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New snow toys
Community mourns
Charlotte Trundle
page 3
The days are getting shorter and colder and Wanaka snow resorts are preparing for the winter season with some new developments. A new platter tow will access the Olympic and international halfpipes at Cardrona Alpine Resort this season. Cardrona sales and marketing manager Nadia Ellis said this is fantastic news for top winter athletes and experienced snow lovers. “It’s going to mean super fast laps and no more hiking for these guys,” she said.
Glorious page 4
A new state of the art “Sunkid” surface conveyor lift has also been installed at the resort to improve accessibility and ease of learning for beginners. Across the road at Snow Park a partnership with world renowned halfpipe and terrain park builder John Melville of Development Snowparks has been announced. John will be responsible for managing, building and maintaining Snow Park’s terrain park. “It’s great to be taking on a new challenge on home soil, and I’m looking forward
Action or apathy? Sue Wards
Beauty from within page 5
Trekking tales page 8
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Organisers of the Queenstown Lakes District ‘shaping our future’ forums promise the process will be more than a talkfest, but will the public get involved? The ‘shaping our future’ forums will build on the guidelines from the 2020 consultation process which took place in 2002. QLDC Mayor Vanessa Van Uden described the new forums as a giant fishing expedition. “Who knows what gems of great ideas will come out of it?” she said. “We have the ability to define our future without paying people from Australia and Auckland to tell us how.” The Wanaka Sun asked people around town if they knew about the forums and if they were keen to be involved. Reactions
were mixed, with some people recalling the 2020 consultation process as “just a talkfest” and others as a positive exercise. Few had heard of the new forums. The QLDC are joined in the ‘shaping our future’ forums by the Wanaka and Queenstown Chambers of Commerce, Lake Wanaka Tourism and Destination Queenstown. A voluntary steering group will run the forums, the first of which looks at the district’s economic future. “We hope to roll out other forums such as tourism, health and social services, affordability, heritage and environmental protection,” steering group spokesperson David Kennedy said. Wanaka Wastebusters manager Sue Coutts, who is also a member of the steering group, said it was
important people attend the forums whether or not they have fully-formed ideas. “Having lots of different perspectives will make it a stronger process,” she said. She hopes people will approach the economic forum in a broad sense: “How we can make a good life for ourselves in this place.” There is no predetermined outcome to the forums, the Mayor said. Ideas will be gathered and fine-tuned and recommendations made to relevant groups, such as government, developers and community groups. The first two-hour forum will take place at the Lake Wanaka Centre next Tuesday from 4-6pm. Another will follow at Edgewater Resort on May 19. TXT THE WANAKA SUN
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to a long term future at Snow Park NZ,” John said. Snow Park are also upgrading their rails and boxes. Opening day for Snow Park is scheduled for June 11, Cardrona for June 24 and Treble Cone for June 23. The Snow Farm will open as soon as they have sufficient snow.
Freeskier Jossi Wells watches younger brother Byron hitting the pipe at Cardrona Alpine Resort. PHOTO: ATOMIC SKIS
Will you get involved in the Shaping Our Future forums? “I would love to get involved in this but this is the first I’ve ever heard about it. You do need to find out what people think, until you know that you can’t put any plan into action.”
Cherilyn Walthew.
“I like the concept of it because it’s open for anyone. But personally it would have to be something I was really passionate about to go along to.”
Emily Larrivee.
“I haven’t heard enough about it and don’t know what it’s about. They should have posted a flyer through each shop door. I don’t like being ruled by Queenstown. But I think it’s a good idea, because experts from out there don’t know what problems we’re having here.”
“English Bob” Wren.