Measuring wind speed and direction in real time is the next phase for assessing the viability of an airport at Tarras, Christchurch Airport (CIAL) has announced.This week two solar-powered wind meters (anemometers) will be installed at the proposed airport’s 750-hectare site and a third will be sited on a neighbouring farm. The anemometers will sit atop masts and are the first phase of an automatic weather station (AWS).“Weather conditions have a major influence on airport planning and to date our analysis has been undertaken using ten years’ worth of historical weather data that was modeled by NIWA,” CIAL project director Michael Singleton said. “This AWS will give us site-specific data to help us further analyse the potential runway alignments.”Michael said the weather station is like those used at most operational airports.“It will measure wind speed and direction, air pressure, temperature, humidity, rainfall, cloud cover and visibility,” he said.“It will help further the deeper analysis of our two potential runway alignments and help us achieve our aim of establishing a preferred alignment by the end of this year.”In September last year CIAL released a preliminary aeronautical assessment of the Tarras site which stated that the proposed airport would be able to serve short-haul international destinations such as Australia and parts of the Pacific.The assessment said the site could support an airfield with a single runway of at least 2.2 kilometres and possibly up to three kilometres.Two runway alignments have been identified in a preliminary aeronautical assessment.CIAL revealed plans in July 2020 to develop a jet-capable airport at Tarras, after the company had spent $45M purchasing land bordered by State Highway 8 and 8A.The controversial proposed airport has received backlash in the Tarras, Upper Clutha and wider Queenstown Lakes community, including from the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) chief executive Glen Sowry, who says it is unclear why the well-served region would need an additional airport. Find more information about CIAL’s plans at Tarras on their website.IMAGES: Supplied

Some Wānaka accommodation providers say they are still waiting for the reopening of the border with Australia to make a significant difference to their booking numbers.In mid-March PM Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand would reopen to vaccinated visitors from Australia from April 12, just ahead of the Easter break and the Australian school holidays; and vaccinated travellers from 65+ other countries would be able to arrive from May.Lake Wānaka Managed Accommodation office manager Liz Webster told the Wānaka App that since the announcement, bookings have been “slowly filling up”.“It’s not the big surge we were hoping for: It’s not like the Aussies are pouring into Wānaka,” she said.The company manages a range of holiday homes, apartments and other accommodation in and around Wānaka.Another accommodation provider, Mandy Enoka, says there’s “certainly not a flood of bookings coming in and much excitement.”Mandy is the director of Wanaka Selections Holiday Homes and Te Wanaka Lodge, which combined can sleep 300 people per night. “From what we understand and what we’ve been told by our Australian guests enquiring they are having trouble securing insurance,” Mandy said.“There’s a lot of reluctance to commit; a lot of distrust in whether alert levels will change.”Trans-Tasman travellers have historically made up 40 percent of New Zealand’s international arrivals, around 1.5M Australians per year.Liz said she believes one of the reasons Australian visitors aren’t making bookings is because they are choosing to stay with family after long periods being separated.However, both operators said booking numbers are looking more promising further into the year, particularly for the winter holidays. Accommodation providers say they have stronger bookings for winter, which is when tourism minister Stuart Nash said he expects visitor numbers to start to increase. PHOTO: Charlotte Kiri PhotographyThe slow-ish start to new bookings following the border reopening announcement was signalled by minister of tourism Stuart Nash.He said initial bookings to New Zealand from international tourists would be “measured”, before travel started to pick up for winter holidays and ski tourism, before the peak summer season.Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) general manager Tim Barke said many local businesses were “cautiously very excited” about the arrival of international visitors, even if the impact wouldn’t be substantial right away.“This is the certainty they have needed to start planning and getting their businesses back up and ready to welcome our manuhiri (guests) from overseas.”Australian visitors will arrive in New Zealand from next Tuesday (April 12).

A significant private capital raise by tourism giant RealNZ will be used to help it grow, invest in technology and expand, RealNZ CEO Stephen England-Hall said.A group of leading Kiwi investors including Milford Asset Management, Rod Drury, Jonty Edgar, Martin Dippie, and Brendan Lindsay have joined RealNZ in what the company said was one of the largest private capital raises in New Zealand tourism.RealNZ owns and operates numerous tourism companies in Queenstown Lakes including Treble Cone Ski Area, Cardrona Alpine Resort, and Queenstown Jet, as well as numerous others further afield.“Following the appointment of CEO Stephen England-Hall, the last 12 months have been a period of significant change for RealNZ, with a fresh strategy, group-wide reorganisation, rebranding and common purpose all implemented, a purpose that has helped attract some of New Zealand’s leading investors and set RealNZ on a path to a stronger future,” RealNZ chair (and Queenstown Lakes mayor) Jim Boult said.New funding will support RealNZ’s growth.The investment coincides with the announcement of New Zealand’s staged border reopening.“We are on a mission to accelerate the shift to sustainable tourism and this will help us do that,” Stephen England-Hall said.Investors were chosen based on their connection to the regions RealNZ operates in, as well as their key areas of knowledge.Founded by Les and Olive, Lady Hutchins, RealNZ has been family-owned since the 1950s and the family, who have also invested in this equity raise, will retain a majority shareholding in the business.Stephen thanked the departing board members.“I’d like to acknowledge the outgoing board members, particularly Jim Boult and Sue Sheldon, who have given incredible guidance throughout the capital raise process, and for their generous support through these challenging times,” he said. “This investment signals the start of the next chapter of RealNZ and I know they will all be proud to see where this journey takes our business next.”PHOTOS: Supplied

After eight years of service to the Wānaka chamber of commerce (Ignite Wānaka), general manager Naomi Lindsay has resigned to pursue her own business interests.Last year Naomi launched a food tourism business called Forage & Feast and recently she became the new leaseholder of the cafe at the Wānaka Lakes Health Centre.“I have had an amazing time working for Ignite and the business community in the last eight years and the decision to leave was not easy,” Naomi said.“I firmly believe though it's important to know when it's your time to move on and give someone else the chance to take Ignite to the next level with the same passion and spirit I did many years ago.”Naomi created and managed a number of events for Ignite Wānaka including the Ignite Wānaka Business Awards PHOTO: The Film CrewIgnite Wānaka chairperson Andrew Howard said Naomi’s enthusiasm was a great match with the business community’s culture and helped drive Ignite Wānaka’s success.“Naomi’s brand and passion has been synonymous with Ignite Wānaka for the last eight years,” Andrew said. “She has overseen significant growth in the membership base, and the event and training opportunities that we deliver.”Andrew said the board is working with Naomi on a transition plan to ensure the continuity of Ignite’s services while they seek someone to fill the role.Naomi will take up the cafe lease at the Wānaka Lakes Health Centre in April.

A local farmer will benefit from a new arrangement between wool garment company Devold and its growers.Going against industry norms, Devold will pay its New Zealand growers a fixed premium price per kilogram, which would add $9M to the New Zealand wool industry.Devold, a major Norwegian clothing brand created in 1853, has just one New Zealand store, located in Wānaka.Bendigo Station supplies wool to Devold and co-owner and operator Stew Perriam said the contract was unique.“One of the big positives of the contract is that it rewards us as growers,” Stew said. “It gives us certainty as we move forward.”The status quo in the current wool contract systems sees growers paid a fluctuating rate based on the market average.However Devold growers will receive a fixed premium as well as a bonus payment of two dollars per kilogram above the new rate should the wool meet certain criteria. “To produce the very best garments we need the very best wool so… the sentiment must be reflected in what we pay our growers,” Devold Wool Direct (the company’s buying arm) general manager Craig Smith said.“We are the first in the industry to place such value on our supply chain but I hope we won't be the last.”Stew said premium merino growers strive to be right at the top.“Having this contract in place gives us the confidence to produce the very best wool we can,” he said.Devold CEO Catherine Strange said the company will be looking to fix this contract for a further four years (five in total) once the situation in Ukraine has stablised. Once a five-year contract was concluded it would push the value of the new contract over $40 million, she said.“We remain confident in the Devold brand’s strong market position and continued growth,” she said. “Our growers are very important to us and we will do our utmost to ensure their contribution is valued.”PHOTOS: Supplied

The top watchdog has criticised a government tourism fund, that handed out hundreds of millions dollars, for a lack of transparency and clarity - and many in the industry are fuming.The Auditor-General's report released today confirmed many of the concerns small operators raised when the $290 million Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme (STAPP) fund was allocated in 2020. It was paid out to 127 businesses.It found ministers handing the money out struggled themselves to define what a strategic asset was.Some criteria was unclear.Tens of millions of dollars were given to business owned by profitable parent companies, when the money was supposed to support struggling businesses.And official advice to halt the programme was ignored.The Auditor-General concluded the limited documentation meant it was hard to determine value for money or to adequately explain the decisions.Questions began when former tourism minister Kelvin Davis unveiled millions in STAPP funding for Discover Waitomo and Whale Watch Kaikōura before applications had even closed in June 2020.Not long after, more than $10m was earmarked for AJ Hackett Bungy in a grant and loan.Other successful applicants had to wait until August that year, and less than a month later, there were calls for a review.The Office of the Auditor-General decided to step in by February last year, announcing it would take a close look at STAPP given the amount of public money on the table.The office declined to be interviewed but in video, released to media on Thursday afternoon, senior inquiries specialist Helen Colebrook said there were definite areas for improvement."We had some concerns about the transparency of the process in that decisions weren't always clearly documented."Ministers can make whatever decisions they want and they will take advice from a range of people. However, it needs to be very clear why they've made the decisions they have, particularly if that differs from advice that's been provided by officials."And decision-makers - the tourism recovery ministers - did not accept official advice to stop STAPP or fund a few tourism businesses instead.In the future, Colebrook said government departments should ensure criteria was clear so applicants knew whether it was worth applying and those who did apply were eligible, and that all decisions were well documented for transparency and public trust.Heritage Expedition co-owner Aaron Russ said the process was far from fair."I think 100 percent the government sat back and picked favourites and chose who they wanted to see at the finish line."The majority of their guests for their remote trips were from overseas.He applied, and was rejected."There was certainly a significant lack of clarity around what was being looked for, what the criteria were, and as an operator in an incredibly challenging situation at the time, really difficult to engage and get any clarity as well."The successful applicants got grants or loans from between $148,000 to $8.6m - some got both.Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the government needed to act swiftly and decisively during a pandemic."We will always look at those decisions again and, in hindsight, we may make slightly different decisions."But overall, I stand by the fact that the tourism industry needed support. There were significant issues for particularly operators that were very significant for their town or their region, and we had to act."Heliview Flights co owner Yolanda Foale's Cromwell-based business was also unsuccessful.She said they were severely disadvantaged by a flawed system."Us as a small business is having to compete against big business that has been favoured by government, and ... on top of the Covid problems, it's made life double difficult by having to compete against businesses that have been given a hand out - taxpayer money."And it is because criteria hasn't been consistently applied. Government's gone on a whim of picking winners and losers."The time for words was over, she said."The Auditor-General is asking for another review. Us on the front-line, we don't need another review, we need action now."We need to know how they're going to correct these injustices. What's going to be done about it."Hiking New Zealand co-director Daniel Murphy did not apply for STAPP funding, saying it did not look like they were eligible."In hindsight, looking at who did get funding, we wish we had applied because it appears that those companies didn't meet the criteria either."But they got funding out of the STAPP process."It has been a source of frustration."We were just puzzled at why these companies that had big parent companies and a lot of money behind them got funding when it was sort of clear they hadn't exhausted other means of funding, which was very clear in the criteria."The Auditor-General's office was calling for a formal review in the next few years to see whether STAPP made a difference.RNZ approached the former tourism minister Kelvin Davis to speak on the fund he announced and had previously defended.He passed the buck on to the current Tourism Minister Stuart Nash.Nash told Checkpoint: "We're always wise in hindsight.""Ministers were operating under great urgency at a time of massive uncertainty as we know, and they had to make decisions quickly."He said the Auditor-General had the ability to look at it "in the cold hard light of day".Nash said he did not accept that money was given to large companies that did not need it.PHOTO: RNZ / Dom Thomas

A new tourism marketing campaign launches in Australia this week to build demand for travel to New Zealand as the country prepares to reopen borders to its first international visitors.The prime minister announced yesterday (Wednesday March 16) that the borders would reopen to Australians on April 12, and to many other countries around the world by May 1, with local businesses and organisations celebrating the move.See also: ‘Ready to welcome the world back’: border to reopen in time for EasterThe campaign, which features videos such the one below, aims to bolster bookings in the early reopening period, which is expected to start slowly.Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) general manager Tim Barke said opening the border to Australians before Easter would allow demand to grow in the following months.Visitors tend to take a while to work out their plans, Tim said: “I think the first people that will be travelling will be people visiting friends and relatives. It will increase over time.”Stuart also said there would be a “rebuild” period ahead. “International travel will be very competitive and airlines will take time to build up their schedules and routes,” he said. “The initial bookings from international tourists will be measured.” “In the first few months we expect people will travel mainly to connect with friends or family, before travel picks up for winter holidays, ski tourism, and ultimately our peak summer season in 2022/23.”Tim said while it would take a while for businesses to “get up off their knees”, opening up to Australians and others is still “really welcome news”.“[Local businesses] are looking forward to getting back to business.”Trans-Tasman visitors have historically made up 40 percent of international arrivals to New Zealand.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Business South is canvassing its members for their views as it prepares to make a submission on the Government’s proposed Income Insurance Scheme, which would offer financial support to workers who are made redundant.  The proposed scheme would provide workers with 80% of their income for up to seven months in the event they lose their job through no fault of their own.  The Government plans to introduce the redundancy scheme in a bid to improve workforce resilience and provide a buffer against any future economic and policy shocks.New Zealand and Australia are the only countries in the OECD that do not already offer such support. “There are clearly strong opinions on the scheme and we encourage business to voice these and work with Business South so we can advocate on their behalf,” says Business South Chief Executive, Mike Collins.  Business South will make a submission to the Government on behalf of southern businesses before the consultation period closes on April 26, 2022 and will consult widely to ensure the submission accurately reflects the depth and breadth of views among the southern business community. “The aim is to provide different opportunities for businesses to engage in this process, and we strongly encourage them to do so,” says Mr Collins. “It’s important to share the voices of southern businesses, so the Government is aware of their views and any impacts they foresee for their operations.” Businesses and individuals can have their say on the New Zealand Income Insurance Scheme here. 

A Wānaka couple has applied for consent to establish an annual open-air cinema event at Glendhu Bay, similar to the long-running Black Barn OpenAir Cinema, to be held each summer for the next 10 years.Edelweiss Productions Ltd, owned by Urs and Doris Blum, applied for resource consent in September last year to establish the movie event in a paddock on the corner of Motatapu and Mt Aspiring Roads, opposite the Glendhu Bay motor camp.The plan was to start this March but the ongoing Covid pandemic restrictions means the inaugural event is likely to be postponed to 2023.  It’s proposed to hold the Glendhu event during either February or March each year, working in with other local events traditionally held at that time of the year, such as the Motatapu Race,Tuki Festival, Ripe Food and Wine Festival and so on. The proposed location of the outdoor cinema at Glendhu Bay opposite the Glendhu Bay motor camp. If approved, the event would last up to nine nights, from 6:30pm to 11:30pm, and is considered to be “small-scale” - hosting a maximum of 1,500 guests. Guest parking would be onsite and the application suggests a return bus service from Wānaka would be trialled over the first few years.The consent application is supported by Glendhu Station landowners the McRae family as well as Glendhu Bay motor camp’s managers Phil and Pene Hunt.Phil said the concept of an annual open air cinema event is great: “We’re up for anything like this which brings something new to Glendhu.”Edelweiss Productions Ltd is based in Havelock North but is owned by Doris and Urs Blum who moved to Wānaka a year ago. Urs declined to comment.Edelweiss has successfully operated the annual Black Barn OpenAir Cinema in Havelock North at Black Barn Vineyards for 17 years and in their consent application they said they were “keen to bring this unique experience of 'A movie night under the stars' to Wānaka”. The consent application to the Queenstown Lakes District Council is currently pending.PHOTOS: Edelweiss Productions

A volatile operating environment due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a decline in revenue and profits, Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) has announced in its half-year earnings report.QAC says passenger numbers reduced by 27 percent for the period July to December 2021 when compared to the same period in 2020.“Nationwide and regional lockdowns and movement restrictions were in place for more than half of the six-month reporting period, resulting in significantly reduced passenger and aircraft movements,” QAC board chair Adrienne Young-Cooper said.“There were no flights between Auckland and Queenstown, usually our busiest route, for 178 days creating an extremely challenging business environment.”Domestic passenger arrivals and departures decreased by 30 percent to 482,005 over the reporting period.QAC board chair Adrienne Young-CooperThe trans-Tasman ‘bubble’ was open for a short period from April 2021 to July 2021. In July there were 12,960 international passenger movements and none for the remainder of the year.Total operating expenditure increased from $4.5M to $6.4M which Adrienne said is well below pre Covid-19 levels.“The increase in total expenses in the reporting period compared to the previous year can be attributed to the resumption of some operating expenditure necessary to ensure organisational resilience and preparedness for recovery, including a 10 percent increase in our workforce,” she said.QAC chief executive officer Glen Sowry said businesses operating at both Queenstown and Wānaka airports have been severely affected. “Providing support to the operators at the airports has been an integral part of our response,” Glen said.“To date 68 tenants have received support, valued at $9.85M, and $2.6M for the reporting period. All businesses at Queenstown Airport are continuing to operate.”In November 2021 a five-year management services agreement between QAC and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) was formalised. Under that agreement QAC will operate and manage Wānaka Airport but does not have responsibility for long-term planning and capital investment decisions for Wānaka Airport.QAC is a council-controlled trading organisation (CCTO) which owns and operates Queenstown Airport, and manages Wānaka Airport and the Glenorchy airstrip on behalf of QLDC under management services agreements. The company is owned by QLDC (75.01 percent) and Auckland International Airport Limited (24.99 percent.Find QAC’s full interim report here.PHOTOS: Supplied

Wānaka restaurant Kika has done it again, with yet another accolade at the prestigious Cuisine Good Food Awards.Each year Cuisine selects more than 40 experts from around the country to anonymously judge restaurants and find the country’s 100 best.Kika made the top-100 list 2017, 2018 and 2019 and 2021 (the awards didn’t take place in 2020 due to Covid-19) but this is the first time it has received a “hat”, awarded to restaurants singled out for an exceptionally high standard.“We are over the moon at receiving a hat,” Kika owner James Stapley said. “It’s a great boost to the team and all of our hard work.” “We are still doing what we have always done but great to be recognised,” James said.He told the Wānaka App support from locals had been crucial during the “incredibly difficult time” for hospitality in recent years.“I’m personally eternally grateful for the amazing support we have had by the Wānaka locals. Without that continuing support it would be a different story.”Cuisine judges, who shared the top restaurant list on February 22, said Kika’s reputation “thunders on”.James said at Kika the team always strives to make delicious, interesting food with “lots of layers of flavours”.“Kika exudes warmth and welcome, which is what they’re all about. Stapley regularly changes the menu to marry with the seasons, but these plates are made for sharing.”Kika’s Roman gnocchi, mushroom puree and confit garlic cream was singled out by Cuisine judges as a top dish to try.James said Kika has always strived to make food that is both delicious and interesting.“The food is simple but complex,” he said. “Lots of layers of flavours.”Kika was Wānaka’s only restaurant to receive a Cuisine hat.PHOTOS: Supplied

Local vineyard Aitken’s Folly has come out of the New Zealand International Wine Show (NZIWS) with a substantial medal haul.It received two gold medals (for Aitken’s Riverbank Rd Chardonnay 2019 and Aitken’s Riverbank Pinot Noir 2017), a silver medal (for Aitken’s Riverbank Rd Pinot Noir 2021) and a bronze (for the Aitken’s Riverbank Rd Riesling 2021) at the prestigious competition.Aitken’s Folly owners Ian Percy and Fiona Aiken say they were thrilled to receive a full complement of medals for their wines.  “We’re really pleased with all these medals, especially the two gold medals,” Ian said. “We have always had confidence in our wines and now that has been reaffirmed by the judges who seem to have been equally impressed.”The Aitken’s Folly vineyard is a very small, three-hectare vineyard on Riverbank Road. “We feel we are really punching above our weight,” Ian said. “The quality of what we can produce from our small family-owned Wānaka vineyard probably surprises some of the bigger producers.”Ian and Fiona dreamed of running a vineyard for 20 years before it became a reality.They made career shifts from geology to viticulture after a move from the UK to New Zealand in 2008.The pair are not afraid to take risks: the vines for the Chardonnay (which has now provided them with gold for two years running) were some of the first to be planted in New Zealand.“To have two golds for Chardonnay in consecutive years shows consistent high quality,” Ian said. “Maybe we are onto a winning formula.”There were more than 1,700 entries for the New Zealand International Wine Show (which was actually the 2021 awards, delayed due to Covid-19), with entries from New Zealand, Australia, USA, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Germany and Georgia.Two other Wānaka vineyards also proved the quality of their wines at the NZIWS, with Maude and Nanny Goat each earning four awards. Find more here.The award-winning wines will be showcased at public wine-tastings around New Zealand in the coming days before the Champion Wine of the Show announcement on February 28.PHOTO: Supplied

The National Party’s tourism spokesperson Todd McLay was in Wānaka on Friday (March 4) to address a gathering of local tourism businesses where he called on the government to give certainty to the industry by setting a border reopening date.“I call upon the government to give you the date of when they’re going to have international visitors back,” Todd said.“What is the difference and the risk for you from them [Australians] coming here compared to a New Zealand family?”Todd said international visitors would have to prove they are fully vaccinated and have tests on departure and arrival so any risk is mitigated.“If Kiwis can come back from anywhere in the world plus visa holders for work purposes who are double vaccinated and tested on both sides and there is no risk then actually so can others,” Todd said. “Now if there is a reason it can’t happen today and the prime minister says we’ve got to get over the peak of numbers of Omicron, if that is what their advice says, fine, but actually give us a date.“The reason you so clearly need a date is so everybody has certainty and can start planning.” One local tourism operator (who the Wānaka App won’t name to maintain anonymity) said the uncertainty is putting a real strain on their business. “Why would you apply for a position in a tourism business when you’ve got no confidence that they’re actually going to survive,” they said. “It is putting a lot of pressure on us, our cash flows aren’t there, we can’t afford to have the people working for us, then we need skilled staff [when the border opens]. “That is the pressure that is getting put on us, and it's not great, like I’m honestly looking at my staff … which staff member do I get rid of first? That’s what it’s like.”Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) general manager Tim Barke acknowledged the challenging operating environment. “The environment we find ourselves in at the moment has been a massive struggle for our community, and many of our people and businesses are on the ground gasping for air,” Tim said. “There is a little bit of light proposed, seemingly at the end of the tunnel, which is hopefully not another train.”The government has announced a progressive reopening of the border from February 28. Under that plan Australian travellers who meet vaccination and testing criteria can travel to New Zealand no later than July 2022, but a specific date has not been set. The border will be open to all travellers meeting the specified criteria from October 2022. See the government's plan here. PHOTO: Wānaka App

A new leisure attraction under construction at Hāwea Flat is on track to open this winter.YourWave is a world-first product created by local Ross McCarthy. Ross’s design pumps water over an inflatable form to create a surf wave.“We have world wide patents now on all the inflatable system so we’re the only company in the world who can use that system,” Ross said. Ross standing next to the pumps which will be used to push water over the wave form.“And the only company in the world who can adjust a wave on the fly while you surf it.”Ross has a masters degree in product design and has been refining his invention for ten years. He said the latest prototype went “really well” and the time is now right to set it up in a commercial environment.“We’ll be able to change the height [of the wave] from pretty much nothing to over 1.8 metres,” Ross said. YourWave will be the only system in the world which can change the shape of a wave while it is being surfed, he said.An artist's impression of the surf attraction.“We can change it on the fly, from a nice carving wave to a stand up barrel.”On any given day Ross expects the most popular wave to be between 0.8 metres and 1.5 metres. He said pricing is a work in progress, but he expects to be able to accommodate approximately eight surfers per hour.The attraction uses water from the bore on the farm where it is situated. “One of the best features about putting YourWave on a farm is the fact that we can circulate irrigation water through the unit which means we do not need to treat the water or use chlorine,” he said.“It gets pumped through the wave before going back out onto the farm through the irrigation system,” Ross said.Read more about YourWave here.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Wānaka Police will not prosecute any of the taxi drivers accused of price gouging during the New Year’s period.A number of complaints were received by Wānaka Police around New Year’s complaining about customers being overcharged by taxi drivers from out of town.Wānaka Police acting senior sergeant Kim Chirnside told the Wānaka App the investigation did not lead to any prosecutions. “Police investigated this matter and found that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute any parties,” she said. Complaints were made to Wānaka Police after customers agreed to a fixed price with taxi drivers but were later charged at a higher rate. PHOTO: SuppliedIn several of the complaints received by police, the drivers and customers had agreed to a fixed price but the customers were then charged at a higher price when the Eftpos transaction was put through, Kim said. Some locals aired their grievances on social media at the time, citing examples such as people being told they would be charged $30 but finding the next day they were charged an additional $100.One person was charged $100 to go from the Pembroke Park skatepark to Albert Town; another was charged $230 from Wānaka to Glendhu Bay. None of the locally owned taxi companies - Wanataxi, KT Taxis and Yello - were accused of being involved with the price gouging.Kim would not elaborate on the investigation.She said Wānaka Police would keep a close eye on taxi activity this summer.“Police [are] aware of a group of taxi drivers coming to the Southern Lakes area specifically for the New Year period and will be monitoring this group during the next New Year period.”

The independently owned radio stations Radio Wānaka and Roy have been sold to New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME).The stations had been owned by Wānaka resident Mike Regal, under Central Lakes Media, for more than a decade. “NZME is a leading media company in New Zealand and we have always had a great working relationship,” Mike said. “Their dedication to local media means I know Radio Wānaka is in safe hands, and the community I know and love will continue to have a quality radio station to keep them entertained and in the know.”Mike will stay on as the morning announcer on Radio Wānaka.Fellow staff Petrea McRobie, Hannah Twiss, Ali O'Connor and John Jones have also been retained and will join NZME in the Wānaka office.Breakfast announcer Bradley Craig (Bradley’s Big Breakfast) has not had his contract renewed.Under the new ownership, Radio Wānaka will join NZME’s stable of radio stations broadcasting into Wānaka, which include Newstalk ZB, The Hits, ZM, and Coast. Radio Roy has been closed and it is expected NZME will use Roy’s radio frequency to broadcast one of its other national radio brands (Gold, Flava, or Radio Hauraki) into Wānaka.“We’re thrilled to be welcoming Radio Wānaka to the NZME family, as well as Mike, Petrea, Hannah, Ali and John,” NZME’s general manager South Island regions Janine Tindall-Morice said. “Their local knowledge and experience in radio will be invaluable as we work together to continue to provide a voice for Wānaka residents and businesses.”Mike will host Radio Wānaka’s weekday breakfast/morning show from 6am-12pm with NZME announcer Peter Mac hosting the afternoon show.NZME is one of New Zealand’s largest media companies managing print, audio, and digital media.The sale of Radio Wānaka and Roy to NZME was effective from Tuesday February 1.PHOTO: Supplied

Local businesses feeling the strain of staff shortages say the current situation is not sustainable.Ignite Wānaka general manager Naomi Lindsay said a summer labour shortage was anticipated as the usual working holiday visa holders are not available to fill jobs.“With the borders closed, we are lacking the usual turnover of summer temp staff that many businesses rely on,” Naomi said. New World Three Parks co-owner Natashia Bartley said the combination of staffing woes and Covid “has become another large issue for running a business in the current climate”.  “In these unprecedented times, we’re now seeing unprecedented staffing shortages.”  She said it has always been difficult to find staff in Wānaka to replace the temporary student workers who resume their studies in February and March but it’s been worse this year.“Once we lose the students that help get us through the festive season each year then February and March have always been a challenge; [but] this year we have already been extremely short since June/July and now the students are starting to leave and there is no one looking for work.”Edgewater Resort Hotel has employment vacancies in every department.A summer casual employment fair held in early December in Wanaka successfully married a few unemployed people with local jobs but many businesses were still left with unfilled employment vacancies.Edgewater Resort Hotel employs around 70 staff but is currently operating well below its usual complement with vacancies across all departments, from cleaning to front of house, which have been hard to fill.Edgewater general manager Catherine Bone said while she is very grateful for the surge in visitors over recent weeks the resort’s workforce “was really under pressure to…keep up with demand”.  “The team did an amazing job and have been working so hard but, despite all [their recruiting] efforts, we are about 40 percent back on our usual workforce numbers for this time of year.”“We are noticing a huge gap in the market with a lack of backpackers who would usually backfill the full time team with seasonal positions. It has put an incredible amount of pressure on all departments,” she said. Catherine said they even considered reducing their levels of service but decided it wasn’t practicable and have just “managed somehow… but it is not sustainable long term”. Natashia said the New World Three Parks team has long relied on working holiday staff but with the government not issuing any working holiday visas there aren’t enough Kiwis needing work.“Along with other local businesses we are advertising in all avenues we can and the people are just not here.”“In my opinion, unless the government starts to issue working holiday visas again the current situation will continue to get much worse as many of our longer staying migrant workers are continuing to move on or return home,” she said.Naomi said Ignite is working with Queenstown’s Chamber of Commerce and council's economic development team, which established Mahi Queenstown Lakes, a labour force initiative, to investigate longer term labour force requirements.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

The UK’s largest outdoor retailer, the Mountain Warehouse, will be the anchor tenant in an 11-metre high, two-storey building being constructed on Sir Tim Wallis Drive at Wānaka’s Three Parks.The building will house four ground floor retail spaces and three upper floor tenancies, and the Mountain Warehouse will occupy 642.4m2 of the site, facing back towards New World Three Parks.“All the buildings along Sir Tim Wallis drive are going to be quite significant looking buildings; about two or three stories high. We’re going to make quite a statement with them,” Three Parks developer Allan Dippie (of Willowridge Developments) told the Wānaka App.And the Mountain Warehouse may not be the only Warehouse coming to Wānaka, Allan hinted.He said a Kmart is not planned for Three Parks, and added: “But one of their close competitors might be arriving.”“There’s quite a bit happening, and it’s coming together slowly and steadily,” he said.Willowridge commercial leasing spokesperson Mark Pittaway said the Mountain Warehouse, which has about 350 stores worldwide, “is showing a lot of faith in New Zealand”.Allan Dippie said the buildings along Sir Tim Wallis Drive will be “significant looking”.“This gives us the ability to start the construction of smaller retail units along Sir Tim Wallis Drive. The demand’s there; it’s really exciting times.”Allan said having New World and Mitre 10 at Three Parks has helped ease the usual Christmas and holiday congestion in Wānaka.“I’ve noticed particularly this Christmas with Three Parks existing it’s made locals’ life a lot more pleasurable at Christmas.“I think that’s quite a big change. People used to dread going into town at Christmas. Now you can cruise out there, and the supermarket can cope.”Allan said the building next to the supermarket which is close to completion will have five tenants, including Henry’s (liquor store) and Bike It Now (bike retail, tour, hire and workshop service).The resource consent for the Mountain Warehouse building was approved by the Queenstown Lakes District Council in October 2021.Mountain Warehouse was approached for comment.IMAGES: Supplied

Tarras Cherry Corp is using New Zealand-developed orchard management technologies to ensure workers are paid for the exact kilograms of cherries they harvest.The technology, which uses radio-frequency identification, was developed by Auckland based software company, Dataphyll.Orchard and project manager Ross Kirk said at a time when pickers were in short supply, investing in smart technologies was a way to attract and retain quality workers.“We want to lead the charge as an innovative and progressive operation throughout the supply chain.”He said the software provides an absolute volume of harvested fruit through scanning and weighing.The volume is then linked to the picker.“Pickers know in real-time how much they have picked and how much they will earn,” he said.Mr Kirk said as workers were paid per kilogram, there was an incentive to fill buckets.“A smart picker can earn well because the more they pick, the more they get paid and it pinpoints top performers who pick above the minimum and may be eligible for bonuses.”He said workers can keep track of their earnings via an app on their phone.The technology also meant there was no risk of pickers being paid for fruit someone else harvested.Mr Kirk said traceability would be the immediate benefit this season.“Over time, long-term data collection will allow orchard mapping to determine harvest volumes and ease control of fruit flow to the packhouse.”Dataphyll chief executive officer and co-founder Christoph Kistler said the technology was developed to pay pickers for performance, not attendance.“It tracks workers and buckets via ID tags, which interface with mobile devices and weigh stations in the orchard.”Mr Kistler said the software, developed initially for the berry industry in 2015, had been extended to meet Tarras Cherry Corp’s needs.The concept means the weight of harvested cherries is captured via a unique identifier on the bucket. There were also other benefits, he said.“Orchardists can review performance and production in real-time, highlight best performing workers, row-level yields and understand reject rates,” Mr Kistler said.