Queenstown Lakes businesses can continue to claim the wage subsidy while Auckland is at Alert Level 4 and 3. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, in the daily 1pm update, clarified the rules around support for businesses as most of the country moves down to Alert Level 2 tonight. "All businesses remain eligible to apply for the wage subsidy so long as any part of the country is in level three or four," she said. "So, that means, for instance, a business in Queenstown, which is in level two, can still apply. "You still need to meet the eligibility criteria of a 40% decline in revenue over the previous two-week period. "But I want to assure businesses that the Covid economic supports stay in place as long as, for instance, Auckland is at those higher alert levels. "That, in part, is recognition of the fact that one part of the country can have a knock-on effect on other parts of the country."There were more than 66,000 vaccination doses delivered yesterday. Almost a third of people over the age of 12 in New Zealand are now fully vaccinated, and 60% have had at least one dose. The PM also announced that NZ is in the final stages of buying extra vaccine supplies from other countries, to meet the surge in demand following the community outbreak of Delta. Masks are required on public transport and ride-sharing services, and also shops and public buildings, such as libraries. But they are not required for customers and clients in hospitality venues, swimming pools and gyms, although staff must wear them. 

A multi-million-dollar eco-dome glamping retreat on the shores of Lake Hāwea has taken out the title of best new build over $100,000 at an industry awards ceremony.  The energy-efficient geodesic domes, designed and built in a secluded area of Lake Hāwea camping ground ‘The Camp’, had Holiday Parks Association of New Zealand (HAPNZ) judges “very impressed”, HAPNZ CEO Fergus Brown said.“The geodesic domes provide quality accommodation at a premium rate that will meet the needs of visitors and provide valuable income for the property.  “It is excellent to see holiday parks investing in new and improved product at a time when business is very difficult.” Owners Sarah and Richard Burdon said the project was in the works for more than two years, and delayed as a result of Covid-19. Owners Sarah and Richard Burdon are stocked with the recognition.After taking the plunge on the $2M build despite the uncertainty of Covid-19, Sarah said she and Richard were “stoked” with the recognition. “We’ve all worked so hard to get the domes completed, facing numerous barriers along the way.” “It is one of our long-term sustainability goals to provide accommodation all year round, so to have the domes now finally open and experienced by guests for the winter is so rewarding.”The domes have been designed with comfort in mind. The six domes, located within The Camp and called Cross Hill Lodge and Domes, are 40sqm in size and each has a bathrooms, kitchenette, private dressing area and 30sqm private deck. Guests at the domes also have access to Cross Hill Lodge, which includes a hot tub, massage room and lounge area.  “The judges applaud Sarah and Richard for providing a premium product to meet customer demand as well as exceeding their expectations when they arrive,” Fergus said. PHOTOS: The Camp

Prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement about plans to reconnect New Zealand with the rest of the world have been welcomed by the Queenstown Lakes’ mayor.The first step in the plan is to speed up the vaccination process, then “once enough people are vaccinated, we will be able to start the next step in the plan: a phased introduction of an individual risk-based approach to border settings in 2022,” the PM said yesterday (August 12).Mayor Jim Boult said he was encouraged by the news.“While I don’t expect that will open the floodgates for international visitors, it will provide a steady pathway towards recovery of the tourism industry and continue to benefit our wider economy,” he said.Under the new plan, unveiled at a forum ‘Reconnecting New Zealanders to the World’, a series of ‘pathways’ will be created for travellers, from low-risk to high-risk.Which pathway a traveller takes will be based on the risk associated with where they are coming from and their vaccination status.The mayor encouraged residents to heed the PM’s advice and get vaccinated.Jacinda said vaccination of Kiwis was a crucial step in the plan and eligibility dates will be brought forward (with the 50+ age group will be open from today, Friday August 13, 40+ from August 18, 30+ will be open from August 25; and all eligible ages from September 1.)Jim said the announcement was the positive news the district needed.“Our district, and others in New Zealand, are highly reliant on tourism and today’s announcements are certainly a light at the end of a very long tunnel.”PHOTO: QAC

Three new categories have been added to the Ignite Wanaka Business Awards, which will be back for a fourth year in November. The awards, supported by Milford Asset Management, provide a biennial opportunity for businesses to take a step back to assess their business, analyse what's worked well and where improvements could be achieved.This year the awards are expected to highlight the Upper Clutha's most resilient and innovative businesses: those which have tackled, and largely survived, some of the hardest trading conditions seen in our lifetimes. “The focus of the 2021 Ignite Wanaka Business Awards is on resilience and diversification,” Ignite general manager Naomi Lindsay said. “It's been an uncertain 18 months for many in our business community, but the courage, tenacity and creativity with which businesses have tackled the pandemic has been nothing short of inspiring.”Convenor of judges Wayne Hudson said 2021 will be a very interesting year for the awards. “I’m looking forward to seeing how businesses have coped with the challenges imposed by the pandemic, the lockdowns and the closing of our international borders. I am not expecting every business to have had a ‘successful’ year. Instead, survival in these turbulent times will in many cases be a success in itself. Learning how businesses have managed to survive and what they did to adapt should be very interesting." The three new award categories this year are Outstanding Employer, and Outstanding Not for Profit or Social Enterprise; and the retail and hospitality category has been split into two, recognising the differences between these sectors.  In addition, a new question has been included to recognise those businesses who showed exceptional resilience or diversification of their business in light of the pandemic.For the first time, judges will also be able to choose to nominate finalists (and subsequently winners) based on business size, with finalists and winners in the small or large capacity within each category. Naomi said it was important for judges to be able to award two winners (based on business size) should they deem that there were two businesses who equally deserved to win and the only difference in scores was size.This year there are also two new judges on the judging panel: local business advisers Charlie James and Meg Taylor. The full list of award categories for 2021 can be found here.Application forms will be on the Ignite Wanaka website within the next few days. Entries (which should be emailed to [email protected]) will close at 5pm Friday October 8, and the awards finals dinner will be held in November.PHOTO: Wanaka App

A Cardrona business is at the centre of a licensing debate over what is and what isn’t a convenience store. An application for an off-licence by the Cardrona Valley General Store to sell wine and beer has been stalled by the district’s delegated medical officer of health (MOH) Stephanie Bekhuis-Pay.While giving evidence at the district licensing hearing in Wanaka on Wednesday (August 4), Stephanie told the district licensing commissioners she believed the Cardrona store was a convenience store and not a cafe as the applicant stated.Under section 36c of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, off-licences are not permitted for convenience stores and because over 85 per cent of the store’s turnover related to convenience items, including barista coffee, the MOH had objected to the application.Cardrona Valley General Store owner Margaret Bowes staunchly defended her application for an off-license to sell a limited number of local wines and craft beers, describing her business as a cafe not a convenience store. The store, located 100m from the Cardrona Hotel, has indoor and outdoor seating as well as a wood-fired pizza oven. PHOTO: Jonas Nilsson“My business is a country cafe...it’s cute, charming and rustic; it’s the quintessential rural general store and not a convenience store,” she said.Margaret stated that while many of her customers purchased her pre-made, take-away food and beverages, an increasing number also chose to eat and drink on the premises, which provided indoor and outdoor seating for a maximum of 22 persons.Margaret said she considered Wanaka’s Night’n’Day store, on Ardmore Street, a convenience store and likened her store to a “community hub” similar in nature to Glenochy’s Market Place store which was granted an off-licence by the District Licencing Commission in 2018, without an objection by the MOH. Margaret said her store, unlike convenience stores, sold local works of art, crafts and homewares; hosted a coffee club; and she operated a wood-fired pizza oven selling custom-made pizzas on Friday evenings and more often during the school holidays.“We sell pizzas between 5pm to 7pm so they become a meal as opposed to snack food.This is one of the primary reasons that I have sought to obtain an off license,” Margaret said. She asked the committee to look at her business in its totality and not just focus on its sales of convenience type foods.“The last two years have been very difficult for businesses in the hospitality sector, particularly in tourist areas such as ours. We must continue to grow and evolve if we are going to survive,” she said. Speaking in support of Margaret’s application, Cardrona resident Peter Bonifant said while he enjoyed the convenient location of Cardrona Valley General Store it was more than a convenience store.“We don’t know what we’d do without Margaret’s store. We use it frequently... we have meetings, we have coffees, we have lunches, and what she's established is quite vital for our community,” he said. “It’s convenient.. but it’s definitely not a convenience store,” Peter said. “To us it’s a cafe [with] a nice ambience…[and] we appreciate it.”Other than the objection by the MOH, the application was not opposed by the police or the district’s alcohol licensing inspector; nor did it attract any public objections. All parties agreed there was no question over the suitability of the applicant or the processes in place to reduce alcohol related harm.District Licensing committee chair Bill Unwin said applications like this might well contribute to case law for reference in future similar cases.The committee reserved its decision.

Newly-released documents have revealed the extraordinary scale of a film park planned for the outskirts of Wanaka.Replicas of New York, Venice, Paris and the River Seine are among Silverlight Studios’ plans for the 332ha site near Wanaka Airport, as well as a new and enlarged lake, a series of villages, and a variety of filming, post-production, tourist and ancillary buildings.Resource consent applications submitted to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) show some buildings could be as tall as 17m and city replicas could reach 14m.The New York site’s footprint could be as large as 23,700m2 and a 14m tall ‘great hall’ could span 3,600m2. A portion of the site plan, showing the planned city replicas, villages and ancillary buildings. IMAGE: Silverlights Studios (view in webapp to enlarge)Silverlight Studios is owned by film industry veterans Ra Vincent, Jonathan Harding and Mike Harris.Application details show the company would lease the site, known as Corbridge Estate and located 6km east of Wanaka, on a 10-year lease.The largest building in the application would host a series of sound stages spanning a whopping 68,850m2 and reaching 17m tall.Construction would take place on around 55ha of the site, including buildings for tourism activities.Silverlight Studios was given government approval to apply for a fast-tracked EPA consent application for the project under special Covid-19 rules. The 332ha Corbridge Estate site. PHOTO: Realestate.co.nzAn expert consenting panel will now decide whether or not to approve the application.Plans for the film park were first made public in March and it has received endorsements from the district’s mayor, the town’s tourism organisation, its chamber of commerce and from Film Otago-Southland. 

The Winter Pride festival is coming up later this month and local businesses and individuals are being encouraged to get involved.  Queenstown Lakes’ Winter Pride is a week-long festival celebrating love, community, diversity, visibility, safety and inclusion. It’s taking place from August 27-September 4, with a range of events in both Wanaka and Queenstown.In conjunction with Winter Pride and Lake Wānaka Tourism, Ignite Wanaka is encouraging businesses to “paint the town rainbow”.  Here are some ways businesses (and individuals) can get involved:Fly your rainbow flag somewhere visible for everyone to see Do a pride focused deal/offer, or advertising opportunity to show your support for prideRainbow dress your storefront, office, bar, cafe, gym, or wherever you live and work with something rainbowGet your staff involved in being visible by wearing something rainbow for the month, or have a staff event dressing in rainbow themeBuild rainbow awareness and launch something new during pride month – such as pronouns on email signatures, gender neutral bathrooms, hosting rainbow awareness training sessions, or announcing a new policy changeChange your logo to rainbow for the month and shout about it on social mediaRainbow decal your vehicle or some other prominent place so you can be seenRainbow light up your buildingParticipate in events during Winter Pride - show your supportClick here for the full Winter Pride event list. PHOTO: Supplied

Cardrona Alpine Resort/Treble Cone Ski Area’s Bridget Legnavsky is a finalist for the Marsh Tourism Industry Champion Award at the upcoming New Zealand Tourism Awards.Bridget is one of six “leading individuals” and 23 businesses which are in the running for 11 prestigious tourism awards.  The three awards for individuals are open to outstanding performers in the industry, and eight awards will recognise business excellence, industry alignment and organisations that are ‘living the values’ of the Tourism Sustainability Commitment.Formerly Cardrona and Treble Cone’s general manager, Bridget was promoted in June (by parent organisation Wayfare Group) to the new position of chief experience officer with responsibility for all Wayfare Group experiences.“Bridget is a visionary leader, with an incredible talent for building team culture to deliver an outstanding guest experience and we want to continue to ensure this is developed further across the group,” Wayfare chief executive officer Stephen England-Hall said.Her new role requires her to lead, coach and mentor a team of general managers responsible for Wayfare’s tourism and ski experiences across their brands Real Journeys, Go Orange, the International Antarctic Centre and Cardrona Alpine Resort.Real Journeys (Otago/Southland) has also been named a finalist for the Conservation Award.Read more: Cardrona-Treble Cone GM takes on new roleThe tourism awards attracted a record number of almost 150 entries, after a 2020 hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.“We know tourism businesses and individuals are keen to showcase how they’ve adapted and innovated over the past year, with the awards bringing a sense of prestige and celebration back to the industry,” Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) chief executive Chris Roberts said.He described the awards as “a valuable opportunity to benchmark your business against your peers and demonstrate that you are striving to be the best”.The winners will be announced at the awards dinner on September 1 in Hamilton following Tourism Summit Aotearoa. Both events are organised by the TIA.Find more information on the New Zealand Tourism Awards here.PHOTO: Supplied

Local businesses are keeping a positive attitude and continuing to adapt after the government announced an eight-week suspension of the quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia last week (July 23), despite this change resulting in a decrease in Australian tourists for the town.  “It’s the right move,” Puzzling World marketing and operations manager Duncan Spear said.  “It’s good we’re keeping coronavirus out as much as we can, we don’t want any hard closures coming up for spring and summer.” Wanaka’s Wild Wire, the world’s highest waterfall climb, has been affected by recent cancellations and refunds. “We’re looking forward to the Australian bubble [reopening] in the summer and that being a bit of a turning point, but if not we can adapt for a domestic market,” Wild Wire co-owner Mark Morrison said. The continued uncertainty of border restrictions has prompted other businesses to adapt and focus on a more domestic market.Cross Hill is evolving to target the local market by hosting events and food trucks.The latest bubble suspension has affected luxury glamping accommodation provider Cross Hill further, adding to “an already significant impact”, general manager Tom Gerlach said. However, the business is evolving to incorporate events and a permanent food truck on its grounds in the foothills of Glen Dene Station.“We’re now working really hard to activate the local community to come down and enjoy the beauty of the camp,” Tom said. The new focus on domestic tourism has also been a “blessing” for WanaHaka owner Joe Waide. The company, which offers wine tours combined with an educational Māori experience, has changed its target market away from overseas visitors and towards local weddings, high schools and families.Joe said the situation had offered “a really great chance” for him to share local wineries and vineyards and “the Maori footprint” with locals.PHOTO: Supplied

Wanaka’s Wild Wire, the world’s highest waterfall via ferrata (cable climb), has been recognised in the prestigious Qualmark 100% Pure New Zealand Experience Awards 2021. It is one of 12 tourism businesses from around the country singled out this year and the only local winner.“The integrity and genuine commitment to manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga and whanaungatanga the winners demonstrated to visitors and the communities they operate in is remarkable and their recognition is well deserved,” Qualmark judging panel chair Sue Parcell said of the winners.The awards identify the highest quality tourism products in the market, those offering world class experiences which apply best practice in terms of sustainability by looking after the people and the land, Qualmark said.Wild Wire is owned by Mark and Laurel Morrison and the business operates near Treble Cone.In a statement, the business said it was thrilled with the recognition.“We believe life is about experiences, not stuff - as Kiwis adventure is in our blood,” Wildwire said. “....We are privileged to be able to enrich people’s lives on a daily basis, even if only for a day.”PHOTO: Supplied

Wanaka’s ‘Kai Pai’ pies have come out on top at the annual NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Awards.In order to find the country’s best pies, experienced baking industry experts ‘blind judged’ more than 5,000 pies from across New Zealand.Kai Pai earned placings in six of the 11 categories, including a gold award for its chicken, leek and bacon pie; a silver for its steak and gravy pie; and a bronze for its gourmet chicken, leek, mushroom and bacon pie.This year’s awards produced the best-ever result for Kai Pai, which also won the most awards out of any other bakery in the South Island. Under the guidance of owner Ian Warner and baking expertise of Jason Danielson, Kai Pai produces 25,000 pies a day from its purpose-built Wanaka premises, distributed nationwide.Kai Pai’s chicken, leek and bacon pie, which received a gold award at the NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Awards.Ian said the recognition is a huge honour for the business, which has been in operation since 2010 and employs 27 people. “As a commercial pie manufacturer that competes with smaller boutique bakeries, getting this recognition is pretty special for us – especially given the calibre of our fellow entrants and the expert status of the judging panel,” he said.“Our team works hard all year round and these awards are testament to their dedication and passion for the pie-making industry.”The NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Awards awards ceremony took place on Tuesday (July 27).PHOTO: Supplied

Ignite Wanaka Chamber of Commerce has appointed its executive officer Naomi Lindsay to the new role of general manager as part of changes to the organisation’s structure.The chamber’s board has approved an increase in resourcing and support to deliver on its events-led strategy and to expand its support for the Upper Clutha business community, and with that comes the newly-created GM role."There are lots of challenges ahead and now is the time to invest in our local chamber and work together to support our economy and look at opportunities for diversification,” Naomi said.See also: New events-led strategy initiated by Ignite Wanaka“I look forward to continuing the initiatives I've implemented in the past few years and adding more opportunities to grow and connect our business community, continuing to partner with others on the same journey.”Naomi has been Ignite Wanaka’s executive officer since 2015.In that time she has helped grow the membership from 120 to 370 members, helped the board launch and deliver the successful Ignite Wanaka Business Awards (now in its fourth year), resurrected and expanded the Wanaka Women in Business series and introduced other key events to the local business calendar. To support Naomi in her new role, the board will take on portfolios as part of their volunteer board time, each working with key stakeholders on the strategic priorities and advocacy opportunities, as well as to provide a greater voice for members. Board chair Andrew ‘Howie’ Howard said the chamber was excited to appoint Naomi to the role of general manager. “She is a well-known personality in our district and has proven herself as a strong advocate for our business community. Her knowledge and networking skills ideally place her to deliver on our ambitious programme.“As a board we are investing in our capability to deliver a strong, connected, diversified local economy that celebrates success and maintains a sense of community – and this is an important step in that process. I am looking forward to working with Naomi in this role as we continue to serve our members.” PHOTO: Supplied

A group of locals hope their work over the past year will help this district respond well to future challenges.The Regenerative Recovery Advisory Group (RRAG) was formed in the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdown when Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) brought together people from across the district to look at the challenges it faces.Led by chair and Wanaka resident Simon Telfer, RRAG has shared its findings in a report, which include five principles to guide a ‘regenerative’ recovery and seven recommended action areas, from investment in holistic community wellbeing to investing via public/private partnerships.Simon told the Wanaka App the report is targeted at community leaders, other groups in the community, and “the curious”, with two things in mind: “bringing some fresh thinking or validating what they’re already doing”.The group met twice a month for more than a year, and discussions with community leaders, diversification experts and government ministers, combined with their own research, shaped their insights, Simon said.RRAG chair Simon Telfer said he hoped the report provided fresh ideas for a regenerative future. PHOTO: Supplied“I feel the report is a significant piece in the jigsaw as we navigate our way forward,” he said, adding that the district faces many challenges, such as the prospect of the Alpine Fault rupturing, and the numerous challenges posed by climate change.“We’ve tried to encourage the council to empower and enable others,” he said.The group recommends prioritising the district’s relationship with the environment, by strengthening and prioritising the council’s Climate Action Plan (CAP); developing a funding strategy to help protect and enhance the environment; and developing ‘green economy clusters’ for environmental diversification.Another recommendation is to reimagine economic development, looking at it through a community well-being lens.Simon said there has been “a bit of disconnect” between economic development and community wellbeing. “If we’re going to do economic development, we can’t do that separated out from the social licence those sectors have,” Simon said. “We can’t have people left behind.”RRAG recommends the council set up an independent review of the district’s current economic development structure/model; measure it against current best practice nationally and internationally; and establish an independent wellbeing development agency that also looks at economic development.Other recommendations included greater investment in infrastructure, building ‘clusters’ and supporting collaboration; investment in community wellbeing; and more.The full list of principles and recommendations can be viewed in the report here.Mayor Jim Boult said the council will consider the group’s insights in its decision making.“Hearing from this independent body on such an important range of subjects has been incredibly valuable to the councillors and the broader QLDC team,” he said.In addition to the chair, RRAG members included Kathy Dedo, Neil Jacobstein, Monique Kelly, Raymond Key, Julian Knights, Erica Seville, Roger Sharp, Michael Sly, Annis Somerville and Leslie Van Gelder.

Defying the challenges of Covid-19, a handful of new commercial businesses are opening in and around Wanaka in a variety of industries. Among the many new businesses opened in the last six months or so, the Wanaka App caught up with the owners of three upcoming commercial operations.The former Soul Food space, which closed in March after more than 20 years of operation, has undergone a major renovation and will soon reopen as Arc. Co-owner James Stapley, who is also the executive chef and owner of Kika, said Arc is envisioned as “a modern brunch place during the day and a small plate tapas style bar at night”.  Behind closed doors, the former Soul Food market is being converted into a restaurant serving modern brunches by day and small-plate tapas by night. PHOTO: Wanaka AppHe owns Arc with Kika head chef Sam Cooper and they plan to open on July 20 after a three-month refurbishment.Arc will have “a big focus on local and sustainable produce using a network of small artisan suppliers like we use at Kika,” James told the Wanaka App. Another restauranter making moves is Roger Gordon, who will take over the Albert Town tavern and the fish and chip shop next door to it. The Albert Town tavern has also been purchased by a new owner and it’s undergoing a renovation. PHOTO: Wanaka AppRoger also owns Speights Ale House in Wanaka and he has taken on the new project in Albert Town fairly undeterred by the challenges of Covid-19.“I guess we’ve just got to be positive and go forward and we know eventually we’ll get back to some form of normality,” Roger said. “There’s no point sitting back.”Roger remained tight lipped about the specifics for the future of the space, which is currently being refurbished, but said his plans would be shared in the near future: “We’re trying to get open as soon as possible”.The hospitality offerings join a spate of recent openings, from Scroggin in the former Beanie cafe to the new food truck village on Brownston Street, but there are also changes afoot in the commercial space, and Devold is one of the town’s newest retail stores, due to open on July 19. Sarah-Jane Perriam is converting the vacant Originz souvenir store into the first New Zealand branch of Devold, a Norweign brand which sells high-end wool products made sustainably. Sarah-Jane will accompany Devold’s products with goods by some of her favourite sustainable New Zealand designers including Ronja Schipper (famous for her Jacinda Double Feather earrings), Hills Hats from Wellington, pieces by local Wanaka artist Melissa Sharplin and Svord Knives from Waiuku.Instead of being a negative, Covid-19 is actually one of the reasons Sarah-Jane is giving the former Originz souvenir store a new life. “A lack of international tourism is actually what spurred us in a new direction,” Sarah-Jane told the Wanaka App. These new businesses will join the many that have defied the odds and opened in Wanaka in the last year, including new stores in Three Parks and even more under construction there.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has launched a new scheme to attract entrepreneurs and business leaders who can end the district’s tourism dependency.The Home for Healthier Business campaign, a six-month pilot programme at this stage, promotes Queenstown, Wanaka and the surrounding communities as a place to live and work.The hope is that high-flying businesspeople will move here for the lifestyle, and then build a team of locals around themselves to do business.The group’s website tells the stories of people who've done just that, including Xero founder Rod Drury, global fintech leader Jason Wilby, accounting firm director Hayley Hobson, Mana Tahuna founder Michael Rewi, and food tech entrepreneur Alex Worker.The website is already live and acts as a portal for business people considering relocation.It features information and resources on moving to the district, everything from professional networks to details on local schools. Tabs include 'Build a Life', 'Build a Business' and 'Knowledge Base'."We envision these people establishing new businesses or transferring existing enterprises to the region," QLDC economic development manager Peter Harris said."It is not a 'mass attraction' campaign; it’s about recruiting a small number of individuals, many of whom already have a connection to the region, and providing them with the resources, tools and networks they need to embed in the community."We hope to support them to grow their business here, and ideally open up new employment opportunities and career pathways for locals.”The work of QLDC's economic development unit (EDU) was brought into sharp focus when Covid-19 decimated the tourism economy.Some 60 per cent of workers in the district work in tourism jobs, and 40 per cent of businesses rely on the international visitor tourism spend.EDU received $75,000 from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for the pilot.It is supported by Destination Queenstown, Lake Wānaka Tourism and Startup Queenstown Lakes, and will collaborate with Research & Innovation Queenstown, which is building a $45 million tech hub in Remarkables Park."Queenstown Lakes district has a global reputation as a spectacular place to visit and holiday, but we want to challenge the perception of our district as a place simply to come on holiday,” Peter said."We have an exciting and progressive community of talent and innovation here which we want to build on. The Home for Healthier Business is a campaign to showcase Queenstown, Wanaka and surrounding communities as thriving places to live and do business while forging a regenerative economy."The push will be for low-carbon, non-extractive industries, such as hospo tech, and regenerative initiatives, but everyone is welcome.Peter said economic diversification in the region will take time, but he is positive about the future.Food tech leader Alex Worker was at this morning's launch, ironically held at Queenstown Resort College, which trains people for careers in tourism and hospitality.Alex spent six months in Panama in lockdown before returning to NZ for personal reasons.He owned an investment property in Jack's Point and emailed the council about business opportunities. Both Peter and mayor Jim Boult responded personally."We realised this is one of the best centres for any returning expat Kiwi looking to have the balance of both business and lifestyle," Alex said."You're seven minutes from an international airport, within two minutes of that airport I can drop my kids off at the local school, and I found a really comfortable, warm and inviting co-working space at Mountain Club."He highlighted the infrastructure and resources, with highlights such as being able to get a 4G signal while skiing up the mountain, and the pool of untapped talent, people who are living here for the lifestyle, often working in bars rather than their chosen profession."I think this region is primed for success over the next decade. I think it takes info-tech, cleantech, film tech or food tech to help enable that prosperity... but I don't think it needs to be growth at scale."PHOTO: Supplied

A Lake Hāwea-based building company has taken out an award at the Te Kupeka Umaka Māori ki Araiteuru (KUMA) Māori Business Awards. Niche Design & Construction, owned by Kawhata and Amy Williams, received the Employment and Growth Award at last Friday’s (July 2) prize giving event. The KUMA awards honour resilience, collaboration and business success for Māori businesses in Otago, Southland and the Queenstown Lakes District, and Kawhata and Amy said they were honoured to be winners.Accepting the award, Kawhata, who is of Nga Puhi decent, spoke about how he models whanaungatanga (kinship) and manaakitanga (hospitality) in all that he does.“We place great value on all of our team members; letting our team be involved in decision making, asking them to share their whakaaro (thoughts) and solutions to everyday challenges on the building site,” he said.“We also aim to foster a sense of whanaungatanga - where every employee sees themselves as a valuable part of the team. The employment and growth category focused on the growth of a company: how the challenges of growth were embraced and overcome, and how the business modelled Te Ao Māori in its business relationships. “Amy and I focus on creating a culture of ‘we and not me’ - as collaboration is paramount in the making of a successful team,” Kawhata said. The company has been building Wanaka homes for five years.It was one of eight winners and the only local business to scoop up an award at Friday’s prizegiving, which coincided with Matariki (the Māori New Year).The awards evening took place in Invercargill with around 110 people from Otago, Southland and Queenstown Lakes attending.“The awards evening acknowledges continuous whānau, hapū and iwi contribution to the local economy,” KUMA board chair Claire Porima said. “KUMA was founded to strengthen the connections between Māori enterprises and entrepreneurs, so it is significant to celebrate this during Matariki.”PHOTO: Supplied

Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) has unveiled new branding that reflects Wanaka “as a people and a place”.The new branding, the third in 11 years, features rusty and earthy tones and uses a stylised ridge of the Skyline Track to Roy’s Peak and on to Coromandel Peak.“The brand is a deep dive, not just a logo,” LWT marketing and communications manager Gizelle Regan said.LWT was recently funded $700,000 by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to tackle destination management, industry capability and destination marketing. Gizelle said a breakdown of the branding costs were “not yet able to be made available”. Lake Wānaka Tourism general manager Tim Barke told participants at a LWT open day yesterday (Wednesday June 30) that the government closure of the borders in response to Covid-19 affected Wanaka’s visitor economy, “but has given us time to reflect on how we do things”.Multiple lines in multiple directions indicate people’s historic and modern journeys.“Our branding isn’t just a colour and a logo that looks nice, but it defines who we are as a people and a place,” he said.Tim said while the logo will mean different things to different people, his own interpretation was that “the multiple lines in multiple directions indicate the historic and modern journeys of people from multiple backgrounds converging and moving together in a similar direction.” “The notches indicate direction of time, direction of natural resources such as ice flows and rivers and how they connect with the lakes and the direction the people travel to follow the pathways that people have gone through to get here now.”He said the new branding has a critical role to play in the invitation Wanaka wants to extend to its visitors, the experience it creates as a host community and how it preserves and nurtures its taonga. The previous logo, developed in 2016, cost $15,000.Brand strategist and facilitator Kate Smith, who attended the talk via video link, said the primary role of the brand was about “shifting from being about ‘attracting visitors’ to being about ‘how does a brand represent the true essence of Wanaka in a way that reflects community values and aspirations’.” “The aspiration was to shift from being a sustainable tourism sector to a regenerative visitor economy,” she said. LWT has joined Destination Queenstown and Queenstown Lakes District Council to develop a roadmap for tourism which enables viable and regenerative tourism by 2030.Read more: New model of tourism under development Tim said community feedback had been crucial to the creation of the new brand. “We’ve gone out to the community and to industry leaders, different industry groups and community groups and said ‘what is it that you want the future of Wanaka to look like?’” The 2010 logo, branding Wanaka the world’s “first protected lifestyle reserve”. An open day attendee raised concerns about brand confusion, noting the logo’s similarity to that of Christchurch’s metro bus logo. Graphic designer and Studio Acht owner Britt Davies (Te Arawa, Te Ati Awa, Ngā Puhi), who designed the branding, said “nothing is original” from a high-level branding perspective, but the brand must be “authentic and genuine to the story you're trying to tell”.A preview of LWT’s new website was also unveiled at the open day, along with the organisation’s annual plan. Lake Wānaka Tourism last unveiled a new logo and brand in 2016, which followed a review process that took six months and cost $15,000. The logo was ‘Wanaka NZ’, with the word ‘Wanaka’ followed by an orange subscript circle with ‘NZ’ at its centre. That logo replaced the “world’s first protected lifestyle reserve” catchphrase, which was rolled out as part of a 2010 LWT rebrand. The ‘lifestyle reserve’ logo, which cost less than $20,000, attracted some criticism for its suggestion of exclusivity and its perceived connection to the retirement industry. PHOTOS: Lake Wānaka Tourism

Local stakeholders have formed a partnership to design a ‘regenerative tourism future’ for Queenstown Lakes. Regional tourism organisations (RTOs) Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) and Destination Queenstown have teamed up with Queenstown Lakes District Council to develop a roadmap for tourism which enables viable and regenerative tourism by 2030.The six-month long project will explore how the visitor economy can add value to the district and its community and also deliver financial benefits and a thriving economy.“The visitor economy is critical to our region, so what we do matters, both as participants in the visitor economy and as residents and businesses who are part of the community,” LWT general manager Tim Barke said. “Under the old model, ‘value’ is measured through visitor numbers and expenditure. Now we are moving into a new era where we’re thinking about creating value more broadly. We also have macro factors to consider such as climate change, water and air quality, carbon costs, plastic, the economy, and changing community and visitor values.”LWT and the other stakeholder groups will work with sustainability and destination management planning experts Promixa and Destination Think!, and an independent industry leaders advisory group has also been established to oversee the model development, from planning to implementation. They will seek a broad range of perspectives, via more than 40 one-on-one stakeholder interviews; eight ‘design forums’ across Wanaka, Arrowtown, Glenorchy and Queenstown for focused group discussions; up to 10 interactive events for the community; and an online survey to help identify current issues and new pathways towards a regenerative tourism future.The community events will begin next month, with the Wanaka event held at Rippon Vineyard on July 5 from 5-7pm.“By harnessing the collective knowledge, expertise, experience and values of both our industry and our community, we have an opportunity to design our own path to a regenerative tourism future,” Tim said.The regenerative tourism approach aims to shape the destination to benefit the local community and iwi, drive environmental custodianship, support quality visitor experiences, target markets that align with the district’s shared community values, and encourage investment and partnerships.For more information about the project and details about opportunities to get involved in the process, visit Destination Queenstown’s website here and Lake Wānaka Tourism’s website here. 

Cardrona-Treble Cone general manager Bridget Legnavsky has been promoted in a recent realignment of parent organisation Wayfare Group.Bridget is promoted to the new position of chief experience officer with responsibility for all Wayfare Group experiences, Wayfare chief executive officer Stephen England-Hall said.“Bridget is a visionary leader, with an incredible talent for building team culture to deliver an outstanding guest experience and we want to continue to ensure this is developed further across the group,” he said.  She will lead, coach and mentor a team of general managers responsible for Wayfare’s tourism and ski experiences across their brands Real Journeys, Go Orange, the International Antarctic Centre and Cardrona Alpine Resort.Wanaka-based Bridget will still have overall responsibility for "the Cardrona/Treble Cone Experience”, but there will be a new ski experience general manager (yet to be announced) reporting to her.Bridget LegnavskyBridget’s new role was one of several announced today (Tuesday June 22) designed to bring the diverse capabilities from across the Wayfare Group to work together to build a more sustainable business, Stephen said. Wayfare’s operations stretch from Christchurch to Stewart Island and include International Antarctic Centre, Walter Peak TSS Earnslaw in Queenstown, Milford and Doubtful Sounds day and overnight trips, Go Orange rafting and Cardrona/Treble Cone skifields.In the wake of Covid-19’s impact on tourism, the realignment of the Wayfare Group has meant refocusing its purpose and accelerating the move towards sustainable tourism by delivering the most memorable experiences, Bridget said.“It’s a very bold purpose towards change,” she said, and she will be relying on “people capable of being visionaries” to achieve it.“I feel incredibly privileged to be asked to lead this step-change [in purpose], designing what’s sustainable but also the parts that can be regenerative...and working with others to bring it to life,” she said. Wayfare’s changes have opened up a number of new leadership opportunities within the company and have not resulted in any job losses, Stephen said.Real Journeys general manager Paul Norris, who was presented with the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to tourism and conservation last month, has been promoted to chief conservation officer to lead conservation and sustainability initiatives across the group. PHOTOS: Supplied