What started as a homesick craving for fresh pasta has turned into Wānaka’s newest eatery.Fresca Pasta Kitchen opened its doors just days ago with an all-day menu celebrating fresh pasta, plus a range of sides, snacks, sandwiches and treats.Owners Luciana Garcia and Ignacio Sande, who have backgrounds in sports management, are brand new to the food industry, but pasta has always been a taste of home for the couple.“We grew up in Uruguay, which has a really strong Italian heritage,” Luciana told the Wānaka App. “Over there, you can buy fresh pasta on every second block.“Fresh pasta is about family and simplicity and getting together. It’s something we really missed.”After 11 years in Invercargill, the couple moved to Wānaka in 2021. A business course helped shape their plan for the eatery and their home kitchen became their test lab.“For the last two and a half years we have been experimenting and filling the freezer with pasta,” Luciana said.‘Pasta crew’ member Jesica Pedrocca with some freshly made pasta.The aim was to recreate what they missed from home - fresh, reasonably priced pasta people can enjoy in the eatery or at home - and fill the gap between supermarket pasta and a more expensive restaurant experience.Ignacio said they fine-tuned the menu with help from an Auckland-based chef, and when the premises - formerly Ritual Cafe - became available, they jumped at the opportunity.Pasta and sauces are made fresh each morning and in the first days since opening many have sold out by midday.Luciana said the pair have been overwhelmed with the level of local support for their new venture. She said the feedback so far had been “great”.“Pasta is something simple that most people love,” Luciana said. Fresca Pasta Kitchen is open 8am-8pm, seven days a week, at 18 Helwick Street.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Central Otago District Council has signed off a land access agreement with Santana Minerals for the proposed Bendigo-Ophir gold project that includes a million-dollar-plus annual payment to ratepayers.The agreement, approved by elected members during a closed section of the council’s first meeting of the year on Wednesday (January 28), relates solely to access over council-owned roads under the Crown Minerals Act and does not constitute approval of mining activity.It covers access along Thomsons Gorge Road and the Shepherds Creek paper road, including a 20-metre corridor on either side of those routes.In a statement on Monday announcing the agreement, CODC chief executive Peter Kelly said the council was required, as a landowner, to consider and negotiate access arrangements where appropriate, but stressed it stopped short of providing green light for the mine itself.“Approving this agreement provides clarity around access arrangements, but it does not predetermine whether the mine will proceed,” Peter said.“That decision sits with the relevant consenting and regulatory processes.”Any future road stopping would still require approval under the Public Works Act or the Local Government Act.If any roads were stopped, replacement routes would be constructed to ensure continued public access.Alongside access arrangements, the agreement sets out a community funding framework that would apply only if the project was ultimately consented and developed.Under the agreement, Santana Minerals would make an annual payment of $1.25M to the council, indexed to CPI, starting six months after commercial gold production began.The funding would be ring-fenced, administered by the council, and reported separately in its annual accounts.Mayor Tamah Alley said the agreement ensured the district would receive a clear and transparent return from the use of council land if the project went ahead.“This agreement ensures that if the project goes ahead, the Central Otago community receives tangible, long-term benefits, while maintaining transparency and public accountability,” Tamah said.She said the council had not taken a position for or against the proposed mine.“We acknowledge our community holds a wide range of views. Our focus is on ensuring decisions are made objectively, lawfully, and with full consideration of the information available,” she said.Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring said finalising the agreement resolved a long-standing statutory requirement in a “pragmatic” manner.“[It] provides durable clarity around roading and access arrangements, and establishes a transparent framework for long-term community benefit,” he said.“It allows the project to progress in an orderly and disciplined way through the fast-track process, without pre-empting the outcome of that decision.”However, local mine opposition group Sustainable Tarras is criticising the "behind closed doors" manner in which the agreement was reached."We've been in discussion with CODC on this very issue for well over six months. It's complex and has huge implications for the local community, including significant numbers of people who use these roads," the group said in a statement on Monday."We believe there are considerable legal pitfalls to granting access, and we have repeatedly pointed these out to CODC and cautioned them to take time to consult, consider the consequences and involve the wider community."Today, in announcing this behind-closed-doors decision, they've made it clear that community is secondary to their private negotiations with Santana."The Bendigo-Ophir project is a proposed large-scale gold mine in the Dunstan Mountains near Cromwell and Tarras, now under consideration through the government’s fast-track approvals process.The mining company said the site represents the largest gold discovery in New Zealand in more than 40 years, and its mine would be expected to produce 120,000 ounces annually at peak production, for 14 years, if developed.

The second stage of the Alpine Meadows development is in progress, with a resource consent application lodged for almost four dozen new residential lots, which will add more homes to the fast growing ‘South Wānaka’ area.The 42.2 hectare Alpine Meadows stretches from behind the Ballantyne Road industrial area through to Orchard Road and, once completed, the development will feature 370 homes.It is surrounded by other new residential subdivisions: Heritage Park, Alpine Estates and Orchard Park are all in close proximity and in varying stages of completion.Stage two of Alpine Meadows is billed to feature 45 residential lots and two industrial lots.The second stage of the development, a joint venture between Willowridge Development and Orchard Road Holdings, will provide the “missing piece” of the roading network in the area, according to application documents.It will “connect Cardrona Valley Road with Ballantyne Road through an extension of Avalon Station Drive, as well as providing another connection from Deans Drive to Avalon Station Drive”.Ten sections are proposed to be 600m2, smaller than the low density residential zone provides for, but “consistent with the minimum lot size for surrounding development occurring under the PDP”, application documents said.Alpine Meadows fits within Wānaka’s southwestern boundary as described by the 2021 spatial plan, which said Wānaka’s growth should be contained and consolidated within the boundaries of the two rivers, the Clutha and the Cardrona.Queenstown Lakes District Council is considering the Alpine Meadows stage two application.PHOTO: Wānaka App

The colder and wetter than usual summer this year is having an impact on the growth of fruit and resulting in a slightly later harvest for grapes.Central Otago Winegrowers Association general manager Carolyn Murray said overall vine health across Central Otago is excellent, despite the season being marked by continuous rainfall. “Yields are tracking small to average, with a smaller regional crop expected and smaller berry size,” she told the Wānaka App.“Quality is looking very promising, though we're hoping for a warm and dry February and March. She said the harvest is shaping up to be “slightly later overall”.A market update for Central Otago showed growing conditions were slower than usual for summer fruit.“Central Otago GDDs [growing degree days] are falling further behind normal,” Summerfruit NZ communications manager Andrew Bristol said.Last week’s rain in Central Otago has led to some quality issues for apricots, but mostly the fruit is looking good, he said.“Demand for Central Otago nectarines is strong, but maturation is slow.”He said poor weather has also diminished demand for cherries.“Fresh cherries will be available into the first week of February, but that might be the end for this season,” Andrew said.The peach harvest is producing more volume, but Central Otago volumes for plums are still light.But in good news for greengage fans, those fruit are just a week or so away, Andrew said.MetService told the Wānaka App that the forecast is looking “a bit drier” for February.Read more: Outlook for February: spring turns to summer

Residents have objected in numbers to a proposed Super Liquor store on Ardmore Street, lodging almost 40 objections in less than 24 hours - echoing the pushback over a similar store recently approved in Lake Hāwea.The Gate Ltd has applied for an alcohol licence for the store, to be located at the former Countdown Wānaka Metro site, with trading hours from 9am to 10pm, seven days a week. Community member Lisa Riley told the Wānaka App the objections had flowed in quickly since she, alongside other residents and the organisation Communities Against Alcohol Harm, shared an online form designed to simplify the objection process.Objections had been few prior to this - at last count around a week ago, the application had attracted only four, according to Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).If the Ardmore Street application is approved, it would be the fourth dedicated liquor store on the street, joining Wānaka Liquorland, Betty’s Liquor Store, and Bottle-O Store Wānaka.Lisa said the opposition to the Super Liquor was “not about being anti-business or anti-choice”.“It’s about recognising that Wānaka already has a high concentration of alcohol outlets, and the evidence is very clear: more stores equals more harm.”Lisa said she knew “from experience” that the alcohol licensing process can be intimidating for community members. She led community opposition to the application for the Lake Hāwea Super Liquor, which was approved earlier this month, despite receiving 542 objections.Read more: Longview liquor store approved, appeal to followIn its decision on the Lake Hāwea Super Liquor, the District Licensing Committee (DLC) acknowledged the “record high” number of objections, but said the prospective risk of alcohol harm specific to the Lake Hāwea application was “minimal”.Lisa has indicated an appeal to that decision is coming.As for the Ardmore Street application, she called on expressions of interest from community members who wish to act as primary objectors or help others lodge their objections, and offered to provide guidance or support on lodging objections.Residents have until February 9 to submit objections and interested members of the public can request a copy of the alcohol licence application from QLDC before then.IMAGE: Supplied

Wānaka-based travel broker Rebecca (Becs) Laker has been appointed the new business development manager for World Travellers Christchurch City and World Travellers Wānaka, effective from January 19, 2026.Becs steps into the newly created role after building a successful travel business in Wānaka since joining World Travellers as a broker in 2022. She brings more than 13 years’ experience in the travel industry, alongside two decades in sales-based, customer-focused roles.Her new position will see her providing practical support to World Travellers’ broker teams, who are spread from Northland to Otago, helping them grow their individual businesses. The role also includes recruiting new brokers to join the boutique travel company.“Becs has demonstrated a level of professional business acumen that will lead our brokers to higher levels of success in their respective businesses going forward,” World Travellers managing director Larry Lumsden said. “We are delighted to welcome Becs into this strategic new role.”Becs has worked across both corporate and retail travel, as well as travel recruitment, and is expected to play a key part in strengthening World Travellers’ South Island presence.PHOTO: Supplied

Four objections have been lodged to a proposed Super Liquor on Ardmore Street.The Gate Ltd has applied for an alcohol licence to operate the store at the former Countdown Wānaka Metro site, with trading hours proposed from 9am to 10pm, seven days a week. If approved, it would become the fourth dedicated liquor store on Ardmore Street, joining Wānaka Liquorland, Betty’s Liquor Store, and Bottle-O Store Wānaka.Four Square Wānaka, across the road, also sells beer and wine.A Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) spokesperson confirmed earlier this week that four objections had been received on the application.By comparison, a Super Liquor in Lake Hāwea accumulated 542 objections, many citing concerns about alcohol-related harm in the small subdivision of Longview. That application eventually went to a hearing last November and was approved by the District Licensing Committee earlier this week.Read more: Longview liquor store approved, appeal to followIt is not yet clear if a hearing will be required for the Wānaka proposal. As little as one objection can trigger a hearing, provided it is not withdrawn, deemed vexatious, or the objector chooses to be heard.Residents have until February 9 to submit objections and interested members of the public can request a copy of the alcohol licence application from QLDC before then.PHOTO: Supplied

At least one local household is settling into life with a new canine companion after the landlord and tenant reached an agreement under new government rules making rentals more pet-friendly.The new rules, introduced in December, mean landlords can now only refuse a tenant’s request for a pet under ‘reasonable’ conditions, while an additional bond of up to two weeks’ rent provides certainty to property owners.Home & Co director Colleen Topping said her tenants are now enjoying life with their new dog after agreeing to install some temporary fencing and topping up their bond.She said this was a “sensible” outcome which worked for both parties.The long-running property management company started educating its landlords a few months ago on the changes, but Colleen said they “haven’t had an influx” of pet requests - at least so far.Until recently, most landlords had been reluctant to allow pets, she said.“I think there still are quite a lot that prefer not to have pets but they realise the reality of the law change.”Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT), which provides affordable homes for low-to-middle income earners in the district, has welcomed the new rules.“The new pet bond scheme… protects landlords while recognising that renters deserve animal companions too,” the trust said.QLCHT said it had always been reasonable about pets in its homes “because we know what they mean to people’s wellbeing”.Meanwhile, the government described the new rules as “win-win”.“The changes reflect the government’s focus on practical, balanced solutions that support both renters and property owners,” associate housing minister Tama Potaka said.The new rules include that:Tenants must have the landlord’s consent to keep a pet but landlords can only withhold consent on reasonable grounds.Landlords may require a pet bond up to two weeks’ rent, in addition to the existing general tenancy bond.Tenants will be liable for all pet damage to properties beyond fair wear and tearTenancy Services will enable lodgement, top-ups and refunds of pet bonds and will provide updated guidance and forms ahead of commencement.Tenants who had pets before December 1 2025 will not need new consent or be required to pay bonds.Find more information, for both renters and landlords, about the new rules, here.PHOTO: Wānaka App

A new McDonald’s restaurant has been approved for Three Parks, advancing a proposal that has been closely watched since an earlier bid for the fast-food chain to establish a restaurant at the base of Mount Iron was turned down.Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) senior planner Ian Bayliss has granted non-complying resource consent for a 450.4m² restaurant and 24-hour drive-through on Sir Tim Wallis Drive, entirely within the Business Mixed Use-zoned portion of the site.​Ian said the Three Parks location, design changes and technical work meant the latest proposal met the Resource Management Act tests for a non-complying activity.“The proposal will enable commercial activities that serve the needs of the community and will contribute to a well‑functioning urban environment,” he said, referencing consistency with the National Policy Statement on Urban Development. He also concluded the restaurant “will maintain existing amenity values and the quality of the environment,” with adverse effects avoided, remedied or mitigated through consent conditions.The proposed site layout next to the BP station in Three Parks.The previous McDonald’s application for Wānaka was rejected after planners found its location and effects did not sufficiently align with district plan outcomes and community concerns about amenity and character. In contrast, the new consented site sits among existing and consented commercial development at Three Parks, including the BP station and large-format retail, and was assessed as generating effects no more than minor on the wider environment.​Although non-complying due to noise and signage breaches, expert reviews concluded transport, noise, lighting and earthworks effects could be appropriately managed, allowing council to approve the consent without public or limited notification.McDonald’s told RNZ it hopes to open within the next 12 months.IMAGES: McDonald’s resource consent application

A controversial application for a liquor store at Lake Hāwea’s Longview subdivision has been approved, but those opposing it are already planning to appeal the decision.The District Licensing Committee (DLC) has approved Keyrouz Holding Ltd’s alcohol licensing application for a 300sqm+ Super Liquor in Longview.The not-yet-built liquor store will be able to operate from 9am-9pm, seven days a week, selling vape products, tobacco and other merchandise as well as alcohol.Lisa Riley, the Longview resident who spearheaded opposition to the proposal, has already shared plans to lodge an appeal, saying the decision dismissed “the collective voice of the community”.The DLC’s 22-page decision - made public this afternoon (Tuesday January 20) - said the prospective risk of alcohol harm specific to the application was “minimal”.It referenced the “record high” of 542 objections received, but said most of them were “pre-formatted” with “no reference” to the criteria in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.“We found the evidential value of these submissions to be low…” the DLC said.Hundreds of people from the small town of Lake Hāwea lodged objections to the application. PHOTO: Wānaka AppThe DLC also claimed the Ministry of Health, which presented at a multi-day hearing in November, had been short on evidence.“We…expected more specific and expert evidence and reasoning to support the proposition that this particular application would present a real risk of generalised harm occurring,” the decision said.“No evidence was provided to show an increase in alcohol related harm or... [in] litter, loitering or anti-social behaviour near other off licence premises in the area”.The DLC - made up of commissioners Lyal Cocks, John Mann and Chris Cooney - said it accepted the submissions did “reflect the concern by many in the community”.Keyrouz Holdings Ltd has “considerable experience” operating similar stores and the DLC was satisfied it would operate safely and responsibly.Lisa said the appeal against the decision would focus on concerns the committee “discounted the scale of community opposition on technical grounds”, “marginalised public health evidence by requiring near-certainty of harm”, and failed to consider “future-focused risk”.Read the full DLC decision here.

An initiative between lower South Island airports and Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOS) which encourages people to explore the ‘deep south’ has received a funding boost of almost half a million dollars.‘Southern Way’, which launched in 2022, encourages visitors to use airlines’ multistop booking tool to fly into Queenstown, Invercargill or Dunedin airport, rent a vehicle to explore the region, then fly out of another.The initiative has secured funding from the Regional Tourism Boost Fund for the third time, with Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Louise Upton announcing a $496,250 boost this week.“We’re backing the South to shine,” she said.Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism CEO Mat Woods said Southern Way is “a great example of what's possible when regions work together with a shared purpose”. PHOTO: Lake Wānaka TourismDestination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism CEO Mat Woods told the Wānaka App that Southern Way, which is the product of a first-of-its-kind agreement, “is a great example of what's possible when regions work together with a shared purpose”. “Rather than competing, the lower South is presenting itself as a connected, easy-to-navigate touring region, encouraging visitors to explore more places, stay longer, and engage more deeply with local communities along the way.”Regional dispersal is “good for visitor experience, good for businesses, and good for residents, spreading the benefits and pressures of tourism”, he said.The funding will allow Southern Way to maintain its trans-Tasman activities and promotion - with Australians a key target market for the initiative - delivering a campaign to stimulate demand from April to the end of June 2026.The campaign, targeting both consumer and trade channels, will include partnerships with Jetstar and TripAdvisor and supports the work of Tourism New Zealand in Australia.The Southern Way funding is part of a $3.69M allocation from the government supporting five new initiatives across New Zealand aimed at encouraging visitation over autumn.

Plans are in the works for a substantial subdivision on the south side of fast-growing Albert Town.An 8.6-hectare site north of the Cardrona River could be turned into a 42-lot development if Southern Ventures Property Ltd’s resource consent application is approved.Part of the subdivision would adjoin existing homes in the area known as ‘old’ Albert Town, which has seen much less development in recent years than on the other side of the state highway.Some new lots would be next to Kinnibeg Street and Carlow Street, and sections are proposed to range in size from 514m2 to 916m2.The part of the site located further south, beside the Cardrona River, is planned for two substantial wetlands, green spaces, walkways, and a neighbourhood reserve. This would give both residents and visitors more direct access to the river and the Cardrona River Trail.The 8.6 hectare site on the south side of Albert Town. IMAGE: SuppliedThe site includes a mix of zoning and planning constraints, which the proposed development aims to manage through its lot layout, wetlands, and open spaces.The northern portion is lower-density suburban residential, while the southern part is rural lifestyle. It also has a building restriction area and identified flood hazards, along with a small rural-zoned section.Substantial earthworks - about 55,000m3 of fill - would be required to lift the residential areas to mitigate flood risk, application documents said, and separate applications have been lodged with Otago Regional Council concerning this.The proposal follows a surge in Albert Town property prices, which have risen more than 200 percent in the last ten years, from an average asking price of $553,500 in 2015 to almost $1.8M in 2025.Queenstown Lakes District Council is currently considering the application.Read more: Albert Town prices rise 200% in a decade

A new off-licence liquor store is planned at the former Countdown Metro Wānaka on Ardmore Street.The small grocery store on the site, which is owned by Willowridge Developments Ltd, closed in August 2025.The Gate Ltd of Cromwell, trading as Super Liquor Wānaka Metro, has applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Licensing Committee for a license, with an expected opening in February 2026.The store’s opening hours are listed as Monday - Sunday from 9am to 10pm, and it would also sell snacks, tobacco and vape products. The last day for members of the public to lodge an objection to the application is February 9, 2026. Interested members of the public can request a copy of the alcohol licence application from Queenstown Lakes District Council before that date.The Gate Ltd also runs the Harvest Hotel and Five Stags Bar & Restaurant in Cromwell, and Super Liquor Wānaka, Cromwell, Alexandra, Lorneville, and Remarkables Park (Queenstown). The business has also applied for consent for a Super Liquor store at Lake Hāwea subdivision Longview.Read more: Ten liquor licenses for 2,000 people - Longview hearing underwayGlen Christianson was listed as one of two managers.IMAGE: Supplied

International fast food chain Pizza Hut has applied for building consent for an outlet at Wānaka’s Three Parks.Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) confirmed on Tuesday (December 23) it had received a building consent application for Pizza Hut at 89 Sir Tim Wallis Drive - on the block between New World Three Parks and The Warehouse.Pizza Hut was established in New Zealand in 1974 and now has more than 100 stores throughout the country.The owner of the site is Willowridge Developments Limited, which is owned by Three Parks developer Allan Dippie.Allan has previously told the Wānaka App he expected to be approached by fast-food restaurants seeking locations.“We realise half the town would be very pleased if they came to town and the other half wouldn’t be… The thing to remember however is that neither half is forcing the other half to frequent such establishments. Allan said the important thing was “locating such businesses in the right place”.In October this year fast food giant McDonald’s confirmed its bid for a new site at the entrance to Three Parks, at 1 Sir Tim Wallis Drive. Read more: McDonald’s applies for new Wānaka restaurant at Three ParksPHOTO: Supplied

New government procurement rules could open new doors for trades and contractors across the Upper Clutha, says an industry insider. The newly released 5th Edition of the Government Procurement Rules sharpens accountability, strengthens transparency, and places a renewed focus on supporting regional economic growth.Izzy Prosser, Director of Winning Bids by Prosser Communication, says the changes represent a meaningful shift for the region.“Local contractors bring strong capability, but access to government opportunities hasn’t always been straightforward,” she said.“By simplifying processes and making agencies more accountable, contractors in the Upper Clutha can expect clearer opportunities, fairer competition, and a more transparent pipeline of work.” Izzy Prosser PHOTO: Prosser Communication NZ Ltd Government agencies are now expected to “engage with businesses that deliver public value, including increased employment, skills and training and economic growth for local communities”, with regional SMEs highlighted as key beneficiaries of the updated system. For local contractors, the updates mean a more level playing field, Issy said. Agencies are encouraged to create competition and involve New Zealand businesses, and to restructure large contracts into smaller components where appropriate, thus allowing regional suppliers to bid for work that might previously have been out of reach. The rules also introduce stronger requirements for reporting and transparency, giving suppliers better visibility of upcoming procurement opportunities and how government spending decisions are made. This added clarity may help Wānaka and Hāwea businesses plan more confidently for future workloads, Issy said. “If implemented consistently by government agencies delivering work in the region, the new rules could help ensure more contracts, more economic benefit, remain in the communities that need them, supporting stable employment and ongoing resilience across the Upper Clutha.”

Luggate’s historic hotel has changed hands, and the new proprietor considers himself a very lucky man.Russell Lilley said he walked into the bar a few nights ago and 30-or-so locals gave him a standing ovation.“We cannot believe how incredible the community are,” Russell told the Wānaka App.“They’ve opened their arms to us.”Russell has owned the Rolly Inn in Rolleston for the past 27 years, the Dunsandel Bar and Cafe, a construction business, and about eight other businesses. “I’m really lucky in that every time I go to work it’s like going on holiday,” Russell said.The 75-year-old said he tried retiring about two years ago but “couldn’t do it”.Now he and partner Jeanette Ellis have taken on the Luggate Hotel, which Jeanette described as “a real adventure”.As soon as a mate told Russell the Luggate Hotel was for sale he jumped in his truck and drove down from Rolleston to check it out, Jeanette said.Former owner Rod Bowler told the Wānaka App he was on the bar when Russell arrived.New owner Russell Lilley (left) with former owner Rod Bowler.Rod went over and started chatting, and Russell didn’t give anything away. But by the end of the conversation Russell told him: “I’m going to buy this bloody place”.“Rod and I are like long-lost brothers,” Russell said.Russell is enthusiastic about completing Rod and his wife Rowena’s plans for themed accommodation at the rear of the hotel: a mini “shanty town” with six units including a barbershop, mining hut, a jail, and a sheriff’s quarters. Jeanette said they want to continue “Rod and Rowena’s legacy” with the outside of the pub, as well as changing the business inside: Russell wants to return the pub to how it once was, and Jeannette wants to make it “the centre of the community”.“Where else would you find anything like this?” Russell asked.The down-to-earth but motivated pair already have a new menu and two new chefs; a new coffee machine and a barista; and have started a courtesy van between Wānaka, Albert Town, Hāwea, and Queensberry.Russell said he has “a lot of good ideas”, and will introduce Housie, regular meat raffles, and money on the bar on rugby nights. They are also planning a new kids’ playground in the garden on the Wānaka side of the pub. The hotel grounds include the Luggate General Store, which Russell and Jeanette are thinking about making a Night N Day store, although they say any signage would have to be unobtrusive and in keeping with the building’s historic status.In the garden bar on Tuesday, one regular customer told the Wānaka App that Russell and Jeannette’s arrival was “the best thing to happen to this place in a long time”, while another said they were enjoying the hospitality.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has taken a local coffee cart owner to court for alleged offences under the Food Act 2014.Leanne Harling, trading as Camphill Coffee, has run the Hāwea Flat cafe as a ‘private membership association’.She represented herself in the Queenstown District Court on Monday (December 15), pleading not guilty to knowingly or recklessly selling food that did not comply with the Food Act and intentionally hindering or obstructing a food safety officer from exercising their powers under the Food Act.The case was adjourned until February, when a one day hearing is expected to take place.  Council laid the four charges in August 2025.“As the matter is before the Court, council does not intend to make any comments on the nature of the offending, or any other matters relating to the prosecution,” QLDC said. PHOTO: Supplied

The government’s proposed new planning system, announced today (Tuesday December 9), contains a “frankly bizarre” provision which has the potential to bankrupt Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), according to the deputy mayor.Resource Management Act (RMA) reform minister Chris Bishop has announced a new planning system “to cast off the shackles imposed by the broken [RMA], and set New Zealand on a path to economic growth that lifts our living standards and protects the environment”.QLDC deputy mayor Quentin Smith, who was formerly a planner, said the council is still “getting [their] heads around the proposed changes”, some of which the council saw coming and was preparing for.“However, the one really quite frankly bizarre provision is … the suggestion that landowners should be compensated for restrictions imposed for landscape, heritage and biodiversity reasons,” he said.“With 97 percent of the QLDC district being Outstanding Natural Landscapes/Features or similar, the impact on our district seems extreme and council’s ability to financially compensate land owners would be very limited. “As a district we literally bank on the landscapes and natural values that draw people here and there has been very hard work over many years to protect those values. This appears at face value to put that at risk.    “On face value it has the potential to bankrupt our district,” he said.The provision, titled ‘recognising efforts to help nature’, sets out the possibility of regulatory relief - including cash payments, reduced rates, no-fee consents and other measures - for people significantly affected by land-use restrictions related to outstanding natural features, and similar protections.Ninety-seven percent of this district is within the Outstanding Natural Landscapes/Features zone or similar, and the impact on the reforms could be extreme, says the deputy mayor.Quentin said QLDC was already “well advanced” in preparing for some of the new spatial planning and infrastructure rules and the likelihood of fewer consents.“And there are some good and bad that could come from that,” he said.“We will have to take some time to absorb the implications.”Two bills will be introduced to Parliament this afternoon by the government, which aims to pass them into law in 2026: a Planning Bill and a Natural Environment Bill which would require regional councils to support development of both a regional spatial plan and a natural environment plan. Combined territories boards would be the decision-making body for the new planning instruments. Each territorial authority will also develop a land-use plan, which will be brought together into a single regional plan.Chris Bishop said the new planning system will be easier for local government to use and navigate and deliver better value for ratepayers.He and local government minister Simon Watts said the new system will work alongside the proposed local government reforms “to reduce complexity, cut duplication and improve outcomes for communities”.“The new planning system will mean fewer consents, faster decisions and a strong focus on the issues that genuinely matter for communities and the environment.”The government has also announced a “rapid review” of regional council functions before the new boards are established to determine whether any functions should be centralised or discontinued.Read more: Local mayors respond to reform proposalsFind more information on the new planning system here.New Zealanders will be invited to have their say on the legislation via the Select Committee process. The consultation on the government’s local government reform proposals are open until February 20, 2026 via the Department for Internal Affairs website.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Retirement living and aged care services provider Arvida Limited has submitted a resource consent application for a retirement village at three neighbouring sites in Wānaka.The company is proposing a seven-stage development of a “private, gated lifestyle retirement village”, according to the documents submitted.It would include a club house, cafe, care facility with up to 28 units, up to 165 villas, an indoor pool, pickleball courts, and parks and walking and cycling paths across 8.7-or-so hectares.“The proposal has been comprehensively and carefully designed by a team of experts in designing, constructing and operating retirement villages in New Zealand,” the application says.Arvida has 34 ‘communities’ nationwide including Queenstown Country Club, a high-end retirement community with independent living, aged care and specialist dementia care.Arvida would be Wānaka’s fifth retirement village, following Aspiring Lifestyle Village (which opened in 2010), Alden Elmslie Wānaka Village (formerly owned by Presbyterian Support Otago), Northbrook (now open in Northlake), and Metlifecare (under construction at Three Parks). Arvida Wānaka would be located on Riverbank Road.The sites are zoned lower density suburban residential and retirement villages are provided for as discretionary activities.However the proposal is listed as a non-complying activity which the applicant said “is required as two of the proposed buildings breach the permitted building height standard”.The applicant said the retirement village will provide a “relatively substantial” amount of additional housing for the elderly.“The contribution of housing choice to the elderly is assumed to be significant locally.”JTB Architects said the retirement village “draws on the character of Central Otago’s rural vernacular, with single storey pavilion style buildings, gabled roof forms, and a palette of schist, timber, and metal cladding”.QLDC is currently vetting Arvida Limited’s application.PHOTO: JTB Architects