Wanaka Sun | 28 January - 03 February 2021 | Edition 1011 by Wanaka Sun

MAC principal

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Girds her loins.

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Base Wānaka goes into hibernation Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

ase Backpackers on Brownston Street has officially closed its doors, less than a week after it was publicly announced. On Wednesday, January 20, Base confirmed in an email to its business contacts that “due to unavoidable circumstances Base Wānaka is regrettably closing for business. “Our last day of operation will be on January 24 and we will be exiting the building as of the 31st January 2021.” Tom Cooney, chief operating officer of Australian Tourism Aventure Groups (TAG), who operate Base, Nomads and United Hostels across Australia and New Zealand, said the organisation had reached an agreement with the landlord to get out of the lease. Cooney said the decision to “hibernate” was based on the fact that international tourism was unlikely to be returning to New Zealand for another twelve months. TAG had also decided to “get out” of leases in Taupō and Wellington, but would continue to operate in Queenstown and Rotorua. Last November, the 384-bed Base Queenstown Discovery Lodge was bought by the Pandey Hotel Corporation, but Nomads Queenstown Backpackers was still set to continue on a threeyear lease. Cooney said that the landlord for the property at 73 Brownston Street, who did not wish to be named, was looking at developing the site. With a usual target market of around 90 per cent international tourists, the backpacking world has been turned upside down by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Lake Wānaka Tourism acting general manager Tim Barke said all accommodation outlets had been struggling with numbers, especially since they dropped off after Christmas around January 4. But aside from Base, he had not heard of any additional outlets planning to close, and expected there would be the usual “second wave” of tourists

PHOTO: Joanna Perry

With a usual target market of around 90 per cent international tourists, the backpacking world has been turned upside down by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

to the town once the school holidays finished. “We just don’t know to what level that will be,” he said. Wānaka Bakpaka’s Liz Norman said their hostel was surviving by “running the place ourselves every day,” and offering rooms at less than half the usual price. Despite staying open during lockdown for guests unable to get home, their downturn in guests had started last summer when Covid was first circulating, meaning the hostel had been “much quieter for more than twelve months now.” They had, however, seen a recent upturn in long-term guests, partially as a result of longtermers being evicted from Base last week, and partially because it was often easier for workers than finding appropriate housing. Base’s closure also means the end of backpacker and live music venue Mint Bar, which for some locals has been a heart-breaking blow. One Wānaka-born regular said: “I’ve been going to gigs there since I was fresh 18. Mint Bar had this wicked nightlife. I’ve seen some of my favourite DJs from all around the world in there… No one has any idea what it used to be like. It could have been so much more.” Alongside the loss of a live music venue, Remarkably Funny’s regular open mic comedy night has also had to find a new home. Performer Dylan Hyman said that the group received no notice of the closure despite being one of the main income generators for the bar.

Wānaka’s golden girl does it again! Zoi Sadowski-Synnott claims the silver medal at the LAAX Open FIS Slopestyle World Cup in Switzerland last weekend in her latest victory of the northern hemisphere season. Read the full story on page 16.

*Includes house and land. Some conditions may apply. Photo is a sample only.

PHOTO: LAAX Open/Ruggli

Sun News

Shortage in plantbased milks

thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: Abbey Lewis

Two of the Wasties recycling team, Ben Taylor and Lucie Prochaskova, with examples of plastics Wastebusters can recycle.

Get your head around plastic recycling Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: Supplied

Move over toilet paper: plant-based milks are the latest product to see a shortage due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

‘Veganuary’ is experiencing its biggest year yet, but dairy-free coffee drinkers in town might be struggling to find their favourite plant milks alternatives. The UK-based campaign launched in 2014 asks people to pledge to follow a diet free from animal products during January to promote sustainability, but whilst demand for plant-based milks is increasing, Wānaka and much of the South Island finds itself in a supply shortage for certain types. One cafe reported having a “nightmare” finding oat milk, whilst Ritual Cafe owner Chris Hadfield said he had been having issues getting coconut milk, with “wholesalers and even supermarkets” having “little or no” stock. Tanya Halcrow of Bidfresh Wānaka said this was the result of the current “shipping conundrum around the world.” Lots of products had been impacted, either as a result of production delays - with many parts of the world, such as the USA, UK and Europe, still very much in the throws of the virus - or shipping issues. Sourcing coconut milk for coffee-making was

a problem, along with oat milk, which Halcrow said was a “new craze.” “Over winter, there was not much happening in the world,” said Halcrow. “This summer, activity has increased and there is too much stock coming into the ports to be handled and processed quickly. Every ship has to be gone over by the Ministry for Primary Industries for fungus, bugs, spiders… it’s a slow process.” “One major shipping company has shut down, which puts more demand on the others,” said Halcrow. “Sometimes a shipping company says it’s coming but there is a month delay.” A spokesperson for Foodstuffs said: “Over the past few weeks South Island shoppers may have found it more difficult to find their favourite oat milk and coconut milk in-store. This is because of shipping delays due to the ongoing impact of Covid-19 affecting the usual smooth supply into New Zealand ports. “If you can’t find your favourite, it’s a great time to try something new and reach for a plant-based alternative made here in NZ.” Halcrow added that despite ongoing issues with coconut and oat milk, there was still plenty of soya, almond and macadamia. So, no excuses for the last few days of veganuary.

Some Wānaka locals might have missed the memo on the recent changes to kerbside plastic recycling in the Queenstown Lakes District. From December 2, the types of plastics accepted in yellow kerbside bins were restricted to ones that could be recycled onshore in New Zealand (grocery plastic packaging types 1, 2 and 5, apart from meat trays, biscuit trays, punnets and coloured PET bottles). Low value plastics types 3, 4, 6 and 7 should be avoided, reused or put into the rubbish bin. This information was disseminated through an education campaign including media advertising, emails to schools and community groups, and household delivery of education packs. Unfortunately, issues with the distribution service meant that “a small number of areas” missed out on these packs, according to QLDC’s Jack Barlow. To rectify this, packs have been made available at the QLDC centre on Ardmore Street, library, Wānaka Recreation Centre, Wastebusters, and Salvation Army shop - and there is detailed information on the QLDC website. “Community education is a vital part of making our recycling service a success and we will continue our focus on this in the coming year,” said Barlow. If you’re struggling to get your head around the changes, Wānaka Wastebusters is also here to help with education and advice. Gina Dempster explained that meat-trays, biscuit-trays and punnets can't currently be accepted for recycling because, while most of them are made from #1 PET, onshore reprocessors don't have the very expensive sorting equipment to exclude those made from #3 PVC and other plastic types, which look identical and contaminate #1 PET recycling. “The Government is proposing a ban on #3 PVC plastic, which would remove the bulk of the

problematic trays and punnets from the shelves and hopefully would solve the problem,” said Dempster. “Both Wastebusters and QLDC put in a submission supporting this change, because it's such a waste to have to send a technically recyclable high value material like clear PET to landfill. “It just feels wrong, and I know that's why it's hard for people to put plastic trays and punnets in their rubbish bins. Unfortunately that's the only place for [them] as there just isn't anywhere we can send them for reprocessing.” Those with more time on their hands could avoid bringing home plastic trays and punnets by shopping around. “We're lucky in Wānaka to have a choice of places to buy meat in our own packaging,” said Dempster. “Stone-fruit can be weighed in your own bags, as can cherry tomatoes, and there are also some new cardboard punnets for cherry tomatoes. Farmers markets and orchards can be good places to buy directly, using your own packaging or cardboard boxes, or you may be lucky enough to grow some of your own fruit or trade with friends. “We also have power to communicate directly with companies - whenever you find a tray or punnet made from non-recyclable #3 PVC, you can email or Facebook the company and ask them to switch to packaging which doesn't contaminate PET recycling.” But if you weren’t aware of, or didn’t fully understand, what you needed to do up until now, don’t fret. “A few incorrect plastic items in a bin won’t result in the contents of the whole bin going to landfill,” said Barlow. “But cumulatively, large quantities of non-recyclable material will a) impact our ability to recover quality and saleable recyclable materials b) impact the staff at the Materials Recovery Facility who have to hand sort mixed recycling and c) cost rate payers as ultimately we have to foot the bill for disposing of contamination.”

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THURSDAY 28.01.21 - WEDNESDAY 03.02.21

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We pay a price for living in paradise Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Wānaka rental prices don’t quite match Auckland’s but they are not far off, according to Tenancy Services New Zealand. The average rental price for a nice family home (three bedrooms/two bathroom) in Wānaka is $580 to $650 a week, said director of Manage My House Margo Goodsell. According to Tenancy Services the top end rental price in salubrious Auckland suburb Mission Bay is $850 and that comes with a waterfront location and easy access to the CBD. A mid-range property would cost $640, and the lower end $490. Goodsell said there was a shortage of longterm rental properties in Wānaka. There was also a shortage of available rentals at the lower end of the market. “There always is (at the lower end), as the government has recently brought in further requirements that the landlord has to comply with, hence the landlord has to cover these costs - the rent has to reflect these extra costs,” Goodsell said. Rental prices dropped over the Covid period, and haven't yet reached pre-covid levels, she said. “I don't think Covid affected the number of houses available if anything there are more available along with a few new builds.” There are slightly more rentals available from Air BnB’s which have switched to long term rental. “I have had a few switches to long-term renting

from holiday house rentals and these may or may not go back onto the short-term rental market in the future,” Goodsell said. According to Tenancy Services the market rent in Wānaka, at the upper end, is $615 a week. In the middle range rents are $550 and at the lower end $470. The average bond on a property is $966. In Queenstown, you would pay a little less- $593 for a premium property; $500 for a medium-priced property and $430 for a cheapie. The average bond would be $1529. Market rent is the amount a landlord might reasonably expect to receive, and a tenant might reasonably expect to pay for a tenancy. It needs to be similar to the rent charged for similar properties in similar areas. For instance, Taupo,another tourist town: At the upper-end rents are $550; in the middle $470 and at the bottom $420. But get this! As a comparison with Wānaka and Queenstown, rent for upper-end homes in Oamaru is $350; middle-range $325 and at the lower end $285. An average bond would be $432. And Invercargill, should you want to move way south; At the upper end, $420; in the middle, $395, and the cheapest, $360. These market rent areas were updated in November 2020. They are now based on Statistical Area Units from the 2018 Census and on suburbs from the NZ Postal Address File (PAF). So, we pay the price for living in paradise, but if you want to pay minimal rent for a mansion, you know where to move to.

PHOTO: Supplied

We pay a premium to rent in Wānaka.

Fundraiser for local facing $150,000 hospital bill Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Over $17,000 has been raised in just a few days through an online fundraiser for Wānaka local Jhufel Mangubat. Mangubat is currently in Intensive Care at Christchurch Hospital. On January 14, he underwent stereotactic radiosurgery in Dunedin, a treatment to prevent him having another stroke after his first in 2016. Three days later, he experienced severe headaches, and - after being airlifted to Christchurch Hospital on January 20 - it was determined he was having a second brain hemorrhage. After another bleed on the same day, doctors had no choice but to perform open brain surgery. Mangubat was on an open work visa awaiting Immigration NZ’s (INZ) decision on an application for a new work visa when he underwent the first surgery. The day after, January 15, INZ declined his application on the basis that

he did not have an acceptable standard of health, despite previously granting him a work visa after his first stroke. He has been placed on a two-month visitor visa, and whilst the radiosurgery on January 14 was funded by the NZ government under his work visa, his family are now liable for all the costs of the open brain surgery and his stay in ICU - and they anticipate the final hospital bill to be around $150,000. His wife Rita has written to the Ministry of Health for assistance on the basis that Mangubat’s second hemorrhage could likely be linked to the radiosurgery on January 14, and that her husband has been a New Zealand tax resident for over four years. “Hospitals charge a huge amount of money to ineligible migrants,” she said. “It is something that I cannot possibly pay off.” An engineer by trade, Mangubat arrived in Wānaka from the Philippines on March 16. He has worked at Oakridge Resort, NZ Post,

Goodstays, Fast Fat Chef and, most recently, New World. His wife joined him in Wānaka in September 2016, and has been working at New World since October of that year. Pia Hansen, a former colleague of Mangubat, said she knew Mangubat to be “a very hardworking man” who “loves his family dearly, misses his kids terribly and speaks with them in the Philippines every day. They’re here to give their kids a better hope in life.” “It’s been a pretty sudden massive change in circumstances for them over an already stressful situation,” said Hansen. “It’s so unfair. He’s in a coma. He can’t go anywhere else for this.” Mangubat’s wife and family are still waiting for him to wake up after his surgery. In the meantime, the Wānaka community is offering their support to raise $150,000 at: www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/seeking-help-toraise-funds-for-jhufel-mangubat. There will also be a sausage sizzle in town on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

PHOTO: Supplied

Jhufel Mangubat and his wife Rita have been working in Wānaka for over four years.

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THURSDAY 28.01.21 - WEDNESDAY 03.02.21

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Flood alert service to inform public Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

An Otago Regional Council (ORC) Flood Alert Service survey which began in December 2020 will close at the end of January. The survey aimed to find out how best to communicate with Otago residents about flood information and updates. While the survey had been open since before flooding at the start of January, such weather events were a good reminder of the importance of effective tools for informing the public. Wānaka last had a major flood event back in early December 1919 when the lake burst its banks flooding businesses and sewerage systems. Water and large debris closed the main street of the town, and businesses were sandbagged as heavy rain continued to fall. Sewerage systems were also at risk of contaminating the lake, with the Queenstown Lakes District council taking the precautionary measure of shutting down the sewer connection to a handful of premises. Wānaka residents were told to be on “high

alert” and streets were largely empty, and the cafes and restaurants on the lake shore closed. ORC was asking the communities across Otago if they were aware of the flood alert service, and whether they found the service useful if they were subscribers. Information about flood events and alert service was available via the ORC website and Facebook page. ORC Manager Natural Hazards Jean-Luc Payan said the results of the survey would be used to determine how ORC updated Otago communities on critical flood information during heavy rainfall events. “It’s important to ORC that we deliver flood information on the onset or during of heavy rainfall events in a way that suits our communities’ needs. Our role is to ensure that people are getting the right information in a timely manner. This survey will help us to understand if we need to adapt the way we communicate urgent flood information, and how best to do that to meet changing community needs.” This survey has been open on ORC’s YourSay page (www.yoursay.orc.govt.nz/flood-alertservice) since December 2020, and will remain open until 31 January.

PHOTO: Wānaka Sun

Wānaka last experienced a major flood event back in December 2019.

Ballantyne Road moves forward Possible reprieve for Albert Town rabbit riot Pat Deavoll

Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Further developments to the $6.4 million upgrade of Ballantyne Road are underway with work to temporarily relocate telecommunications services beginning. Queenstown Lakes District Council spokesman Jack Barlowe said, “"Works are well underway on the upgrade to, a jointly funded project by Queenstown Lakes District Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Construction on the improvements to this 4km section of road began early December and is currently programmed to take six months to complete. Good progress has been made on clearing the site with the majority of tree works and fencing relocations now complete. Earthworks commenced this week on the south side of the road and works to temporarily relocate telecommunications services are also underway to allow the safe completion of earthworks on the north side of the road. QLDC has been working with Chorus, Spark and Vodafone on plans to relocate and install new services ducting along the length of the upgraded road. This will facilitate future upgrades to the network and avoid works to the upgraded road at a later date.

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: Wānaka Sun

Ballantyne Road upgrade marches on.

For the project to be completed safely and in a timely manner, we have allowed for the closure of Ballantyne Road to through traffic. Access to properties remains open for residents and essential services. While we understand this work may cause disruptions we are working to mitigate these as much as possible.

Albert Town’s rabbit riot may see a reprieve if Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) plans come to fruition. Thanks to a collaborative approach to rabbit control in Clyde in 2020, the council is looking to initiate further land-owner responses this winter, according to its biosecurity department. Biosecurity and rural liaison manager Andrea Howard said: “The Biosecurity Act 1993 provides a mandate and a set of powers for pest management that are universally used across the country to protect agricultural, environmental, cultural and human health values. “The underlying philosophy of the Biosecurity Act is that “pest management is an individual occupier’s responsibility”. Land occupiers, under owning land, contribute to pest problems and benefit from pest control. The Act allows for Regional Pest Management Plan’s (RPMP) to be developed and through its adoption, rules to be established, requiring occupiers to control pests. “ORC does not undertake rabbit control on the ground. What the control work looks like will depend on the specific issues within a community as well as the type of community (e.g. different solutions may be needed for peri-urban areas compared to farms). To make the biggest impact it will likely involve landowners contracting specialists. ORC aims to make this process as easy as possible for both parties,” Howard said. “Once this programme is completed there are plans

Albert Town and Mt Iron are overrun by rabbits and something needs to be done.

PHOTO: ORC

to implement these kinds of collaborative, landownerled control operations in rabbit-prone areas throughout Otago, including parts of Wānaka, Lake Hayes, and Gibbston Valley. We have been approached by several other individuals across Otago and aim to facilitate as many community approaches as we are able. This will require a long-term effort from all parties and we are committed to playing a leadership role.” Rabbit control in Albert Town was expected to begin in April and the methods of control would depend on the preferences of each community.

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PAGE 4

THURSDAY 28.01.21 - WEDNESDAY 03.02.21

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Dean comes down hard on Aurora Get a cat! You know you want to! Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Cat Rescue Wānaka (CRW) is crying out for mums and dads for their feline orphans. This not-for-profit organisation, founded in 2018, is dedicated to caring for stray cats in the Wānaka, Albert Town and Hawea area. If you spy a stray cat, let them know. Cats that can be socialised are vet checked, micro-chipped, de-sexed, vaccinated and cared for by the organisation's many volunteers in foster homes. Cats that are unable to be socialized and rehomed are de-sexed, vet checked, ear-tipped for identification and returned to a controlled environment/colony. A daily feeding program is then put in place for these cats where enlisted volunteers take care of them. Think that you would like to take on a fur baby? First of all, WCR needs to know if you are in your own home or renting. If renting, you must get your landlord to email permission to CRW. Also important is that you have a permanent New Zealand residency. And who else is in your household - adults/ kids / other pets? This helps CRW to facilitate a good match. The adoption fee is $160-180 depending on how many vaccinations have been given. This covers CRW vet expenses as kittens are vet checked, desexed, microchipped, registered on NZCAR, and vaccinated. If only the first vaccination is given, a booster vaccination is due a month later at your own expense. Want to foster a cat? Many people who start off

PHOTOS: Pat Deavoll

Here is Kiki. She was a Cat Rescue Wānaka cat and is now living in heaven with me. She has fallen on her feet (paws.)

fostering a cat end up adopting it. Fostering is made as easy as possible. Everything- food, a litter, a carry cage, vet billsare all paid for by WCR. A few things to consider... CRW requests people to keep a new cat inside for two months, before letting it out on short, supervised visits e.g. before a meal when they will want to come in for food. Once outside cats can run and hide. Cats and kittens have been let out too early and needed to be retrapped, with or without success. Two months may seem like a long time, but it saves a lot of stress in the long run. The SPCA recommends a similar time frame, and their website has good information on bringing a cat home (and introducing to other cats/dogs) - well worth a read. So don’t be frightened. The satisfaction of turning a tiny wild kitten into a loving household pet will be beyond rewarding. Contact CRW and get yourself a feline addition to your household.

yoga

Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean has come out swinging against Aurora Energy’s claims that power price rises for Otago residents will not be enough, saying residents in Central Otago and Wānaka should not have to sacrifice required upgrades to the Aurora network because of monetary constraints. Aurora damned the Commerce Commission after the release of a draft decision about pricing, saying the company’s ability to deliver its programme would be harmed and there would be risks to safety and reliability. Cross submissions released in recent days on Aurora Energy’s customised price-quality path highlight further issues, making a positive result harder to reach, Dean said. “The Queenstown Lakes District Council has raised concerns about the risk the area faces if required work programmes cannot be completed due to a shortfall in funds available. “We cannot sacrifice the security of a stable network because of a lack of funds, but we also cannot expect the residents of Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes to bear the burden of this cost.” The draft decision on Aurora Energy’s proposal to customise its prices and quality standards was released in November and the company provided formal feedback last month. If the status quo was maintained, Aurora could spend $523 million over five years to replace infrastructure and run its network, rather than the $609 million it wanted to recover from customers. The commission said it would allow $207 million of the $252 million Aurora wanted to spend on operating its network, and $315 million of the $356 million it proposed for capital expenditure Aurora has been accused of under-investing in

PHOTO: NZ Government.

Jacqui Dean: We cannot sacrifice the security of a stable network because of a lack of funds, but we also cannot expect the residents of Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes to bear the burden of this cost

its networks in the past. “While Aurora has indicated in its crosssubmission there will be changes to the proposed pricing from April this year, we still don’t know what this looks like,” Dean said “It is years of underinvestment which has left the network in its current state. “Last year, I wrote to the Dunedin City Council raising my concerns Aurora had been allowed to get itself in this position and asked the council if it would mitigate price rises and repay dividends it received from Aurora’s owner Dunedin City Holdings Ltd. “The council listed the work it had done to alleviate electricity costs for its residents and stated, “dividends are not the reason for the current state of the network.” “While we cannot change what has happened, we can ensure it does not happen again in the future. “In some part, Aurora and its owner need to front some of the required costs without putting the burden on its customers. “The $5 million fine which it paid to the Commerce Commission for its lack of investment in infrastructure could be a good starting point if it was allocated back to the company, to be spent on the network upgrade,” Dean said.

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THURSDAY 28.01.21 - WEDNESDAY 03.02.21

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New MAC principal gears up for term one Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

The new principal for Mt Aspiring College (MAC) Nicola Jacobsen is girding her loins for her first term in the role. Before her appointment to MAC she held positions at Pakuranga College and Botany Downs Secondary College. She is a graduate of the University of Canterbury and the Christchurch College of Education and completed a Master's degree from the University of Auckland in 2019. Ian Hall, Chairman of the Board, said at the time of her appointment Jacobsen was a positive step for MAC. "Nicola comes to the college with an impressive track record of effective educational leadership and strong academic credentials. The board was impressed by Nicola’s vision of a highperforming college that caters for the needs of all students," Hall said. "Nicola brings a fresh perspective, and she well understands the importance of strong community connections. We are confident that staff will respond positively to the ambitions that Nicola has for the college and its students," he said. “As a leader of teaching and learning, Nicola has a focus on personal excellence. Her ability to collaborate, problem-solve and critically analyse will be a significant asset to the college." Jacobsen talked to the Sun in this, the week before her first term as principal. 1) How do you see your first week (with the students back) going? What would you like to achieve in this first week? The first week at school is critical in terms of engaging students - it's key to set clear

MAC is heading into term one of 2021.

PHOTOS: Supplied

Nicola Jacobsen: My aspirations for the school are to ensure that all students can find what they need to be and feel successful in all senses - academic, cultural, arts, sporting and leadership.

expectations and form positive relationships so that students feel safe and can engage in their learning. As a principal, being visible in the classroom and during break times is a great way for me to set my expectations and form positive learning relationships.

2) What are your aspirations for the students of the school in 2021? Academic? Sporting? My aspirations for the school are to ensure that all students can find what they need to be and feel successful in all senses - academic, cultural, arts, sporting and leadership. Schools need to cater to all students - each student needs to feel as though they belong at school. My goal is that when students leave the college they are prepared for their next step, and have the skills and capabilities needed for their future pathway. 3)The school roll is growing and there are plans afoot to extend the school facilities. Will managing this be a large part of your role or will the board shoulder most of this? I see this as a partnership between the Board of Trustees, Ministry of Education and the college. 4) Do you have confidence in your staff 's

skills or are the areas you would like to develop? I have absolute confidence. There will always be focus points for professional development and learning for staff in any school. Through appropriate processes, the areas for development are identified and addressed, always with a focus on outcomes for students and our strategic goals. Our 2020 results are excellent - particularly NCEA level 2 (94 per cent pass rate) and Merit and Excellence endorsements. 5) What innovations do you want to introduce into the school? At this early stage in my role at the college I'm focused on our strategic plan; from this plan will come innovations - however, any innovation and change need to meet several criteria: it needs to be what is best for the students, and it needs to be sustainable.

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Sun News

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THE WCB WORD

A regular update from Wānaka Community Board Chair, Barry Bruce

PHOTO: stuff

Barry’s intro I’m delighted to welcome everyone into the new year and hope that you all enjoyed a safe holiday season. As we move through January, it has been great to see tourist numbers picking up and a range of fun activities taking place across the district. Looking ahead, there are a number of projects underway in the Upper Clutha. On behalf of the Wānaka Community Board, I’m pleased to share these with you and invite feedback through the channels outlined below. Hāwea Domain Reserve Management Plan Since its approval for notification by the Community Board on 3 December 2020, the draft Hāwea Domain Reserve Management Plan (RMP), is now available to be viewed and for your feedback. This is the first of its kind for this area and it has been designed to assist in the future management and development of this great recreation reserve. The vision is for Hāwea Domain to be a largescale open space recreation reserve serving the wellbeing of the Hāwea communities, residents of the wider district and visitors. As a large-scale open space comprising a combined area of approximately 44.35 hectares, this plan describes the general intentions for the use, maintenance, protection, preservation and development of Hāwea Domain. We’re inviting residents to consider this vision for the current and future use of Hāwea Domain and share your thoughts on it. Submissions close at 5.00pm on Sunday 7

March 2021. For more details and to check out the plan head to letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/haweadomain-rmp Recovery Resources As the effects of COVID-19 continue to have unprecedented impacts on the social and economic wellbeing of the district, I want to remind the community that QLDC is committed to facilitating conversations which give locals, community groups, businesses and investors the support in developing pathways for how we will collectively rebuild. If you are looking for help, have a great idea or are looking for work, take a look at our recovery programmes online at qldc.govt.nz/recovery Wānaka Community Board news We’ll be kicking off the new year with one of our Community “Pop In” sessions hosted by your friendly Community Board members on Wednesday 3 February, 12.00pm to 1.00pm at the Wānaka Recreation Centre. If you have any questions around these projects or any other topics of interest, drop by and join us for a chat over a cuppa and a biscuit. These drop-in sessions will take place on the first Wednesday of each month – keep your eye out as we’ll be changing things up this year with a mix of venues and timings. The Wānaka Community Board would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of Graeme Perkins who recently stepped down as Chair of the Luggate Association. After five years in the role, Graeme hands over to

Dave Hawkins but will continue to be actively involved with the Association. The Community Board members will be out at a range of local events coming up over

the next few months and we look forward to seeing you there as well. Good luck to our local athletes competing in the Lake Ruby Swim and in Challenge Wānaka!

PHOTO: Wānaka Sun

Prices are up for Wānaka’s first public paid car park, but the space at 8 Dungarvon Street has appeared to stand mostly empty since it opened last month. Queenstown Lakes District Council confirmed the car park was not council owned or run. Instead, it is operated by ParkMate. Pricing by phone or on the ParkMate app stood at $1 per hour, or $3 for 12 hours. ParkMate did not respond to a request for information on the decision to establish a site there.

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Sun Sport

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Feel good event for Aspiring Athletes

PHOTO: Roy Schott

Both athletes broke the record for the course - which Currie held from 2017 to 2020, when Smith took it over.

Down to the wire second place for Currie PHOTO: Supplied

14yr girls 4x100m relay team, left to right: Estelle Gellatly (14), Millie East (14), Amelia Knight (10), Amaya East (12).

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

The Aspiring Athletes Club returned from Nelson laden with medals after the South Island Colgate Games finished on January 17, after their team of 10 secured 16 top three finishes and plenty of personal bests. The Colgate Games have been running for over 50 years. Made up of two events, one in the North Island and one in the South Island, it’s the biggest athletics event for children, with the games attended by hundreds of athletes aged 7-14 years old. The event presents an opportunity for children to compete in a fun and encouraging environment. You don’t need to be selected or be a top athlete, though medals are awarded for 1014 year olds in each event. For 7-9 year olds, the focus is on participation. Jo Knight said Saxton Field, where the games were held, was an “excellent track and field facility,” and the team enjoyed “stunning weather for most of the Games- apart from torrential

downpour on Sunday morning.” “Our juniors - Charlise, Daisy, Harriet & Jared competed in their first Colgate Games. They were enthusiastic and had a great time competing in their events and soaking up the atmosphere. “The senior team (10-14yrs) came away with amazing results and medals.” Knight said the 14yr girls 4x100m relay was a “real feel good event,” with 10-year-old Amelia Knight and 12-year-old Amaya East stepping up to make up a team, who went on to place second. “They did so well to earn second place out of eight teams. Great sportsmanship from Estelle, Millie and Amaya in helping Amelia prepare for this event,” she said. The Aspiring Athletes Club offers competitive and non-competitive training and competition through a summer and winter programme. The Colgate Games team was made up of: Jarrod Enoka (7), Daisy Speak (8), Charlise Wyatt (8), Harriet Grant (8), Sienna Clark (10), Amelia Knight (10), Amaya East (12), Jimmy Knight (12), Estelle Gellatly (14), Millie East (14), and Team Manager Kath Nicholson.

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

It came down to 10 seconds and two recordbreaking under 3 hour 40 minute finishes for Wānaka’s multisport athlete Braden Currie and Taupō's Kyle Smith in Mount Maunganui on Saturday, when Currie placed second at the Tauranga Half. One of the longest running triathlon events in New Zealand, the event in Pilot Bay features a 2km swim, 90km bike and 21km run. Currie finished 10 seconds behind Smith with a time of 3:39:53, with both athletes breaking the record for the course - which Currie held from 2017 to 2020, when Smith took it over. Currie had been training in Hawke’s Bay for the event, following a second place finish to Smith at the Rotorua Suffer event just before Christmas, and gearing up for Ironman NZ in March. “I didn’t think I would be able to bring Kyle back on the run,” reflected Currie. “I had only managed to take 30 seconds out of him in the first lap and the last update I had at the turn-around had me 3 minutes behind. But I wanted to have a really good hit out today in the lead into Ironman NZ and my best training has often been hard racing. So, when I got to the last

Something on your mind? Join us on Wednesday 3 February between 12.00-1.00pm to talk through any local issues, no matter how big or small. Find us at Wānaka Recreation Centre on Sir Tim Wallis Drive.

PAGE 8

turn around point, I was still doing everything I could to not give any time away, especially in knowing that Jack Moody was chasing hard behind me. It wasn’t until I came off the Mount 500m from the finish line that I realized Kyle was just in front of me." Auckland-based Jack Moody finished close behind Smith and Currie in third. Currie said the event was “good fun” and it was “awesome to finish up with less than two minutes between all of us on the podium. “We are one of the few countries in the world right now to be hosting triathlon events and the depth of field here is pretty motivated. We are all out there to push each other and I think we all really appreciate having such a solid level of competition to keep us going.” Currie’s next event for the summer is Ironman New Zealand on March 6. “I haven’t had a great race at Ironman NZ yet, he said. “It will be my fourth time racing and even though I have had a win here before, I still find it hard to be in my best form in the NZ summer.” The event will be a little different this year; with a smaller field than normal due to the closed borders, the organisers have reformatted to a four-lap run course to keep spirits up by ensuring athletes are always surrounded by other athletes and spectators.

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GREBE DIARY 8

HIKING COLUMN

January 24, 2021

Sawpit Gully Track Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: John Darby

I have received very few sightings and recoveries of dead grebes over the last eight years, but amazingly little more than a week has passed since recovering one in Lake Wānaka and now another bird at Lake Hāwea. There is an air of improbability about the Hāwea find more particularly as to how it came to be found on a lawn at least 150 metres from the Hāwea lakefront. I received the carcase Sunday morning. It was far from fresh, I estimate that it probably died 4-6 weeks ago. It weighed just under 400g and was almost mummified. Given its condition, the prospects of a detailed necropsy were in doubt. But I thought to give it a go because obviously, the other question was how or why it had died. Rigour Mortis had well and truly set in and try to move any of its limbs was an impossibility unless I was prepared to break bones. In the past I had been exposed to these sorts of challenges, thus the first move was to relax the skeleton in hot water. I then took that a step further by using boiling water with the possibility of removing most of the feathers such that I could view the whole of the carcase. That worked pretty well and revealed that blood had pooled to the underside of the body. There was no obvious external injury, the skin appeared to be intact other than what may have been an insect entry engineered by a maggot. Removal of the skin confirmed that all the internal organs apart from the gizzard had pretty much disintegrated. What was very different was the damage that appeared to have occurred to the right rib cage. Once released from the skin it virtually fell apart, whereas the left side retained its normal structure. Additionally, the rib bone fragments were heavily stained dark compared to the left side, suggesting that pooled blood was

responsible for the staining. I will need to examine the bone fragments under a microscope to check whether the ribs were broken or disarticulated. The gizzard is of interest. It is a heavily muscled organ and its job is to reduce large food items to a more manageable size to enable digestion. It had retained its form and contents and I shall examine these in the coming week and report findings in next week’s diary. Earlier this week I was asked what was the difference between an autopsy and a necropsy. Autopsies are carried out on the human species and necropsies are the equivalent of autopsies carried out on all other animal species, mostly by vets. Back to the Wānaka Grebes. Nests 4 and 15 hatched five chicks between them this last week and nest 7 produced an additional two this last Sunday. Remaining nests to hatch are: Nest 10 Jan 25-26), N12 Jan 26-28), NRC Feb 3-5), (RC stands for Robinson Crusoe. It is the nest made entirely of driftwood) N6 Feb 4-6), N5 Feb 7-9), N3 Feb 9-11), N2 Feb 14-16. And to end on a high note, I received a text from a friend from inside Te Papa the National Museum of New Zealand. He was commenting on how wide the Wānaka grebes story has gone, having sighted the little display on the Wānaka birds tucked away in a corner of their newly opened hall of Natural History. Last year Te Papa put out a request to all and any group in New Zealand who were active in a citizen science conservation project on a native species to show in this new hall. We sent in an entry, all filmed on cell-phones. It was accepted largely due to a stellar performance by residents of the Sandford family together with the Wānaka grebes. – By John Darby

We decided we’d treat ourselves to a trip to Arrowtown this week for the Sawpit Gully Track (and, more importantly, the sensational lemon pepper fries from the Fork and Tap pub afterwards). This is a charming and underrated 8km loop starting from the carpark near the Chinese Settlement in Arrowtown by going over a footbridge that crosses the creek. It can be done in either direction, but a counterclockwise route is recommended due to a more gentle gradient. Of course, we didn’t know that at the time. It’s rated as an easy-medium, but if you want to make it a bit more of a workout, definitely do it in reverse. It was a fairly steep incline, but I maintain that our clockwise route was the better option. For one thing, it gets the hardest bit out of the way, and leaves the idyllic walk through the gully for the descent, when you’re happy you’re almost finished and on your way for chips. Secondly, the track through the gully follows

Almost everything that jazz should be and be celebrated came together at the Lake Wānaka Centre on Saturday evening, January 23 when the River City Jazzmen came to play a return concert. The audience was huge and well primed to support the players. The players looked so happy and relaxed it would have been easy to overlook the professionalism of the performance. Right from the incremental walk-on as the lead into "Bourbon Street Parade", the audience were taken on a delightful ramble from "St. Louis Street Blues" of 1914 up to Paul McCartney's "Honey Pie” of 1968 and from the American and British traditions to "Midnight in Moscow" by Russian writers. I won't mention players by name, they were all superb but if I had to pick a favourite moment, it would surely come from the piece "Big Noise From Winnetko" where the playing centred on a drum/bass duo but then the drummer started to move and transferred his drum stick rhythm to cymbals, the cymbal stand, a music stand, the sound reflecting panels (all five of them as he walked around behind), then to the acoustic bass itself until finally he wound up playing the

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bass strings while the bass player kept perfect synchrony with his finger work. Outstanding! My only reservation was that our large audience was, of necessity, kept passive. The previous evening the Jazzmen had played to a gala type evening in Roxburgh where many of that audience had danced and sung along to the music. Could it ever be considered that in future the society might combine with another group to enjoy these wonderful musicians in a more unconstrained atmosphere? – By Dennis Pezaro

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a beautiful stream and, at several points, crosses it. After all that rainfall, I was glad to be doing this section last; soggy feet with 6km still to go do not a happy hiker make. The optional short but sharp push up to the German Hill peak for panoramic views is absolutely worth it, and on a less windy day would make for a great picnic spot - but, as I may have mentioned once or twice, we had other plans for lunch.

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PAGE 9

Sun Farming

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Japanese import requirements threaten beekeepers livelihood Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Japan is warning it will stop importing New Zealand honey if it continues to find the weed killer glyphosate during border testing and this could have an impact on our local beekeepers. Japan is now testing all honey from New Zealand at the border, after it detected glyphosate for the second time through random testing. Glyphosate is the main ingredient in the common herbicide Roundup and other lookalike herbicides. It represents the most widely used herbicide nationally and globally. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has told the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) that if 5 per cent of imported honey exceeds its glyphosate limit, it will stop the honey coming into Japan. New Zealand's global honey exports totalled $490 million last year, with almost $68m of that sent to Japan. Steve Wootton of Taylor Pass Honey, Wānaka said that it was an issue that was affecting all beekeepers and that his crew “had been talking about it all morning.” The testing was costly and he wanted to see this reflected in the price paid to honey growers, he said. “I can understand that countries have their standards and that is fine, and also that New Zealand had to protect its clean, green image. We have to work with farmers to ensure this is maintained.” MPI food risk assessment manager at New Zealand Food Safety, Andrew Pearson said New Zealand honey exporters must test all honey they export to Japan for glyphosate to ensure it meets Japan’s maximum residue level for glyphosate (0.01mg/kg). Testing must be carried out in a laboratory approved to test for glyphosate in accordance with MPI’s requirements. If test results are not provided, MPI will not grant export certification for that consignment of honey. While there were no food safety concerns, Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association spokesperson John Rawcliffe was worried about the impact it could have on the industry's reputation. "We are noted as being clean, green and 100 per cent pure; our environment is what makes this honey sell and so we need to be very aware, conscious of it and actually deliver a product that meets those expectations," Rawcliffe said. "We've got a bit of work to do." Japan was a significant market that wanted the

best products, so the glyphosate detection was not a good look, he said. Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos said honey producers had been told about the new rules but many were already testing for glyphosate. “We hear increasing numbers of New Zealand honey producers have been testing for glyphosate. It’s been in the consumer arena for a few years now and there’s an understanding of the need to respond to consumer expectations. “While some countries we export to, like Europe and Japan, have established Maximum Residue Limits around glyphosate residues set in place, Japan is the only one that has implemented 100 per cent testing requirement at their borders,” Kos said. “This is a serious issue for our industry and while honey producers are managing it through testing to meet the requirements, it’s not going to go away and we believe it needs a national and joint primary sector and government focus. While we have started the conversation with other primary sector groups and gone out proactively to them and to regional and local councils (as outlined above), we need to take it further and look at involving government agencies, like MPI and EPA as well.” Both the UMF Honey Association and Apiculture New Zealand wanted a wider discussion about glyphosate use in New Zealand and using alternatives instead. "We certainly started that conversation, we went out to regional councils, we worked with Federated Farmers to get the message out to landowners, we've also done some education through conversations with beekeepers so it is an ongoing conversation," Kos said. "It is something that consumers are becoming aware of and we do take it seriously." Pearson said New Zealand Food Safety concluded the IARC data did not indicate any credible risk to users of the weedkiller or to consumers of produce with residues of glyphosate in compliance with New Zealand's maximum residue levels. "For a real-world example, a five-year-old child who was consuming honey with the default maximum residue level in New Zealand would need to eat roughly 230kg of honey every day for the rest of their life to reach the World Health Organisation acceptable daily intake for glyphosate," he said. An MPI report, from the National Chemical Residues Programme, and published in January 2020, revealed officials have been testing NZ

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honey for the weed-killer for years. Their first round of testing took place in 2015 and 2016 and saw 300 mostly raw and unprocessed samples gathered from all over the country. They later found 67 of them, or 22.3 per cent, contained small traces of glyphosate and five of those, or 1.7 per cent, were over our regulatory limits. A second test, conducted in 2018 and 2019, found traces in 11 of 60 packaged mānuka honey products available openly for sale. Officials said there was no food safety risk but admitted in a ministerial briefing document that the contamination was a “possible trade risk”. “This is because most countries importing honey from New Zealand have no maximum residue limit (MRL), generally meaning that residues must not be detected at any level,” the document reads.

“Beekeepers also have little practical means of excluding bees from foraging on plants treated with glyphosate,” it reads. “To do so would require the beekeeper to place their hives at the centre of [a] 28 square kilometre area, where they had assurance from landowners and managers there was no agricultural compound use.” Tim Wood of Lindis Honey, Cromwell said he had never had glyphosate in their honey, which was tested by the honey packers that bought it. “We have all our honey tested – it's costly,” he said. “I think this issue needs to be sorted out. I think it’s totally ridiculous that it’s always in the media. The levels they are finding are still way below the World Health Organisation standards. You would have to eat 230kg of honey a day for it to even breach the recommended standard.”

New Zealand honey exports to Japan are in jeopardy as the country puts restrictions on glyphosate.

PHOTOS: Supplied

New Zealand's global honey exports totalled $490 million last year, with almost $68m of that sent to Japan.

Both the UMF Honey Association and Apiculture New Zealand wanted a wider discussion about glyphosate use in New Zealand and using alternatives instead.

PAGE 10

THURSDAY 28.01.21 - WEDNESDAY 03.02.21

THE WĀNAKA SUN

thewanakasun.co.nz

Sun Farming

Community water storage must be a higher priority

PHOTO: Supplied

John McRae, steward of Glendhu Station.

High Country farming with a difference Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTO: Federated Farmers

Chris Allen: With what falls from the sky we could certainly have water certainty for our whole community, and as the examples show we do not have to reinvent the wheel, just look at what works and get on with it in other parts of the country.

Covid 19 has changed the landscape for any organisation working in events making collaborative approaches a sensible option in these uncertain times, said the owner of Glendhu Station, John McRae. The 1359 property, adjacent the Glendhu Bay campground, which runs 250 head of Angus cattle, was only too happy to offer space to the Challenge Wānaka Sports Trust to enable it to utilise the natural resources of Glendhu Bay. Also collaborating with Glendhu Stations business partners Bike Glendhu and neighbours at the Glendhu Camping ground they allowed the hard-working crew of Integrity Homes Challenge Wānaka an opportunity to ensure the event could happen this year. Participants in the Challenge event will traverse the tracks of Bike Glendhu as part of the running leg. Events fit perfectly with the station owner’s family business vision. This vision seeks to ensure the working farms natural and unique

environment can be used to inspire positive life change in the local community for many years to come. Events are part of the fabric of Glendhu Station including a thriving wedding and events venue in the historic woolshed and a longstanding relationship with the Macpac Motatapu mountain biking event. The paddock opposite the camping ground provides ample space for event organisers to coordinate parking and an efficient start to the races. This paddock has also been home to Lake Wānaka Soundz February Tuki events in 2018 and 2020. McRae said; “We love nothing better than being able to provide space for like-minded community members to come together and participate in something they love and that enables them to do something positive for their health. We are very lucky to have so many dedicated hard-working people in our community determined to provide quality events despite the challenges a global pandemic has bought. We love being a part of that spirit.”

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Chris Allen: With incredible examples like Opuha Water and the Kerikeri Irrigation programme providing us with a base model to follow, we do not have to re-invent the wheel.

We cannot control the weather but we can make the most of it and catch rainfall when we can. The heavy rain in the south of the country in early January saw two very different reactions: Despair from the holiday-makers trying to take a break from the year we’d had, through to joy and relief from many farmers because the economic pressure of a prolonged dry is very real. But rewind 12 months….it was a very different story. Farmers shuffling hay and straw around the country; serious anxiety with farmers and rural communities concerned about stock and crops; stock unable to get processed because the processors did not have adequate water. And remember all the work that was put in by rural support trusts and rural businesses, and the stress and constraints on residents and businesses in Auckland as municipal reservoirs got down to low levels not seen in many years. Other towns and cities have also been under pressure because of dwindling reservoirs and rivers in low ebb. Now here we are again, what are we going to do about it? Have we learnt anything? And if water falls from the sky, why do we not have more community water security? For river ecology, and to create certainty and resilience in the entire food chain, local community water solutions should be a priority. Unless we grab the opportunity now, we will continue to see the harsh impact across our

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country from water shortages and this is simply unnecessary. Imagine the opportunities for us all if we invest in our future security. We'd have more time to plan for the less stressful things. I really hope that our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and government agencies like the Ministry for the Environment take heed of the working examples across New Zealand that have long proved effective and generally been led by the community. With incredible examples like Opuha Water and the Kerikeri Irrigation programme providing us with a base model to follow, we do not have to re-invent the wheel. We must focus on enabling functions, not taking an overly prescriptive and oppressive approach to our future security. In some regions, aquifer recharge – capturing some of the water that rages in winter and storing it underground – has real potential. With what falls from the sky we could certainly have water certainty for our whole community, and as the examples show we do not have to reinvent the wheel, just look at what works and get on with it in other parts of the country. Federated Farmers will continue to champion the need for catchment-based approaches to community water security in 2021. – By Chris Allen, Federated Farmers water and environment spokesperson

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PAGE 11

Sun Views

EDITORIAL

A year on in Wānaka Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

It's coming up to a year now since I moved from Christchurch down to Wānaka to take on the job as editor of the Wānaka Sun. The year has gone in a flash and what a year it has been- like no other. I'd only been in the job maybe three weeks when we went into lockdown. This was sprung on us in very little time, but the owner of the paper, Aaron predicted it maybe a couple of weeks before it happened. When he mentioned this to me at the time, I dismissed it- there was no way this could happen in New Zealand, but of course, it did, and with it the fall out of being confined to our homes for the next seven weeks. With the lockdown came the plight of the RSE workers, and the scramble from the QLDC to help them sustain a livelihood- something for which I have nothing but praise. Praise also for the many volunteers who sprung into action to organise this. Putting out a paper during lockdown was challenging- there wasn't a lot of news and everyone was at home and incommunicado. I did a story on what people were doing with themselves during the lockdown and this was most enjoyable. Somehow we managed to get out a 12-page paper for the next six weeks even if it was a digital version. Several other events have happened over the past year that have stuck in my mind. There was/is the airport furore of course, and the strident backlash to this proposal. It

seems the naysayers got the most coverage. There was not a lot of coverage for those who thought the airport development could be a positive thing. This puzzled me somewhat and I must apologise to this quota for not covering them properly. Then of course out of nowhere came the proposal for an airport at Tarras. Even if this never happens it has been a huge upheaval for the people of this small community. Maybe something will come of it in ten years. Maybe it will come to nothing and the land bought by Christchurch Airport will be sold back to the farmers. On a positive note, Sounds Air is now flying direct into Christchurch return and by all accounts, this is going well for them. Not to have to negotiate the hill to Queenstown to fly out is a huge boon for the district. And there has been the debate over a birthing unit to service Wānaka- but it seems this has had a good outcome. And the Aurora price hikes- yet to have a good outcome. There is a heap more stuff that has happened, but these are what stick in my mind. So my year in Wānaka has been memorable. I will always remember it as the year I was in lockdown. Wānaka is expensive and wealthyyes. It blows a lot- that drives me nuts. It is really busy, even without the overseas tourists. But it is a beautiful location and in only five minutes one can be away from the busyness, the traffic, the wealth and up the valley and into the mountains.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Speed limits We are getting used to the 40 km/h limits and I guess the fines will keep us in line as well, while keeping the police from doing some worthwhile work. I read an article in the Wānaka Sun (p3) where you (Calum McLeod) claim that the difference between the old and new speed limits according to your measurement “makes only 11 seconds difference in driving between Beacon Point and the Marina”. As an engineer, numbers always intrigue me, so here goes: 40 km/h equates to 11.11 metres per second; so to travel 1 km takes 90.01 seconds and 50 km/h equates to 13.89 metres per second; so to travel 1 km takes 71.99 seconds. The difference between the speeds is 2.78 metres per second; so it takes 18.02 seconds longer to cover 1 km at 40 km/h than at 50. Beacon Point to Marina (measured on a map) is 2.77 km. This means, even under ideal conditions, the time difference over the distance you cite would be 2.77 x 18.02 = 49.92 seconds or almost a minute, not 11 seconds as you say. Otherwise put, the difference is 4.54 times longer than your claim to cover this distance, or on a total distance 249.33 seconds vs 199.45 seconds over 2.77 km which means 25 per cent longer on the base time. Fundamentally it takes 25 per cent longer at 40 than at 50 to cover the same distance even without all the maths above; I just proved it over the distance you cited. So, this is my latest comment – if the same type of rigour was followed in the decision to go to 40 km/h, I would keep questioning the motivations given for this move. You also now mention 30 km/h special speed zones at schools, which I fully support if children are around during pick-up and drop off. But all day 24/7 smacks of another carpet-bomb decision based on some intuition or Trumpist “alternate facts” rather than sound reasoning. This will in the end serve more to fill police ticket books and irritate the people who either vote or, as you mentioned at one point should move from Wānaka if we do not like how the QLDC dictates (my interpretation) the way the place is run. Rational people will agree if accurate facts are given, not feel-good hearsay or alternative facts. Piet Beukman

And speed limits again... Deputy mayor Calum McLeod is loud in his praise for the lower speed limits in the wider Wānaka urban area, with particular reference to outlying areas such as Beacon Point Road. He quotes the police mantra of "the lower the speed the less the damage". This emotional appeal sounds good on the face of it, but it fails to get to grips with real events. Is the lower speed limit on Beacon Point Road (and other similarly affected arterial routes) actually going to save any lives or serious injuries? How many serious injury events have taken place on these particular roads in the past five years or so? If there were any, what were the causes? (Was the primary cause speed, or alcohol, or inattention, or some other reason?). If there weren't any, then there is no actual evidence to show that the lower speed limits on these roads are going to make any difference to road injury damage at all. It is tempting I am sure for Calum McLeod to say well, if there was a crash then it would cause less damage at 40kph than at 50kph. Perhaps true, but such logic would infer that the speed limits on all our roads should be drastically reduced to a limit of something like 40kph. This is clearly a silly proposition which might, if people could ever be persuaded to comply with such a rule, actually reduce some road carnage, but would generate a huge amount of carnage of a different kind. Therefore, in order to actually have a meaningful impact on reducing the road toll you have to deal in facts and evidence, statistics and real events. Emotional appeal achieves nothing. The other thing you have to do is to get buy in from road users, otherwise you are going to get neither widespread compliance nor attitudinal change towards driving behaviour, both of which are critical in achieving reduced road toll. Turning to our new lower speed limits in the Wānaka area, I am all in favour of the new 40kph within the general CBD area on account of traffic and pedestrian density etc., but as to areas such as Beacon Point Road it just doesn't make much sense. And am I right in recalling that the majority of submissions received by Council were not in favour? Finally Callum, your calculation that it takes only an additional eleven seconds to travel Beacon Point Road at the lower limit is not correct. The distance is three kilometres, and the extra time taken is fifty-four seconds. I think your comments on this subject would be more productive if you actually put some effort into making it safer for our cyclists by working hard towards creating some more dedicated cycle lanes in the town rather that simply saying "they are not going to happen''. And I mean cycle lanes that are wide enough to actually give some comfort and security to both cyclists and vehicle drivers, as compared to hazardous bare minimum road and cycle lane widths which prevail through Sir Tim Wallace Drive in Three Parks. And please get some real evidential material before you advance any further your sixty kph hobby horse for the Crown Range Road. Andrew Millar

THURSDAY 28.01.21 - WEDNESDAY 03.02.21

THE WĀNAKA SUN

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Calum’s response You have me there sir. I believe when I was being interviewed by the Wānaka Sun I did mention that the difference on this drive amounted to ‘seconds’. I may have said 11. I cannot recall the exact number. I had no intention to deceive. My apologies. For the record I do not subscribe to feel-good hearsay or alternative facts. I never claimed that the time was a definitive number. Thank you for your attention to detail. I will use 50 seconds from now on. I have to note 50 seconds over 2.77 kms [Your data] - which in reality is almost as far as one can drive in the Wānaka township area - is not really a hugely significant amount of time to surrender in order to encourage a safer environment for ALL road users. I would also note that all of the other data I gave to you for the reasoning behind the decision still stands. • The stopping distances are significantly reduced travelling at 40 versus 50 km/h • The survival rates from being hit are significantly increased at 40 versus 50 km/h • NZTA has a policy to reduce speeds across the country As I mentioned in my original response to you, Waka Kotahi NZTA do provide guidance through their Speed Management Guide and infrastructure risk rating tool. This is a national framework to help Councils make informed, accurate and consistent speed management decisions in their communities – you can read about it on their website; https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/speed-management-resources/ • The safety of the pedestrians and cyclists - noting the explosion in cycling we have experienced nationally since the onset of C19 - is improved • The safety of pedestrians being improved • The impact on the planet is reduced • Those people who were driving at 55 km/h will now hopefully be driving at 45km/h As to the fines I will check in with NZ Police to see if there has indeed been a significant increase. I am not aware of any significant increases. As to NZ Police doing “... other worthwhile work ...” [Your words] I for one have enormous respect for our brothers and sisters in uniform. I firmly believe that ALL of the work they do is worthwhile! Including keeping us safe on our roads. With regard to 30 km/h around schools I raised this in my initial reply to you. Do kids actually know the difference between pick up time and lunchtime? Or between drop off time and morning or afternoon breaks? Why is it OK to drive past men in high-visibility uniforms working on roadworks at 30 - which we all tend to do nowadays - but then past a school, outside of a couple of hours a day, at 40, 50, 80 or even 100 km/h if you are passing Hawea Flat Primary or a school on a rural road! NB - Universal Developments are proposing a second primary school at Hawea. I believe this was potentially located on Cemetery Road - an 80 km/h environment. I think I know how the parents of these kids would respond to a reduced speed environment all day during school hours. I however, as always, am retaining an open mind. As I mentioned in my previous reply to you this part of the review is scheduled for this year. It will also be subject to a similar process to the speed limit by law. You are welcome to disparage the process however the Special Consultative Procedure QLDC uses is a prescribed process under S82, 82A, 83, 83AA etc of the Local Government Act 2002. The process is the process. https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0084/latest/whole. html#DLM172327 As to moving from Wānaka that is an often mis-quoted phrase. I have never used the term ‘...should move from Wānaka if you do not like how the QLDC dictates the place it runs...’. Your interpretation is - for want of a better description - an alternative fact and I respectfully decline any response. I trust that this explains my position. In conclusion I used ‘seconds’ as a global description. It was not my intention to mislead. Thank you for your attention to detail. I will use 50 seconds from now on. Calum McLeod

PHOTO: Supplied

Creepy Santa, who was destined for a Wānaka Museum, has made the trip down from Auckland, only to languish in a gravel pit. Santa was shifted to Wānaka's National Transport and Toy Museum in November of last year after museum owner Jason Rhodes bought him for $1 from Auckland's Heart of the City organisation. The museum confirmed with the Sun that they “still had plans for Santa.” He needs a new coat of paint before he is put on show and is stored outside because of his size, it said.

THE WĀNAKA SUN