Wānaka news and information service, the Wānaka App, has been acknowledged at the Wānaka Business Excellence Awards, winning the Excellence in Professional Services category at a gala dinner on Saturday November 9.

Wānaka App director Tony O’Regan said it was a win for the community.

“We’re very fortunate to live in a community that cares deeply about its wellbeing,” Tony said.

“It is reflected in the engagement we get with local news stories and local information.”

The Wānaka App is a digital-only publisher, distributing to a mobile app, website, and weekly newsletter.

Tony said more than 220,000 people read the Wānaka App in the past 12 months recording 1.5M reader sessions and 8.8M page views.

“The reach is amazing but our real focus is on the Upper Clutha community and ensuring it has a strong local news source,” Tony said.

“It was a real thrill that the judges acknowledged the work our team does and how important local news is.”

Learn about all the award winners at the Wānaka Business Excellence Awards here.

A key contributor to the Wānaka App’s award, judges said, was the innovative software solution it developed to distribute content to readers. The software is designed as a “software as a service” (SaaS) platform and licensed to other local community news services in New Zealand and Australia.

“The software is a great opportunity for us to share what is working in local news and help other publishers have success in their market,” Tony said.

This is the third time the Wānaka App has been recognised at the Wānaka Business Excellence Awards winning Outstanding Innovators in 2017 and Outstanding in Innovation in 2019.

The Wānaka App launched in 2016.

PHOTO: Sarginson Photography