealing. Brush the top of the pastry with butter then place on a baking tray and cook for 25 minutes or until golden and crispy. 6. Stir the icing sugar together with the lemon juice and drizzle over the cooled strudel before sprinkling over the rest of the pistachios. Serve with cream or Greek-style yoghurt. FEIJOA, HONEY & YOGHURT SMOOTHIE • Flesh of 6 feijoas • 2 ripe bananas • 1 Tbsp honey • 1 Tbsp nut butter* • 1 cup milk of your choice • 3 Tbsp natural yoghurt • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 8-10 ice cubes 1. Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. 2. Pour into glasses and top with chopped feijoa and a sprinkle of chia seeds if desired. Enjoy immediately. WHOLEMEAL BUTTERMILK PANCAKES Makes approx. 8 • 1 cup wholemeal flour • ½ tsp baking soda • 1½ tsp baking powder • ½ tsp cinnamon • 3 eggs • ½ tsp vanilla • 1 cup buttermilk • Butter to grease pan 1. Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk in a large bowl. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes. 2. Melt a little butter in a frying pan. Add ¼ cup mixture to the pan. Cook until top is starting to bubble, then flip and continue to cook. Stack pancakes while you cook the remainder. 3. Serve with poached feijoa, blueberries or maple syrup, and sprinkle with icing sugar. FEIJOA TARTE TARTIN • 250g puff pastry • 75g butter • ⅓ cup caster sugar • 4 large feijoas, peeled and halved lengthwise • Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to serve 1. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, to a 24cm disc. The size of the pastry disc needs to be slightly bigger than
the pan being used, in this instance a 20cm oven to 200C. ovenproof tarte tatin dish or cast iron frying 3. Spread the filling on the pastry to within pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 3cm of the edges on the side but leave more 2. Melt the butter and sugar in the pan then space at the top. Carefully roll up the pastry top with the feijoas, cut side down. Cook from the long side then brush the edge with for 15 minutes. a little water to seal. 3. Remove the pan and cover the fruit with 4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and brush over the pastry, tucking in down around the the pastry then bake for 20 minutes or until edges. Prick the pastry, then transfer to the pastry is golden brown. Slice and serve the oven and bake for approximately 20 hot with custard or yoghurt. minutes or until golden and crisp. FEIJOA JELLY 4. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 Makes 2-3 small jars minutes before running a knife around the • 2 kg feijoas edges, placing a serving plate over the pan • 6 slices fresh ginger and inverting. Serve warm with ice cream or • Zest from ½ orange and lemon softly whipped cream. • 1 cup sugar per 1 cup juice FEIJOA STRUDEL 1. Peel the feijoas and chop roughly into a Serves 4-6 large pot. Add the sliced ginger, orange and • 1 packet of puff pastry – lemon zest. Fill with water to 1cm above the preferably made with butter feijoas. Bring to a simmer for 10-12 minutes • 8 large feijoas or until the feijoas are completely soft. If the • ½ Tbs butter, plus more to melt and brush feijoas are hard it may take a little longer. over the pastry before baking 2. Place a bowl under a strainer and line it • 1 tsp vanilla extract with muslin. Carefully pour in the feijoas • Finely grated zest of one lemon and juice. Gather up the sides and tie with • ½ tsp cinnamon string. Hang the muslin over the bowl, tying • 2 tbs sherry it high enough for the juice to drip slowly • 1 cup brown sugar through. Do not be tempted to squeeze the • Yoghurt or custard to serve muslin. Leave overnight to drain. 1. Roll the pastry out on a floured board to 3. Next day, measure the juice into a clean pot. an oblong shape, approximately 25cm by For each cup of juice add 1 cup of sugar. 35cm. Slowly bring to a simmer, then boil gently 2. Halve the feijoas and scoop out the flesh. for 15 minutes. Remove the scum from the Roughly chop and put into a saucepan with top as it boils – it is ready when a little is the remaining ingredients. Simmer gently tested on a saucer and it will almost set. for 15 minutes then let cool. Preheat the 4. Pour into sterilised jars and store.
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Wheels at Wānaka guests to travel in style
PHOTOS: Supplied
It will be a journey in itself getting to and around the show, with vehicles including Go-Orange’s 11-tonne Frank the Tank.
Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Wheels at Wānaka organisers are bracing themselves for a massive turnout for their second biennial car show next month, which is this year expected to be New Zealand’s biggest all-vehicle show. Marketing and communications manager Annabel Roy said the team were expecting 20,000 people to attend the event next month - 8,000 more than the inaugural Wheels event
in 2019. To mark its second year of existence, organisers have lined up some unique transportation options to help guests move around the 50 acre site at Three Parks. Roy said that the event in 2019 had had “a lot of walking involved” and this year would be even bigger, so organisers wanted to put on transportation to make it more “accessible for everyone.” Roy said seven stops on an internal loop would be serviced by “everything from a horse and cart, a steam engine with a trailer, a passenger-carrying
fire engine, a couple of unimogs, [Go Orange’s 11-tonne] Frank the Tank and probably a few more surprise vehicles throughout the weekend.” “There will also be vans running from the carparks to the gate, and a bus service running Pembroke Park-Dinosaur Park-Wheels at Wānaka on a loop so people can leave their vehicles at home,” she said. “It’s all new, it’s all free, and it’s pretty fun too… It will be a journey in itself getting to and around the show, which we love.” Despite the uncertainty around the latest
Covid-19 alert level changes, organisers were working “full steam ahead” with just a few weeks to go. “Right through all of the lockdowns, people were still entering their vehicles into the exhibition, which we’ve taken to be a great supportive sign from our followers,” said Roy. Other new dimensions to this year’s show included an EnduroCross competition - with riders coming from all around the country to compete on a purpose-built track - and a tractor and truck pull competition.
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Cromwell's first public edible garden Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Cromwell's first-ever public edible garden, located in the Central Mall, was planted with herbs and salad greens on Tuesday morning. The garden was established last month following a survey last July by Connect Cromwell, which found Cromwellians were strongly in favour of having a community garden where anyone could pick herbs, take a few veggies and be part of a small group caring for it. Connect Cromwell works in partnership with the Cromwell & Districts Community Trust and Department of Internal Affairs in strengthening the community and helping groups achieve their goals. The mall plots are managed by the Central Otago District Council, who agreed to hand one
over to Connect Cromwell for the community to use and established an irrigation system two weeks ago. Six bags of compost were donated from Graham Clarke from Cromwellness, a new group looking to support people by proactively promoting health and wellness. Connect Cromwell’s new community facilitator Tania Partridge said she hoped the community would now embrace the garden and help look after it. People could water the plants when passing and some plants would be ready to snip from within a few weeks. "This is the community's garden for the community to look after. It's a start and we hope it will be the first of many. People have said they'd love to sometimes see a community garden or two in Cromwell's greenways,” said Partridge.
PHOTO: Supplied
People could water the plants when passing and some plants would be ready to snip from within a few weeks.
What do alert levels mean for outdoor sports? Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
PHOTO: Supplied
Kathy Dedo (LINK Facilitator): “It seems a small thing, but place-based connection is where community starts.”
Celebrate your neighbours Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
LINK Upper Clutha is hosting four free events in four days at the end of March to celebrate Neighbours Day Aotearoa. This annual event, now in its twelfth year, encourages community building across New Zealand. It started with the belief that every connection makes your neighbourhood more friendly, fun and safe. From Tuesday, March 23 to Friday, March 26, LINK will be collaborating with community organisations and local businesses to give everyone the chance to get involved and find new ways to connect. The first three events will be held at the Wānaka Community Hub. Tuesday will feature a Lilliput Library workshop, followed by a morning tea open house on Wednesday, a Winter Veggies workshop with Dr Compost on Thursday, and, to finish, a Friday night screening of the classic movie ‘Forrest Gump’ at Cinema Paradiso. “In previous years, we’ve encouraged neighbourto-neighbour connection by delivering packs of teabags to residents of the Upper Clutha,” said LINK Facilitator Kathy Dedo. “The idea was that you made plans with someone close by to have a cuppa together. In 2019, we sent out 5,000 packs – that’s 10,000 cups of tea!” “This year, we’re excited to be offering a range of free events that we hope will appeal to all residents of the Upper Clutha, young and old, families and flatmates.
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“It seems a small thing, but place-based connection is where community starts. A parent with young children feels less isolated, an older person feels supported. Kids get outside and play together. In case of emergency, you know who to turn to, or who to check on. People who live together have a vested interest in strengthening our communities, and that’s more important now than ever before.” For more information on the LINK-hosted events LINK have to offer, and to register for a space, visit www.link.org.nz.
Want to go into the backcountry or out on the water but don’t know how alert levels will affect you? To help people understand these differences Mountain Safety Council (MSC) established www.covid19outdoors.nz during the first lockdown last year, and the tool remains active and aligned to current alert level guidance. MSC said it's important to stay up to speed on what is an appropriate outdoor recreation. With Auckland recently in Alert level 3 and the rest of the country in Alert Level 2, there were different restrictions on various outdoor activities. All activities and regions can be checked at the website which enables users to select their location and pick from a wide-ranging list of recreational activities. The site indicates whether that particular activity is permitted and if there are any restrictions or important considerations. For instance, while Otago was in Level 2, mountaineering was allowed but the recommendation was “play it safe.” Ditto boat fishing- allowed but be careful. MSC Chief Executive Mike Daisley said on the whole Kiwis have done a really good job of following the restrictions across the multiple alert levels changes over recent months. “We are finding ourselves in the situation where different parts of the country are in different Alert Levels at the same time, the guidance on alert
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PHOTO: Supplied
Level 2? Boat fishing is allowed but take care!
levels is clear, and this tool helps to make that even more specific to communities across Aotearoa. “New Zealanders use the outdoors in such a varied way, and most people participate in multiple forms of recreation, each activity has its own unique considerations under each alert level,” he said. Covid19outdoors.nz was developed by the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (MSC), in partnership with Water Safety NZ and Recreation Aotearoa, and supported by more than 30 national organisations. The website currently covers 61 different land and water-based personal outdoor activities ranging from taking a walk around the neighbourhood to mountain biking, skiing, hunting, paddle boarding, surfing, cycling and camping.
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PAGE 15
Sun News
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Speakers announced for Mountain Film and Book Festival
Tara Mulvany is most well-known for paddling around the South Island, North Island and Stewart Island by kayak.
Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Two New Zealand explorers will be the keynote speakers at this year’s NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival, set to be in Wānaka from June 25 to 29. Returning to the festival for the second year, Tara Mulvany is well-known for paddling around the South Island, North Island and Stewart Island, taking ten months to complete and making her the first woman to circumnavigate New Zealand’s three main islands by sea kayak. The white water kayaker and author was part of a small team who completed
the first-ever kayak circumnavigation of Svalbard Archipelago in the high Arctic, after which she also paddled solo along 3,600km of Norway’s coast. Her talk at the festival will focus on these arctic trips, as well as her most recent adventure - a solo traverse of the Southern Alps this past summer. She will be joined as keynote speaker by photographer and author Mark Watson, who will be recounting his four-year adventure bikepacking some 45,500km from Alaska to central Patagonia with his partner Hana Black, following the American Cordillera, before Covid-19 cut the trip short. Watson’s passion for climbing, cycling
PHOTO: Supplied
and photography has taken him all over New Zealand; his first book, ‘Our Mountains’, written with Paul Hersey, showcased 100 images of 15 New Zealand mountains. Festival director Mark Sedon said: “We are grateful to be able to call on such high-calibre local adventurers and authors to present at this year’s event. Both Tara and Mark have incredible stories and we look forward to hearing about their latest expeditions.” Following the precedent set by last year’s festival, the 19th annual celebration of adventurous sports and lifestyles will also be broadcast online nationally from June 25 until July 25.
PHOTO: Mark Watson
Mark Watson will be recounting his four-year adventure bikepacking some 45,500km from Alaska to central Patagonia, following the American Cordillera, before Covid-19 cut the trip short.
Help shape our district’s future 2021-2031 Ten Year Plan | 2021-2031 He Mahere Kahurutaka Consultation document | He tuhika whakawhiti kōrero
Draft Queenst Lakes own Spatial P lan For Comm
unity Co
MARCH
2021
nsultation
From Friday 19 March, we’ll be asking for community feedback on a draft Ten Year Plan and draft Spatial Plan for the district. Keep your eyes peeled for information distributed in the Mountain Scene and Wānaka Sun on Thursday 1 April, get all the details online at letstalk.qldc.govt.nz or from Council offices and libraries across the district. Your thoughts will help shape our district, now and for generations to come – so get involved!
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE AT 5.00P M ON MONDAY 19 APRIL 2021
PAGE 16
THURSDAY 11.03.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.03.21
THE WĀNAKA SUN
Sun Events
thewanakasun.co.nz
Livening up the lakefront Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
You’ve seen the intriguing posters around town. Now the time is here for the first (hopefully of many) lakefront Guerilla Gigs. A collective of thirteen locals - musicians, artists, teachers, engineers and architects - have come together to “liven up the lakefront” with a variety of pop-up performances, the first of which will be held this Friday at 5pm. The seed was sown by Wai Wānaka Matt Shepherd when he asked, “why don’t we do more things on the lake?” And it turned out that question had been asked by many keen to initiate more performances, talks and gatherings against the stunning backdrop. “We started pulling in people that we’d had similar conversations with before and we brought together an awesome group of people,” said Urban Village community builder and director Barry Grehan. “What’s really cool is we have a mix of teachers
from the high school but also students as well young bucks who are just incredibly pragmatic and excited about making this happen.” Grehan said for the first gig, which will feature three performers - singer/songwriter Daisy Orbell, beats-maker Oskie and garage-infused rock band Better Than Nothing headlining - the group’s approach had been to go “as low frills as possible.” There would be no physical stage; just power, amps, instruments and people in the grassy space on the lakefront across the street from the skate park. “The idea is that, as we do the second, third, fourth and fifth gig, we’ll bring in new elements, and look to make the space more present,” he said. With no funding, the start-up event has been built from the efforts and time of the collective with some “fantastic support” from locals. “We’re showing you don’t have to wait for funding to come through to make things happen,” said Grehan. “You can jump right in and try - whether in the arts and culture space or something else. Where there’s a will there’s a way.”
PHOTO: Supplied
The first gig will feature three performers - singer/songwriter Daisy Orbell, beats-maker Oskie and headliners Better Than Nothing.
Bigger and bolder - all change for WoolOn Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Mary Hinsen was elected as the new chair of the WoolOn Creative Fashion Society Committee at the annual committee meeting last week, replacing Victoria Ravenscroft. Hinsen, formerly deputy-chair, is a Cromwellbased photographer. The WoolOn creative fashion event showcases wool design and artistry in New Zealand. The idea originated in Alexandra in the 1980’s as part of the Merino Shears, with the first WoolOn show held in Alexandra in 2004 - but the last two years have been full of instability for the event. The August 2019 event was cancelled citing difficulty in securing a venue, after which the committee made the controversial decision to move 2020’s event to the Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, before that event was also cancelled - and moved online - due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, the event promises to be “bigger and bolder than before,” featuring new categories and awards and greater flexibility for designers. The definition of wool fibre has been expanded to include alpaca, cashmere, angora goat and mohair, and entries can now have been created more than 12 months before the event. Former designer liaison Bev Muir said these changes would allow designers the ability to showcase work they may have created for the 2019 and 2020 events. “It takes a lot of time and effort for designers to create a garment and we wanted to acknowledge
PHOTO: Supplied
Snowboxx was initially expected to have its NZ debut in Queenstown in 2019, but was then set for Cardrona last year - before it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Snowboxx artists announced Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
PHOTO: Wānaka Sun archive
Design by 2018 supreme award winner Andrea Johnson.
that, and give them the ability to still use work they may have already started. As long as it has never featured on a catwalk somewhere or been entered in another competition it will be eligible for entry,” Muir said. Entries for WoolOn 2021 close May 3 2021, prior to the event in August. Others elected last week were Jamie Richards (designer liaison) and Greer Ferguson.
The first wave of artist and headliner announcements for the NZ iteration of the European Snowboxx music event was made last week. The event will be held at Treble Cone from September 7-14, and it was hoped by general manager Bridget Legnavsky that this would keep people coming to TC throughout September. Snowboxx is typically held in the French Alps and was initially expected to have its NZ debut in Queenstown in 2019, but was then set for Cardrona last year - before it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 attempt, in collaboration with Rhythm & Alps, will be all-Aotearoa performances, so as not to rely on international acts and borders being open. Shapeshifter will be performing a live DJ set, alongside Lee Mvtthews and Montell2099, with more Kiwi headliners to be revealed.
Alex Turnbull, Rhythm & Alps founder and director, said: “Rather than hedging our bets on borders being open and booking international artists, we want to bring people together, safely, for a festival that will be the envy of the rest of the world - much like Rhythm & Alps which welcomed the start of the year.” The music is now set to take place at TC part of Cardrona Alpine Resort’s efforts to keep business flowing up at TC this winter. Further improvements to keep Kiwis coming back for what may well be a second domesticonly season included a free shuttle for both Cardrona and Treble Cone, as well as upgraded TC snow-makers, a new generator and toilets at the Saddle Hut. Legnavsky said: “We want to keep business going through September. If the snow’s good, the people will keep coming.” Cardrona will open from June 12 to October 17, and TC from June 26 to September 26.
Commercial and residential landscaping Fulton Hogan’s highly skilled team deliver your landscaping requirements from design concepts, to construction including: • landscape design • tree pruning • stonework • turf install and repair • irrigation • exotic/native plant supply • paving • ongoing landscape • timber features maintenance • water features • vegetation control and mowing. • arboriculture
Building communities THE WĀNAKA SUN
Is the Cardrona River important to you? You’re invited to a meeting to hear how we propose to manage freshwater flow in your area, based on what your community told us you love about your waterways when we met with you in 2019. Come along to a short presentation followed by discussion and questions. Thursday, 18 March 2021 Lake Wanaka Centre, 89 Ardmore Street, Wanaka 1pm-2.30pm or 7-8.30pm
For a free no obligation quote call: Phone 03 440 0500 www.fultonhogan.com
Please book a seat by emailing customerservices@orc.govt.nz The meetings will go ahead at Covid-19 Level 2 with appropriate precautions. Find out more at:
www.orc.govt.nz/Cardrona or call 0800 474 082
THURSDAY 11.03.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.03.21
PAGE 17
No INTERNATIONAL tourists this WINTER but the town will still be buzzing.
Can you afford not to be advertising?
Contact us at email address to adrep@thewanakasun.co.nz or phone us on 03 443 5252 PAGE 18
THURSDAY 11.03.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.03.21
THE WĀNAKA SUN
thewanakasun.co.nz
Sun News
Festival of Colour: The Ngāi Tahu history of Central Otago Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Lakes Wānaka and Hāwea are part of an ancestral landscape of immense cultural significance to Ngāi Tahu. At this year’s Festival of Colour, the Ngāi Tahu Archive team will showcase their history and memory projects to discuss the Ngāi Tahu people, places, and stories of Wānaka and Hāwea. The Ngāi Tahu Archive was established more than forty years ago but was reinvigorated in 2012 with the formation of the Ngāi Tahu Archive team, dedicated to working with and for Ngāi Tahu communities to actively compile and interpret collective memory and make it more accessible. They have developed a digital Ngāi Tahu atlas, (Kā Huru Manu) a biographies project (Tāngata Ngāi Tahu), and an online database of the Ngāi Tahu Archive (Kareao) - all publicly available. The Kā Huru Manu session will run as a panel with three speakers - Helen Brown (Senior Researcher Archives), Takerei Norton (Manager Ngāi Tahu Archive), and Tā Tipene O’Regan (Chair Te Pae Kōrako) - and a live demonstration of the digital atlas and archive database. “The panellists will provide an overview of the Māori history of Central Otago by exploring the original Māori place names and traditional travel routes of the region,” said Brown. “We will also share the stories behind the creation of several 19th century maps showcasing the Māori place names of Lakes Wānaka and
THE WĀNAKA SUN
Hāwea. These maps were compiled or drawn by Ngāi Tahu ancestors and have survived down the generations.” One of these maps was compiled in 1898 from information provided by the Ngāi Tahu leader Rawiri Te Maire (1808-1889), a rangatira of considerable PHOTO: Supplied status and a staunch Takerei Norton (Manager advocate for Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu Archive) will be during the mid to late one of the speakers at the event. 1800s, who spent his formative years in the Wānaka and Hāwea region. Te Maire retained a vast knowledge of tikanga Māori, traditional ways of life, Ngāi Tahu history and many of the original Māori place names of Te Waipounamu. In 1898, the District Surveyor Thomas Brodrick visited Te Maire at Waihao. Although Te Maire was bedridden (and nearly 90), he provided the most detailed account ever recorded of Māori place names in the lakes Wānaka and Hāwea region, and Te Manahuna (the MacKenzie Basin). Brown said the event at the Pacific Crystal Palace at midday on April 15 was aimed at “everyone from primary school age up who is keen to learn more about the Ngāi Tahu history of Central Otago.”
PHOTO: Supplied
Eleven-year-old Isabel Martin has made the junior semi-finals of the South Island Ballet Awards, dancing the Kirov Version - Peasant Pas 2nd Solo from Giselle in Christchurch last weekend. Five young dancers from Wānaka travelled up to the Awards and “were amazing to watch in such a prestigious competition. They all danced the best they ever have, enjoyed themselves and rose to the occasion,” said their dance instructor Briony Martin. The competition runs bi-annually and had to be postponed last year due to covid. It was, fortunately, able to run this year despite the first two days being under Level 2 restrictions. “Isabel is also off to Wellington this weekend for her first visit to the New Zealand School Of Dance as part of its National Scholars program. Exciting times for this promising and very hard working young dancer,” said Martin. Here is Isabel in costume.
THURSDAY 11.03.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.03.21
PAGE 19
Sun News
thewanakasun.co.nz
HIKING COLUMN
Wānaka’s favourite hikes Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
PHOTO: Quentin Landreth
Are you a charity in need of a ride? Then call Quentin Landreth on 0273555399 or email quentin@fnwanaka.com. Landreth has a 12-seater Toyota HiAce van free to anyone in the community who needs to get people from A to B. “We got wind of the fact that the local charity groups, in particular M!NT needed a van to get the kids around,” Landreth said. “I’d been looking at giving something back to the community for a while so last week First National decided to buy the van and let anyone use it.”
I turned my heater on for the first time on Monday. And, just like that, poof, summer is gone - and with it, my motivation to go on big hikes. It’s been a good four months since I set out on my mission to do a different local hike every weekend - starting with the Lake Hayes Track at the end of last October - and although I’ve definitely not got as many of the bigger hikes (or any overnight ones) under my belt, I do have to leave something for myself to do next year. It seems fitting to finish the column this week with a collection of photos of Wānaka’s favourite hikes - not just mine, but everyone’s on page 6 and 7 of this edition. From gorgeous lakefront views to stunning shots of the newly reopened Rob Roy Glacier Track, photos from young families with small (and, may I say, extremely intrepid) children tramping Mt Iron to Mt Isthmus, it’s been a real joy to see how much joy the community gets from the mountains and valleys surrounding us. There’s not too many places in the country,
PHOTO: Wānaka Sun
How lucky are we?
or the world, where you could set out on a different hike almost every week and, over four months later, still have more to do. How lucky are we? Enjoy the photos - and I’ll see you for more japes and scrapes when learning to snowboard season 2 starts up in June.
ORC presents river management proposal to Cardrona communities
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Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
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Phone: 03 443 8000, Top of Helwick Street, Wānaka OPEN: MON-SAT 8AM TO 6PM • SUN 10AM TO 6PM PAGE 20
The Otago Regional Council (ORC) is returning to the Cardrona community next week to hold a public meeting on how it proposes to manage flows in the river. The proposal is based on input from the community about its value for the river, as well as research on the ecology and hydrology of the river, and it takes economic impacts into account. The proposed approach will form part of ORC’s upcoming Land and Water Regional Plan, intended for notification in 2023. ORC Manager Policy and Planning Anita Dawe encouraged interested people to attend the meetings. “ORC will present on our preferred option for managing the river flow in the Cardrona, which seeks to provide for the needs and aspirations we have identified with the community while giving effect to ORC’s obligations under the Government’s national water direction. “If the Cardrona is important to you, we’d like
THURSDAY 11.03.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.03.21
PHOTO: ORC
to go discuss the approach with you and answer any questions,” Dawe said. The proposal will be subject to formal consultation once the Land and Water Regional Plan is notified. The proposed management approach will need to be consistent with the proposed Regional Policy Statement for Otago (RPS), which ORC is set to notify in June this year. “The RPS sets the overall vision for freshwater management in each part of Otago, based on conversations we had throughout the region late last year. All other district and regional plans sit under the RPS and give effect to its direction,” Dawe said. “That means that another avenue for further feedback on the direction of freshwater management in the Dunstan Rohe (the Arrow and Cardrona River catchments form part of the Dunstan Rohe) will be to make a submission on the RPS when it is notified.” Meeting: Thursday, 18 March 2021, 1pm2.30pm or 7-8.30pm at Lake Wānaka Centre, 89 Ardmore Street.
THE WĀNAKA SUN
Sun Views
thewanakasun.co.nz
EDITORIAL
Winter is coming. Get your firewood now! Pat Deavoll
editor@thewanakasun.co.nz
It’s Sunday and up until a couple of days ago the weather has been midsummer stinky hot. And then suddenly everything changed and we got an autumn cold spell. There was snow on the hills. I was freezing. So cold that I, unable to work the heat pump in my new rental, resorted to lighting the wood burner for the next couple of nights. My landlord reminded me that maybe I should order in some firewood, which made me think that now would be a good time to do this. Last winter I hung out until July, and there was little selection. I had to order Oregon and for some reason, this didn't burn well and I froze for the rest of the winter, running up a massive power bill keeping the heater running. There are several places in Wānaka to buy firewood:Upper Cut Firewood, Wānaka Firewood Ltd, Alpine Firewood Wānaka and Upper Clutha Sawmill are a few. But what and how to buy firewood is a conundrum? Upper Cut Firewood has some good tips on buying firewood on their website. This is what they say. The best time to buy your firewood is at the end of winter, spring or the start of summer. So I'm months too late obviously. In doing this you can control the drying process and won't miss out on the wood types you prefer. Firewood is sold as a “thrown measure” unless specifically stated otherwise. This means that the quantity of wood is measured as if it was thrown into a container, and not as if it was stacked. Stacking it will reduce the volume by about a third (3 cubic metres of thrown wood is roughly equivalent to 2 cubic metres stacked). We all must do our bit for clean air, the website says. Buy dry firewood and only burn dry firewood- that way there will be less smoke. To keep your firewood dry, you have to store it properly. Store it with good airflow and plenty of sun. Rain early on is good too, but cover the
PHOTO: Neighbourly
The best time to buy your firewood is at the end of winter, spring or the start of summer. So I'm months too late.
stack closer to winter to keep water off. Make sure that a cover is not smothering your stack. A tarp may not be the best cover as it may cause condensation when the air gets warmer. Pallets are a great way to keep your wood off the ground with a good airflow coming up from under the stack. Stack in a well-ventilated area in a shed or down the side of a fence line. So that’s when to buy and how to store your firewood but what about which? Pine is the cheapest at about $95 per metre. It's quick-burning and doesn’t spark. It gives moderate to good heat. Larch is about $110 a metre, lights easier and burns hotter than pine. It’s good all-around wood. Oregon (not my favourite) is about $120 a metre, dries very quickly and burns very cleanly. It can be used on an open fire. It obviously doesn't like me! Macrocarpa is more expensive but has lovely clean heat. It’s a longer burning wood. Bluegum costs about the same as macrocarpa but takes longer to dry- up to two years. But it burns very hotly – it has the best heat output of all firewood. And there is something called West Coast hot mix which is an astronomical $150 a metre but it burns hot- it is great for outdoor ovens and fires. So there’s a science I never knew about firewood- but the one thing I have learned from all this Googling is that I need to buy my firewood now, now. now if I am going to be ready. Because winter is coming!
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR To submit a letter for possible publication in the Wānaka Sun, please send it via email to editor@thewanakasun.co.nz. Letters can also be sent by private message on our Facebook page. Letters may be edited or abridged. Letters of no more than 300 words are preferred.
Crimeline S Sean Hurley
Senior Constable, NZPD
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A national entry charge, more sense than a departure charge! Thanks for your good, succinct article with broad opinions represented. One year on and I'm still waiting for our local representatives to start leading the process of inspiring our local entrepreneurs into areas of diverse enterprises. Onetrick-ponies are not the answer for our local area’s woes. Think diversification, and use existing infrastructure to develop within. Empty restaurants and hotels can be marvelous hives of design activity and also local housing. I personally know of high end clothing designers, furniture and soft goods designers crying out for support to get their work and goods out into the national and international markets. Instead, they are stuck in low paying retail jobs which underuses their talents. Locally, development of alternative micro power solutions, repurposing local waste into building bricks, pavers, fencing and decking -we still need lots of these products and need micro systems to use our local water runoff. Relevant products sell, locally, nationally and internationally. How about local council and local government programs getting going, seeking out these potentials amongst our locals? Restaurants and hotels have been empty long enough, repurpose them. Also, a national entry charge at our border makes more sense than a departure charge. Lorna Schmidt
THE WĀNAKA SUN
Well, I am glad the alert level has been lowered which will allow our A&P Society to continue with running the show next weekend, especially as I have some time to attend what is a great occasion for the town. As for the week of crime and enforcement we had a varied if relatively quiet week of occurrences. Monday saw a local young man suspended for excess demerit points on his driver’s licence. A male was apprehended for Excess Breath Alcohol again at a very high level that led to his suspension from driving for 28 days prior to his court appearance. Police also dealt with an ongoing family harm matter and the report of students assaulting one another at Mount Aspiring College. The school and Police will take appropriate action bearing in mind the youthful age of those involved. Tuesday saw a number of motorists apprehended for driving whilst using cell phones; please amend this behaviour.Time to purchase that hands free set up. Wednesday saw Police deal with reported damage to a mailbox on Gunn Road, Albert Town; police enquiries are ongoing. Police dealt with a couple of mental health incidents this week. Should you or anyone of your family or friends need support please come
THURSDAY 11.03.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.03.21
and see us or contact the Mental Health Crisis team on 0800 46 78 46. Saturday was a busy night for police with lots of disorder and fights around town. Someone had damaged a water fountain overnight on Ash Avenue. Police also dealt with an incident in which a pedestrian was struck on Hedditch Street. The driver of the vehicle was found to have excess breath alcohol. Sunday saw Police called to another major family harm matter from which the male party has been arrested and charged; thankfully the victim is now engaging with Police about this and other historical abuse matters. With regard to other lost property our Watchhouse Officer was delighted to reunite one of the hearing aids with their owner this week. This owner wished to express their gratitude to the finder. We still have one hearing aid looking for an owner so if you have lost such an item please come and check with us. Police also have a hunting arrow found near the Mount Iron walking/bicycle track; this is not an appropriate place to use something that can be classified as an offensive weapon. Enjoy the show if you attend this week, remember the social distancing and recommended Covid safety measures, keep your defences up and let us keep this pandemic at bay as we approach the anniversary of our first NZ lock down.
PAGE 21
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Hardy, native plants, small home native nursery open by appointment at Queensberry. Willowbank nursery on Facebook. $5 small grade, $14 2.5L pots and $22 4L pots, grasses start at $3. Hebes, Flax, Groundcover and Trees. Free local delivery on orders $100 and over. 10% discount on bulk orders. Phone 027 516 5519, or email nativenursery@outlook.co.nz Autumn is the time to be planting. Look forward to helping you with your planting requirements.
PAGE 22
THANKS
Cut rags (100% cotton) and drop cloths, only $7 for a big bag. Now in the yard container at Wastebusters. Open 9-5 seven days. Business Networking International. The Wānaka chapter of BNI meets weekly at 7am Tuesday morning. Great networking opportunity to grow your business. Contact Randal Dobbs for information 021 973 043 The Salvation Army Family Store is able to collect your donations, this service is available one day a week please phone the store on 443 5068 to make a booking.
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.
SERVICES Wānaka Pharmacy is your local pharmacy. We’re the big pharmacy at the top of Helwick Street - open from 8am until 6pm and 10 to 6 on Sundays. Ph 443 8000. The Salvation Army Family Store is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturdays 9.30am to 4pm and most statutory holidays. We look forward to seeing you in our wonderful store.
WANTED The Salvation Army Family Store requires a volunteer to assist our van driver Danny on a Thursday with pick-ups and deliveries. If this sounds like you, please pop into the store for some more information. Lifting of furniture will be required. The Salvation Army Family Store requires good quality household goods, if you can help this would be appreciated. Your donations can be dropped at 48 Helwick street or phone for a pick up 443 5068.
STORAGE Clean, dry, safe storage available now. Ezystor Self Storage, 12 Gordon Road, Wānaka, Ph: 021 242 1630.
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WĀNAKA’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER ISSUE 1017
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: Joanna Perry • 021 736 740 newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz Advertising: adrep@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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WAFC Premier Team still finding their rhythm
Premier Reserve Jack Liddell (yellow) flying down the wing.
PUBLIC NOTICE
LAND INFORMATION NEW ZEALAND Notice of Weed Spraying in Lake Wanaka
WAFC Premier Alex Wright (black) fends of South City player.
Saturday saw two preseason football games played at the Wānaka Recreation Centre. First was the game between the Wānaka AFC Premier Reserve team and the Wānaka AFC 3rd team. It was the first hit out of the season for the third team and second for the Premier Reserve team. The game was played in three 30-minute thirds. The first third was pretty even with both teams very eager to move the ball but at the same time both teams were guilty of doing too much. The third team was made up of seasoned veterans and young talent and made life difficult for the Premier Reserve team whose members were pushing for places in the Premier team and wanted to prove a point against their younger brothers. Like a family there were friendly rivalries and competition throughout the whole match. The Premier Reserve got on top first with a goal in the first third. The second third saw the Premier Reserve’s control the game more and get another goal with the third team getting one themselves. The final third saw the Premier Reserves slot one more and win the game 3-1. Both teams did well and will only improve once the season kicks off this Saturday where they meet each other again in the first match of the 2021 Radio Central, Central Otago Football League season at the Wānaka Recreation Centre.
PHOTOS: WAFC.
Kick-off is at 12:45 The second game of the day saw the Wānaka AFC Premier team take on newly formed Dunedin team the South City Royals. This is the second time these two teams have met; the Saturday before in Dunedin being the first where the game ended in a two- all draw. This time in Wānaka both teams were very keen to finish the match on top. The game started off very evenly with both teams feeling each other out but slowly the team from Dunedin started to control the game and were the first team to strike with a fine goal. The Wānaka team kept in the fight and moved the ball around well but unfortunately South City scored again. Wānaka hit back with a very good team goal of their own, only to have South City get a third almost immediately after the restart to knock a bit of wind out of their sails. In the end it was 4-2 to the South City Royals. At times the WAFC Premier team looked very, very good and with one more preseason game next week against Winton FC at the Wānaka Rec Centre ( kick-off 2:45) they have time to tweak and work on things. Like a fine Central Otago wine, they will improve and give teams in the Southern Premier League a run for their money. – By WAFC
Property owners and users of Lake Wanaka, including for recreation, are advised that the herbicide diquat will be applied via boat or helicopter in gel form to control lake weed (Lagarosiphon) at the following sites in Lake Wanaka: • Roys Bay • Glendhu Bay • Glendhu Bluff Bay • Parkins Bay • Paddock Bay • Stevensons Island The work is scheduled to begin from Wednesday March 16th, 2021 and may continue through to Tuesday May 11th 2021, as weather and water conditions permit. Treatment will not take place on weekends or public holidays. As a precautionary measure only, Land Information New Zealand advises users not to take water from Lake Wanaka to consume or for irrigation purposes from the vicinity of the treatment area until 24 hours after treatment has been completed. Notices will be placed at www.linz.govt.nz 24 hours prior to the planned spray dates. Warning signs will be placed at authorised public boat ramps during treatment and will be removed 24 hours after treatment. Changeable weather conditions mean that weed spraying at some sites may be delayed. Please scan the QR code below to access the most up-to-date information. Weed control on Lake Wanaka is overseen by the Lake Wanaka Lagarosiphon Management Committee which includes representatives from Queenstown Lakes District Council, the Guardians of Lake Wanaka, Otago Regional Council, the Department of Conservation and Land Information New Zealand. A copy of Land Information New Zealand’s full annual control works programme is available at www.linz.govt.nz, under “Crown Property”. Further information is available on the website or from Boffa Miskell Ltd during office hours on 0800 638 943, by writing to PO Box 110, Christchurch, or emailing linz.biosecurity@boffamiskell.co.nz.
BUSY AT WĀNAKA POOL
PHOTO: Supplied
Local mountain biker Luke Hancock (15) has been ripping it up in the downhill competitions, representing Mount Aspiring College at the South Island Secondary Schools competition in 2019; placing best out of four races under 17 at the New Zealand Mountain Bike downhill series last year, and this year ranking number one in the same series, and also number one under 17 at the Cycling NZ National Championships 2021. Hancock has plans for riding in the European Circuit and ultimately the World Championships in 2023.
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THURSDAY 11.03.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.03.21
22 FEBRUARY – 19 MARCH
Local primary schools are visiting Wānaka Recreation Centre for their school swimming and water safety programme. From 22 February until Friday 19 March there’ll be very limited public access to the learners’ pool between 9.00am-2.00pm every weekday except Thursdays and Fridays when half the pool will be free. Other pool users may wish to schedule their visits to the learners’ pool around these times. Four lanes in the lap pool will remain free for public swimming between 9.00am– 2.00pm weekdays during this period. Many thanks for your co-operation while our local children learn these essential life skills. For more info please contact (03) 443 9334 | wrc@qldc.govt.nz
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Sun Sport
thewanakasun.co.nz
Snowsports round up Joanna Perry
newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz
Two silver medals to report this week one in the US and one in Europe. Wānaka freeskier Finn Bilous claimed the silver medal in the Freeski Slopestyle at the Copper Mountain, Colorado stop of the US Revolution tour last Wednesday. Bilous was awarded a score of 90.75 for a very technical run, just two points behind the winning score of 92.75 for Kiernan Fagan (USA). His right double 1440 was a new variation of the trick for Bilous, and the first time he has landed it in competition. It marked Bilous’s first slopestyle competition in over 13 months, as a broken collarbone late in the 2020 New Zealand season resulted in him missing the first World Cup slopestyle of the 2021 season in November, and grew his confidence ahead of the World Championships starting this week in Aspen. “Spending a little more time in NZ got me pretty amped up for skiing and the preparation for World Champs,” he said. “We’ve had a pretty successful month in Colorado. It has been nice to be based in one location for an extended period of training.” Fellow Kiwi Freeskier Luca Harrington (Wānaka) finished in 7th place today in the Slopestyle event.
PHOTO: Tommy Pyatt
Copper Mountain marked Finn Bilous’s first slopestyle competition in over 13 months after a broken collarbone late in the 2020 New Zealand season.
Meanwhile, in Slovakia, Queenstown’s Alice Robinson (Queenstown) took second place at the FIS Giant Slalom World Cup on Monday for her fourth ever world cup podium finish and another season best result. Robinson had the fastest run two times, but Petra Vlhova (SVK) had the
fastest combined time and took the win on her home mountain, with Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) rounding out the podium in third. Robinson has one last race in what has turned out to be an incredible season for her - the Giant Slalom World Cup Finals will be held in Switzerland on March 21.
PHOTO: Supplied
Alice Robinson and her team after her second-place result at the Jasna GS World Cup. (L-R) Chris Knight, Jeff Fergus, Alice Robinson, Pepi Culver.Headline: Snowsports round up
TOP OFFICE NEW ZEALAND
2020
GRAEME SINCLAIR M 021 504 749 P
03 443 0097
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info@fnwanaka.com
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www.fnwanaka.com
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THURSDAY 11.03.21 - WEDNESDAY 17.03.21
THE WĀNAKA SUN