A landmark deal has been signed with Amazon for The Lord of the Rings TV series, currently being filmed in New Zealand. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) - signed after negotiations between Amazon and the New Zealand Film Commission, Tourism New Zealand, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment - secures multi-year economic and tourism benefits to New Zealand, outside the screen production itself.Economic and regional development minister Stuart Nash predicted the agreement will not only create an enduring legacy for New Zealand’s screen industry, but also generate local jobs and create work for local businesses.“There is considerable economic and tourism potential in the Lord of the Rings project,” he said. “Not only does it bolster our global reputation as a desirable place to make screen productions, it will further strengthen our tourism appeal to visitors with the ‘Middle-earth’ theme,” he said.The Lord of the Rings trilogy was dubbed “the best unpaid advertisement that New Zealand has ever had" by a former Tourism New Zealand manager and the number of visitors to New Zealand shot up by 40 per cent in the five years following the first film’s release in 2001. Stuart Nash says the deal will create an enduring legacy for NZ’s screen industry; meanwhile the Tax Payers Union called it a “corporate welfare payment” for one of the world’s richest companies. PHOTO: SuppliedA film studio proposed for Wanaka was also recently compared to the Lord of the Rings films in terms of the effect it could have on the local economy.See also ‘Lord of the Rings’ style boost from proposed film parkThe TV series is expected to be a multi-year production and filming will take place in provincial regions as well as Auckland, and it is expected to be particularly beneficial for the South Island, Stuart said.Stuart said the deal will also result in job creation; increased coordination with Amazon and NZ businesses; Amazon’s promotion of NZ businesses, innovation and R&D opportunities; and stimulate growth in the NZ screen sector.“It will enable a new wave of international tourism branding and promotion for this country. It opens the door for Kiwi businesses to access future innovations in technology, research and development through connections with the wider Amazon group,” Stuart said.It is estimated Amazon is spending up to $650 million in New Zealand for season one of the show. The MoU entitles it to a potential rebate of 25 per cent of this expenditure, or approximately $162.5 million.While New Zealand Taxpayers Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke described the deal as a “$162M corporate welfare payment” for one of the world’s richest companies, Stuart said these types of grants, rebates and incentives are “the global norm for countries who want to be part of the international film industry”. “Without this rebate, jobs and economic opportunities would be lost overseas in the fiercely competitive global film industry,” he said.

After a wait of almost three years, Wanaka’s Brownston Street food vans have moved across the street to the new food stall village created beside Bullock Creek.Three of the four food vendors now established at the new food village moved on Tuesday and reopened their businesses yesterday (Wednesday April 14) to a steady flow of customers at lunch time.The four businesses are Sushi, the Burrito Cafe, Firebird and Coco Hut but there’s further space for another couple of vendors.The first to be established in the landscaped setting was Chrissi Roper’s Coco Hut, which specialises in Southeast Asian cuisine. Coco Hut hadn’t been a part of the group of food vans on the northern side of Brownston Street, and decided to get set up in the new village ahead of the rest.Chrissi said she thought the village was a great idea and a beautiful setting for this style of dining.“I've been to different outdoor food courts in other countries and it's nice to go with friends but you don't always want [to eat] the same thing. So it's really nice to have the choice; like someone might want a burrito, and someone else wants some fried chicken or pad thai and everyone's happy. “It's a lovely way of doing it, you know, to sit together and enjoy your food by the beautiful creek,” she said.Sushi’s Akiko Suzuki said she had learned of the food truck village concept three years ago and was keen to become a part of it but just had to be patient. She spent 10 months building up customers on the other side of Brownstown Street and was very happy to move into the village.“Finally, we are here, and we are so pleased to be here,” she said.Firebird’s Peter Hvid said they shifted onto their new site in the rain ‘but it’s all worth it, right?”Firebird has a permanent spot in the sun and Peter said the “lovely setting” with the creek, stonework, landscaping, tables and seats should prove very attractive.“It's beautiful; it's a nice place to sit, so the hope is that it will be a nice place to come for families and everybody,” he said.The plan to establish a food stall garden was proposed by the Teat Family Trust, the Brownston Street site’s landowners, in 2018.The original food truck hub started in June 2017 on Adventure Rentals’ land on Brownston Street where the land was zoned commercial and licensed food trucks were permitted.On the opposite side of the same street, the Teats’ land was zoned medium density residential and, with the blessing of the Wanaka Community Board, project manager Casey Teat applied for resource consent.The consent was approved by the Queenstown Lakes District Council in December 2018 but neighbours who had submitted against the proposal appealed the decision to the Environment Court in 2019.However, during this lengthy appeal process, the zoning of the Teats’ land changed under the Proposed District Plan, which allowed the commercial activity to proceed and redefined the food trucks as buildings. As consent was no longer required, it was withdrawn together with the neighbours’ appeal. It took years to sort out but Casey told the Wanaka App he was “very pleased” with the outcome.PHOTO: Wanaka App

Tourism New Zealand has appointed a new chief executive, René de Monchy.René has been a member of the Tourism New Zealand executive team for over five years and has been interim chief executive for the past few months - “a uniquely challenging time for the sector and the organisation”, Tourism New Zealand board chair Jamie Tuuta said.“René is a strong advocate for working with government and the sector to ensure that it enriches Aotearoa and this will be particularly important as borders start to open,” Jamie said.He said Tourism New Zealand continues to have a firm focus on encouraging domestic visitation to support New Zealand’s recovery. News of quarantine free travel with Australia about to open up means the team is working with the sector to get Australians booking and to ensure that the industry is ‘Australia ready’, he added.The organisation is also working to keep New Zealand’s brand alive in other core markets for the eventual return of overseas visitors.“Tourism is important to New Zealand’s recovery and as we get closer to the return of international visitors it’s incredibly important that this is balanced with ensuring tourism enriches our home, communities and people,” René said.“I look forward to working closely with government and the sector to achieve this.” PHOTO: Tourism NZ

Public feedback is being sought on tighter rules for freedom camping, which include proposed new rules for self-contained vehicles, increased penalties, and the recommendation that rental companies collect fines from campers who hire vehicles. Tourism minister Stuart Nash released a discussion document this morning (Friday April 9) with ideas to better manage freedom camping to reduce the negative impacts on local councils and communities, as well as the country’s “100% Pure” brand.“The most consistent complaints I hear about the tourism sector relate to abuse of the freedom camping rules,” Stuart said. “A sub-group of visitors are spoiling the experience for more responsible campers and for locals who are left to clean up the mess.”He cited cases around the country where a surge in freedom camping has led to local bans, including within city limits in the Queenstown Lakes District.Stuart said while backpackers and budget travellers are welcome, “it must be ‘right vehicle, right place’”.  “Freedom camping in self-contained vehicles has a place for Kiwis and international visitors. However change is needed where vehicles are not self-contained, so communities have more confidence in the system. We want clear rules and expectations so we can deliver a high quality visitor experience,” the minister said.Freedom camping at the Red Bridge site.The discussion document asks for public feedback on the future of vehicles that are not self-contained, with four main proposals. The first two are alternatives: that all vehicle-based freedom camping would be limited to certified self-contained vehicles only, or that vehicle-based freedom campers would be required to either stay at a site with toilet facilities, or stay in a vehicle that is certified as self-contained. Freedom campers on public conservation land and regional parks would be excluded from this requirement.Other proposals are stronger powers to enforce the rules, including a regulatory system for certifying self-contained vehicles involving checks on the people doing the plumbing work and issuing the certificates, and a centralised vehicle register; tougher penalties and fines; requiring vehicle rental companies to collect fines; and additional grounds for confiscation of vehicles that breach freedom camping requirements.The fourth proposal is to strengthen the standard for self-contained vehicles, including testing whether it should align with the recommendation from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment that would require toilets in self-contained vehicles to be permanently plumbed in, rather than merely portable.The minister said improving freedom camping regulations would “go a long way” to changing campers’ behaviour. “These proposed changes are in line with our priorities for tourism once borders can safely reopen. We want to reset tourism on a sustainable model, mitigate the negative impacts associated with tourism, and elevate Brand New Zealand. The time to do so is now, before we fully reopen to international tourism,” he said.Find the discussion document and details about how you can share their views here. Public consultation opens today (Friday April 9) and closes on Sunday May 16.Submissions can be made online, by email or mail. MBIE tourism officials will also hold public information sessions around New Zealand, as well as webinars for people who are not able to attend a meeting.PHOTOS: Wanaka App

A quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia will begin at 11:59pm on April 18, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced this afternoon (Tuesday April 6).In its consideration this afternoon, Cabinet accepted advice from Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield who said the risk of transmission of Covid-19 from Australia to New Zealand is low, that quarantine-free travel is safe to commence, and that he was confident in both countries’ ability to manage a travel arrangement, the PM said.In its consideration this afternoon, Cabinet accepted advice from Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield who said the risk of transmission of Covid-19 from Australia to New Zealand is low, that quarantine-free travel is safe to commence, and that he was confident in both countries’ ability to manage a travel arrangement, the PM said.The PM said since the pandemic began sacrifices have been made: “One sacrifice we’ve had to bear... has been not being able to see friends and family who live in Australia.”She said safely opening up travel to another country was “an important step forward in our Covid response”.The PM warned, however, that travel would not be without risk. Just as we have alert levels to manage Covid in New Zealand so there would be three levels - “continue, pause and suspend” - to manage the trans-Tasman bubble.She said travel could “continue” without restrictions if Covid cases were well-contained at the border, for instance; but if a case was not clearly linked to a known source or a State issued lockdown then a “pause” would create a temporary halt to travel between that State and New Zealand.And if multiple cases of an unknown origin were recorded then travel would be “suspended”.The bubble will operate on a state-by-state basis within Australia. If there was a community outbreak in one state, travelling Kiwis in that state may have to stay put, self-isolate or be tested, but Kiwis in other states would not necessarily be affected.There was also an element of “flyer beware” as the government will not rescue those trapped in Australia because of an outbreak and it’s unlikely such occurrences will be fully covered by insurance. All trans-Tasman international airports in New Zealand, including Queenstown Airport, are currently being audited to ensure safe travel is managed. This audit process is due to be complete by April 16.QAC has been preparing for the opening of the travel bubble. PHOTO: Wanaka AppPassengers flying to and from Australia will pass through a “green zone” on arrival which will keep them separated from other passengers arriving from other countries. They will fly on aircraft and with aircrew only operating on trans-Tasman flights.Only passengers who have been in Australia for 14 days or more will be permitted to fly to New Zealand and vice versa. The Queenstown Airport Corporation has been working with the Southern District Health Board in preparation for a return of international flights and vaccinations of airport staff and their close contacts will begin this Saturday (April 10). A one-way safe travel bubble was opened between Auckland and Sydney in October last year without requirement to quarantine in Sydney but until now it has never been reciprocated with passengers returning to New Zealand always having to stay in quarantine for 14 days on their return.The Ministry of Health announced no new Covid-19 community cases today but advised of 17 new Covid cases in managed isolation over the last two days, 11 of which were new arrivals from India who tested positive for Covid either on arrival or during their first day test in isolation. On Monday (April 5) India recorded a record rise in Covid-19 infections with more than 100,000 new cases reported in one day.

Local event styling company The Full Effect has been hard at work creating a bright and bold street presence for the Southern Lakes Festival of Colour.The business is run by two long term locals, Nikki Latham and Erika Gordon, whose motto is “styling the crap out of life”.The pair met in 1997, and talked for years about setting up a styling business together.They took the plunge in late 2019, deciding “the time was right”. Not long after, Covid-19 hit, and after some discussion the two partners decided to keep the business running.“It gave us time to find our feet,” Nikki said.Since then they have done a lot of visual merchandising (optimising the presentation of products and services) for local shop windows and displays, and styled various exhibits at the recent Wanaka A&P Show.Erika Gordon and Nikki LathamThe pair approached the Festival of Colour with a proposal to enhance the streetscape presence of the festival, and were thrilled to get a ‘yes’.“We’re super excited about the festival because that was our dream,” Erika said. “Hopefully people will enjoy what we’ve done.”We’re trying to bring the bright and the bold to the festival, bringing more presence in the streetscape.”“We’d like people to say ‘OMG who made that?’,” Nikki said.Their work will be seen mostly around the Crystal Palace and the Lake Wānaka Centre on Ardmore Street, but will include seating at the Dinosaur Park and the trademark Festival of Colour leaves at each regional venue.“We love doing the quirky creative stuff,” Erika said. “We really love making things - and we have so much fun.”“Where possible we try to be sustainable,” Nikki added. “We use recycled materials, and make things which will be permanent.”The business has a range of eclectic and stylish props which people can rent. The pair’s dream is to find a “massive workshop” where they can work as well as display their wares.Find out more here.The Festival of Colour will take place in Wanaka and elsewhere from April 12-18.PHOTOS: Wanaka App

A government fund that helps councils build infrastructure for visitors has been re-opened, and Queenstown Lakes is one of the priority areas.Round five of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund, which has a specific focus on regions hardest hit by the loss of overseas tourists, will open for applications next month, tourism minister Stuart Nash announced today (Wednesday March 31).It last allocated funds in November 2019. “I have updated the criteria for projects to be prioritised by the fund. It will now better reflect the reality that jobs and businesses in some regions, particularly the South Island, are harder hit by the loss of international tourists than other regions,” Stuart said.“All councils will still be eligible to apply if they lack adequate revenue sources to cater for visitors, for example if they have a small ratepayer base. Community groups with council backing can also apply.An empty Helwick Street in Wanaka a year ago, during the initial Covid-19 restrictions. PHOTO: Wanaka AppThe minister said he has identified five regions that face greater uncertainty given their reliance on overseas visitors: Queenstown Lakes, Kaikōura, MacKenzie - Aoraki Mt Cook, Fiordland and South Westland. Applications from these districts will be prioritised, he said. “The projects will provide much-needed local employment as tourism towns work to diversify their economies. The new infrastructure will also ensure the quality of the visitor experience is improved for when tourists return in greater numbers.”Stuart said the round five funding will ensure government investment in visitor projects can continue while the government works to open quarantine-free travel with Australia, and other international connections when it is safe to do so. While the final size of the funding pool is still to be determined it is expected to be in the vicinity of $13M, he said.The Tourism Infrastructure Fund was established in 2017. It has helped councils build and maintain important assets like public toilets and showers, carparks and footpaths, waste disposal and water treatment facilities, freedom camping sites, picnic shelters, jetties and boat ramps, bike stands and mountain bike hubs.

The need to prioritise sustainable tourism that enhances community wellbeing is the central theme of the Tourism Futures Taskforce report, which was released on Friday (March 26). The taskforce was established in May 2020 as an independent public-private partnership to consider the long-term future of tourism, and tourism minister Stuart Nash said the report sets out a vision and direction for the sector.“Their report seeks to re-imagine tourism, long after the Covid-19 recovery period,” he said. “It sets out a desired ‘Future State’ where the wellbeing of communities is at the centre of the tourism eco-system.”Lake Wānaka Tourism general manager Tim Barke told the Wanaka App now is the time to plan for tourism’s future, adding the report outlined the direction the majority of people he had spoken to wanted to see the tourism industry head.The new report seeks to create a more sustainable future for the tourism industry. PHOTO: @freeridenewzealandIn the report, the taskforce recommends legislating a tourism business standards framework; creating a government-led supply management system; targeting an even spread of visitors throughout the year; creating a formally recognised public/private industry leadership body; and more.“The taskforce also highlights an opportunity for the industry to co-own and co-invest in its future, so much-needed changes can support jobs, businesses and communities that rely heavily on tourism,” Stuart said. One way it recommends doing that is by raising employment standards and improving career pathways. “A government supported industry agreement, with seed funding, needs to be created, together with the development of a credential pathway to support an attractive career structure,” the report says.Tim said it made sense to be thinking and looking to the future: “...what we all wish that to look like, what we will be leaving our descendants, and what we need to do, starting now, to enable that to happen.”He said most people he had spoken to were currently under financial and situational pressure, “but the vast majority are determined to see this as an opportunity (probably a once in a lifetime) to make a significant difference and future-proof the way we operate as a visitor destination.“There has never been a better opportunity to achieve this.”Next up for the taskforce is reviewing its approach for the next phase of work, which will include fleshing out further details of the recommendations for the final report.“I anticipate drawing further on the expertise of individual taskforce members as the government works on tourism recovery and a re-set of the sector over the coming year...Their work will be a useful contribution in moving towards a more sustainable tourism sector,” Stuart said.Read the full report here.

The Ignite Wanaka Chamber of Commerce board has appointed experienced retail and HR manager Andrew ‘Howie’ Howard as its new chair, replacing interim chair Bridget Legnavsky.Howie is the people, culture and capability manager at Mitre 10 Mega Wanaka, and he is also the current board chair of Wanaka Primary School.He was elected to the board at the AGM last November along with fellow new board members Emma Kenny, Jo Learmonth and Bronwyn McCarthy. At that time Bridget stepped back into the chair role – as an interim measure – after Pete Eastwood resigned from the board.“We have already done some great work as a chamber in focusing our business plan and reviewing our strategic position and vision over the past few months,” Howie said. “I would like to thank Bridget for enabling the transition to a new board and leading our work up to now.”Looking for a local business? See Trades/Services and Health/Beauty in your Wanaka AppHowie is a former owner of an outdoor equipment importing business and also previously worked for outdoor retailers Racers Edge and Mt Outdoors. In his current role at Mitre 10, he is responsible for human resources, health and safety and learning and development for the business.Howard’s appointment took place at last week’s board meeting and he said he was looking forward to a busy year with Ignite Wanaka.“We have some very exciting events coming up this year and are looking forward to building on past success and reaching for an exciting future,” Howie said.“We will continue to deliver our key, successful events and programmes but there are two new aspects to our plan. “We have included a diversified economy as part of our strategy: the past year has shown us that diversified economies are successful economies. This is key to building resilience and future success in our district.”The full board is now: Andrew ‘Howie’ Howard, Celia Crosbie (vice chair), Claire Dooney, Emma Kenny, Jo Learmonth, Bridget Legnavksy, John Metzger and Bronwyn McCarthy. QLDC deputy mayor Calum McLeod is ex-officio.PHOTO: Supplied

A survey of Wanaka businesses indicates business confidence is expected to deteriorate over the next three months and many businesses are largely operating at some form of reduced capacity with plans to cut back further still.More than half (56.25 per cent) of the 112 Wanaka survey respondents said their businesses would deteriorate in the next three months, and district-wide this figure increased to a whopping 77.68 per cent. The sentiment was the same across all sectors, the survey found.“The statistics have largely reinforced the anecdotal evidence we already have and it is good to have some statistics to back things up,” Ignite Wanaka executive officer Naomi Linsday said. The number of businesses operating at less than 25 per cent, between 25-50 per cent and 51-75 per cent of their pre-Covid capacity, was between 21 and 23 per cent for each category.This time last year Wanaka’s CBD was a ghost town with businesses closed during lockdown.“This trend increases when just tourism businesses (accommodation, hospitality, retail, tourism operators and activities) are taken into account,” the report said. Fewer than 20 per cent (17.91 per cent) of Wanaka tourism businesses expected to be between 76-100 per cent capacity and more tourism businesses were operating at a lower level than the overall business economy.Tourism minister Stuart Nash recently told Radio New Zealand news programme Checkpoint Kiwis were travelling and spending money in tourism hotspots but “obviously the increase in domestic spend has not made up for the international spend.”The survey results indicated it wasn’t all bad news however. Almost 30 per cent (27.68 per cent) of Wanaka businesses said they are operating at 76-100 per cent, with little impact on their business since Covid-19 hit, and Naomi said Wanaka had a more diverse economy than just tourism which was enabling some sectors to perform to a reasonable standard despite border closures.Most Wanaka respondents (86.61 per cent) also said their business was able to continue trading for the next three months if the borders remain closed to international visitors. “This figure drops, only slightly, to 77.61% when taking into account just tourism businesses, which gives us some confidence that businesses are staying positive about the next few months ahead,” the report said.District-wide that figure is slightly lower, at 84.39 per cent.Unsurprisingly, 67.86 per cent of Wanaka respondents said demand or number of customers was the single most limiting factor to growing their business, which rose to 89.55 for tourism businesses.The Southern Lakes Business Confidence Survey was conducted by Ignite Wanaka in conjunction with Queenstown Chamber of Commerce and supported by Lake Wanaka Tourism, Destination Queenstown and the QLDC’s Economic Development arm.It “helps inform discussions with ministers, MPs and other stakeholders to paint a picture of our unique economy,” Naomi said.The next survey will be circulated the week commencing May 3.PHOTO: Wanaka App

A complete plan for the proposed Tarras airport could be up to three years away, says Christchurch International Airport Limited.CIAL gave its second public update on the proposal to the Tarras community this week and committed to providing more information in June 2021 on the potential runway alignment, flight path and noise output. The company last year bought 750 hectares of land near Tarras for $45m to start work on a new Central Otago airport.Michael Singleton, CIAL’s director of the project, said on Wednesday evening that as the project got closer to seeking approvals, possibly starting in 2024, a complete plan for the airport would come together.“That is the sort of plan you will get as you move closer to those approval dates and there will be a range of different elements that go into that and they’re all interconnected,” Singleton said.“If you’re asking me, will [you] see in June a rollout plan? – no, you won’t. You’ll start to see things like, what might the airspace look like, what might the runway piece look like, so you’ll start to build up pieces like that.“As that builds closer to where you get into an approval process, you’ll start to see the entire piece.”Singleton also said he doubted that Wanaka Airport could operate alongside a Tarras airport.“It seems a really unlikely scenario. Nothing’s impossible but it would be highly improbable because you’ve got some really simple things… that includes how your airspace is managed because you have approvals for your airspace – we don’t write our own airspace, you have to have an approval for that. You’ve got a natural conflict in that.”Singleton added that he thought it was unclear what operator Queenstown Airport Corporation’s longterm plan was for Wanaka Airport, which is owned by Queenstown Lakes District Council, and that CIAL was engaged in a “competition of ideas here”.“There’s also a piece in that, that is in essence, airlines are a really big determinant in that and will have a really big lead in that.”Chris GoddardTarras locals expressed concerns over the proposal’s effect on the environment, the associated infrastructure needs such as roading, the lighting and noise output and the effect on the lifestyles of those living nearby.Sustainable Tarras spokesman Chris Goddard said that he and other locals arrived at Wednesday’s update hoping to have some of their worries about the project allayed.“In fact, many appeared more concerned than they were before,” Goddard said.“There are plenty of unanswered questions. The project has been going for eight months – the [$45m land acquisition] announcement was eight months ago. They have probably had between $1m and $3m additional salaries on top of the $45m.”He said CIAL had, to date, provided little concrete information for the community about its proposal.“For a project to be run like that it’s really curious that they have no facts and we’re still in an exploration stage. If I was one of the Christchurch ratepayers or a taxpayer, because the New Zealand government is a 25% owner [of CIAL], I would be very worried about where all these salaries and all this hard work is going.”PHOTOS: Tourism Ticker

The news that Silverlight Studios has signed a deal to purchase land near Wanaka Airport for an industrial film park was the talk of the town last week and one of the landowners sat down with the Wanaka App to tell us how it came about.Corbridge Estates Limited Partnership Ltd director Peter Marshall said the conditional agreement to purchase the estate’s 332 hectares was the result of the studio’s wide ranging search all over New Zealand for a suitable site and a casual conversation he’d had with “movie makers” in Auckland.Peter said he understood Corbridge, which also includes the Corbridge Woolshed venue used for weddings and other special events (such as next week’s Wanaka Food and Wine Festival) was selected because of its unique combination of size, terrain, unspoilt outlook and location.He said he was initially approached in July last year by an agent working for the studios who had been investigating the region and liked Wanaka because it was within 100km of a range of natural features essential to movie and television making, including West Coast rainforest, Central Otago’s dry stony formations, McKenzie Country’s vast plains, glacial features, lakes, mountains and so on.Peter said privacy was also a key factor as very little of Corbridge Estates could be seen from public roads.“You can only see the first 500m of the farm,” he said. “You can't see the two kilometres that goes to the river. And it's just got these major depressions and hills and it's got structure with them.”“I think they have looked pretty thoroughly at a lot of other places, and I guess we also ticked the box as they want to be in close proximity to a town.” Corbridge Estates was the venue for the M!NT Charitable Trust fundraiser last week.They don't want to have to create the infrastructure for the employees who will have needs for their families and their future like everyone else, Peter said.He added that Wanaka’s Gigatown campaign which brought digital connectivity to the township years ahead of schedule, was also a factor.Peter said he had suggested deals with options, such as leasing the land, but understood the company was only interested in purchasing the whole area outright.“They have a conditional contract to buy Corbridge. They want to own it and that's fine. They've got their business case and that’s what they want to do” adding that the ball was in their court now.Silverlight’s proposal to build an industrial film park, complete with studios, production offices, a film school, a screening theatre, and an exhibition centre, has been granted government approval to apply for a fast-tracked consent application via the Environmental Protection Authority, which would create an independent expert consenting panel to decide on whether or not to green light the project.As the conditional deal relies on Silverlight getting planning approvals, Peter said “it’s not a done deal yet”.“At the moment, we have a conditional contract with the movie company that might evaporate next week through a decision made in Wellington that we don't have any control over. “So we have to continue on our path,” he said referring to the original plan for the development of Corbridge Estates in the event the film park doesn’t proceed.Peter had been liaising with former world number one professional golfer Greg Norman’s team to create New Zealand’s first 27-hole Greg Norman resort championship golf course. They particularly liked Corbridge Estates because the terrain was ideal for a resort course.Peter applied last year through the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) Proposed District Plan for consent to develop the resort course under the Rural Visitor Zone category but was turned down by council. He plans to appeal the decision with the Environment Court.His disappointment with the council doesn’t rest with this decision alone. Last week the QLDC admitted mistakenly releasing sensitive information concerning Peter’s golf resort proposal to a third party without authorisation and before it had been made public.The error affected the negotiations between Peter and Silverlight Studios, resulting in an “unquantifiable loss” for Corbridge Estates. Peter is currently exploring legal options.Although council declined the golf resort proposal, it has endorsed the film park proposal.In October 2020, the QLDC sent a letter, signed by the mayor and deputy mayor, to the Environment Minister expressing “council’s strong support for the concept and the economic benefits we can foresee from such a development”.The letter also acknowledged that the fast-track consenting process is intended to facilitate faster and more certain outcomes than the council’s usual consenting process under the Resource Management Act.Peter said Corbridge Estates, which is still an operational farm cropping 250ha of barley and triticale (a wheat hybrid), is zoned rural and that zoning will have to change if either option were to proceed.PHOTOS: Supplied

A third retirement village is planned for Wanaka, and if approved will increase the number of units by 100, and the other retirement villages in the township have both the capacity and plans for expansion.Winton Properties Ltd is seeking to construct and operate a 100-unit retirement village and private 36-bed hospital - Northbrook Wanaka Retirement Village - at Northlake, adjacent to Outlet Road.The plans are being fast-tracked under the Covid-19 Recovery Act 2020. Winton spokesperson Sonya Fynmore told the Wanaka App the company hopes to lodge the final application for the project with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) by the end of this week. She said the village is expected to create 700 jobs during construction and an estimated 38 during operation.The Aspiring Lifestyle Retirement Village has experienced a period of high demand. PHOTO: SuppliedThere are two long-established retirement villages in Wanaka: the Aspiring Lifestyle Retirement Village, on Golf Course Road, and the Wanaka Retirement Village, on Meadowstone Drive, which together currently house around 212 people.The Aspiring Village, which welcomed the first residents ten years ago, has 180 residents within its 124 villas and 16 apartments. Neighbouring the village is the Aspiring Enliven Care Centre, which is jointly owned with Presbyterian Support Otago. The care centre has 52 beds, 20 of which are dementia care and the remainder hospital and rest home.Aspiring Lifestyle managing director Aaron Armstrong said the village has experienced a period of high demand in line with the real estate market in Wanaka.The Wanaka Retirement Village is considering expansion. PHOTO: Presbyterian Support Otago“The last nine months, post the original ‘lockdown’ have been very busy. We’ve seen quite a significant increase in interest in the village,” he said.“It’s been seen nationwide by retirement villages, and the general consensus is people of retirement age who experienced lockdown on their own felt somewhat isolated. Our village residents certainly appreciated the sense of community.”Aaron said people who may have been unsure about whether or not to move into a village have now “decided to take action”.He said there is additional land within the village and resource consent for further apartments, but at this stage no decisions have been made around timeframes for expansion.The Wanaka Retirement Village, adjacent to Elmslie House rest home, is owned and operated by Presbyterian Support Otago. The village, which opened in December 2010, has 32 residents within its 11 apartments, 14 villas and three cottages. Presebyterian Support Otago finance director Andrew Borthwick told the Wanaka App the organisation is currently looking at the possibility of building new units to respond to demand.Newer to the scene is the Roys Bay Estate, a luxury lifestyle resort, on Mt Aspiring Road, near Roys Bay, which began construction in 2017.While the community was initially managed under the Retirement Villages Act, the estate has now “deregistered” as a retirement village.Director Catherine Hannon told the Wanaka App that Roys Bay Estate is “a lifestyle community”, with normal unit titles and a body corporate.“It’s still aimed at young middle-aged people [55+], and people can still retire here. But it’s aimed at the active retirees or people who may not really be ready to retire yet, and may want to use it in the meantime as holiday accommodation,” she said. The 2018 Census identified that approximately 21 per cent of the Queenstown Lakes District population was retirement age or older.By 2036 it’s projected that around one in 4.5 New Zealanders will be aged 65 or older.

A new Wanaka-based business launched this week to showcase local food producers, growers, artisans and farmers in the Central Otago region.Forage & Feast Food Adventures, the brainchild of local food aficionado Naomi Lindsay, will provide immersive culinary adventures for locals and visitors.Starting out with half and full day adventures around Wanaka and Hāwea, Forage & Feast aims to educate and inform consumers about the skills, effort and time-honoured practices that go into producing locally grown, slow cooked food.“Food has long been a passion of mine and with a background in communications, marketing and tourism it was the natural next step to combine these skills to create Forage & Feast,” director Naomi Lindsay said.Guests learn about the wild medicinal and food flora growing under their noses with forager Rochana Moon.“There is amazing, locally-produced food here in Wanaka, and behind every producer lies a story: this new venture will be all about showcasing this incredible side of our region.”Naomi will take people around Wanaka and Hāwea meeting the farmers, foragers, growers, herders, butchers, bakers, apiarists and more to find out more about their food journey. A seasonal wild walk will also highlight the edible foods and medicinal plants growing locally.Eating a lunch cooked by local cooks and chefs in a unique location, using ingredients collected that day and goods locally grown or made, is the highlight of both adventures.Forage and Feast director Naomi Lindsay at Pirate Produce, Lake Hāwea.The half day adventure takes in five immersive culinary experiences, while the full day features seven, and around 15-18 local products are tasted in total.Naomi also plans to deliver a series of regular food workshops, pop-up dinners, and events to meet the people behind our food community and connect foodies.A percentage of profits from Forage & Feast will be gifted to local community groups including Food For Love and Community Networks, as well as national charity Eat New Zealand, that supports the New Zealand food industry. Forage & Feast will also provide Tiaki Bees beehives to local schools and groups to aid with education and fundraising, and will support Grow Wanaka and the Hāwea Food Forest with their work.Find out more here.PHOTOS: Supplied

A proposed film park in the outskirts of Wanaka could be as beneficial for the region as the Lord of the Rings trilogy was, supporters say.It was revealed yesterday (Wednesday March 3) that Auckland company Silverlight Studios has a conditional offer to purchase 332ha near Wanaka Airport with plans to turn the rural land into a film park complete with studios, production offices, a film school, a screening theatre, and an exhibition centre.A letter to the government signed by Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult and deputy mayor Calum MacLeod gave their wholehearted support to the proposal, saying the park could provide a boost like the one from Lord of the Rings, much of which was filmed in Queenstown Lakes.“We anticipate that [the facility] can produce the same lift in economic activity and resilience for Wanaka while also enhancing Aotearoa New Zealand’s reputation and capability as a great place to produce quality screen content,” they said. The mayor and deputy mayor said the film park could bring Wanaka the same kind of benefits to the region that the Lord of the Rings movies did 20 years ago. PHOTO: SuppliedThe Lord of the Rings trilogy was dubbed “the best unpaid advertisement that New Zealand has ever had" by a former Tourism New Zealand manager and the number of visitors to New Zealand shot up by 40 per cent in the five years following the first film’s release in 2001. It was also widely credited with putting New Zealand on the map as a film-making destination, and supporting a burgeoning industry which is now competitive internationally, provides a slew of well-paid jobs and attracts high profile movies like Avatar. Lake Wānaka Tourism general manager Tim Barke told the Wanaka App the proposed film park would put Wanaka in the spotlight worldwide.“Aside from the financial injection into the district, there will be opportunities for a large number of jobs and career paths for our people, which we haven’t had on our doorstep before,” he said.He added the venture had the potential to help diversify not just Wanaka’s economy but the whole region’s.Film Otago Southland chair Brad Hurndell said a film studio of any kind would be “a game-changer” for the local film industry, attracting a higher volume and greater range of film business, and building capability and creating jobs for locals.Harvesting at Corbridge Estate recently. PHOTO: Wanaka AppIgnite Wanaka executive officer Naomi Lindsay said such a studio would provide a boost to the economy through permanent population growth, help support other sectors of the community including accommodation, hospitality, retail and professional services, and provide opportunities for local young people to gain skills, training and expertise in an industry that’s known worldwide.“The ability to produce world class films and adverts will also attract international expertise which adds to our community’s diversity,” she said, likening it to the impact of NASA’s regular involvement in the region.Silverlight Studios is owned by industry veterans Ra Vincent, Jonathan Harding and Mike Wallis, who made the offer to purchase the farmland (known as Corbridge Estate and owned by Peter Marshall) which is located 6km east of Wanaka, in August last year. The company was given government approval to apply for a fast-tracked consent application under special Covid-19 rules but the Environmental Protection Authority, which would evaluate the proposal, has not yet received an application.It is estimated the park could employ 300 people during construction and up to 1200 during filming.

The community will be able to discus the proposed Tarras International Airport development with the developers at two community drop-in sessions organised for March 23 and 24. In an email sent out by Christchurch International Airport Ltd, the developers of the proposed airport in Tarras, it announced the drop-in session dates.“We're looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible so we can let you know what we’ve heard so far, give you the chance to add feedback, outline our next steps and answer any questions we can.“We know there is huge interest in details, like runway alignment and flight paths, and rest assured that we are looking forward to sharing that information during 2021 as we complete the necessary studies and modelling."Christchurch Airport said they will continue to engage with the community during 2021 and beyond, and the two Drop In days will show the community the feedback they’ve heard so far.“They will also give people another chance to meet us, add to the feedback, ask questions and understand the project’s next steps,” said the statement.Community Drop-in sessions at Tarras Community HallTuesday, 23 March 2021 - From midday to 7pm.Wednesday, 24 March 2021 - From midday to 8pm.

Europe’s biggest winter music festival, Snowboxx, has announced an avalanche of Aotearoa artists for its first-ever New Zealand edition in collaboration with Rhythm & Alps.The week-long slopeside party at the Cardrona and Treble Cone skifields this spring (September 7-14) will feature an eclectic mix of electronic music.The event was originally planned for 2020, but was cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions.From house to hip hop, drum & bass to disco, Snowboxx NZ said it will recreate the Snowboxx European extravaganza which takes place annually in Avoriaz, featuring an action-packed programme of performances across a series of mountain-top stages. “We have brought together some of New Zealand’s best home-grown talent for one hell of a party,” Rhythm & Alps promoter Alex Turnbull said. “Rather than hedging our bets on borders being open and booking international artists, we want to bring people together, safely, for a festival that will be the envy of the rest of the world - much like Rhythm & Alps which welcomed the start of the year.”The event will be Snowboxx’s first NZ edition.The first artists announced include headliners Shapeshifter, who will perform a live DJ set, a scaled-down version of their full band experience.Accompanying them on main stage duties are firm festival favourites Lee Mvtthews (known for banging out infectious tunes and bass-driven drops) and young production powerhouse Montell2099, with more Kiwi headliners still to be revealed. The event promises electrifying live performances, with the queen of New Zealand’s roots and dancehall scene - Rubi Du, Def Jam’s Polynesian poet Melodownz, and experimental electronic producers Kédu Carlö. Meanwhile, local DnB dons, Concord Dawn, Sly Chaos, Fairbrother and Tali & Chicorelli, will be cranking it up a notch alongside The Peacekeepers. Joining them on a collective mission to make people dance is Frank Brooker, the Sweet Mix Kids, Out of Sorts, Sin, Pork Crackle and Club 121 pioneers, Cameron Morris and Jesper Tjarnfors of 121 Soundsystem.The full artist line-up and programme is to be announced. Meanwhile find out more here.PHOTOS: Supplied

Wanaka councillor and Queenstown District Council deputy mayor Calum MacLeod is calling for a limit on inbound tourism.“Last year New Zealand reached four million tourists. The maxim was summed up in one word by Saatchi & Saatchi [of] the ‘100% Pure NZ’ campaign: “More!”“This is as unsustainable as it is unacceptable,” Calum said. “We have strived for value over volume for decades – and failed. Value must replace volume.”Calum said scaling back from four million to three million visitors would have been impossible pre-Covid-19. While Saatchi & Saatchi wasn’t asked to speculate on a possible upper limit of tourists, the designer of the 100% Pure campaign recently stated it thought that limit could be when the number of visitors approached the number of New Zealanders, Calum said.“Establishing and maintaining an upper limit is essential. Now is our best ever opportunity,“ he said.Calum’s comments follow the release of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s latest report, ‘Not 100% but four steps closer to sustainable tourism’, which follows a report addressing the environmental and cultural impacts of tourism, released in December 2019.Calum encouraged locals to read the latest report and submit their views.The report urges the government to take advantage of the current pause in international tourism to transform the tourism sector into one with a substantially smaller environmental footprint in order to address the long-standing environmental and social issues within the industry.The report makes several proposals to address the challenges: they include a departure tax that reflects the environmental cost of flying; and making central government funding for tourism infrastructure conditional on environmental criteria, which is aligned with the community’s vision for tourism development.It also proposes clarifying and strengthening the Department of Conservation tools to address the loss of wildness and natural quiet, and tightening rules around commercial activity; and strengthening the existing standard for self-contained freedom camping, improving oversight of the certifying process and requiring rental car agencies to collect infringement fees and fines.Calum MacLeod PHOTO: Supplied“We must push for the government to adopt all of these recommendations,” Calum said.“This is vital because climate change is our ‘Nuclear Free’ moment; departure taxes are commonplace in Europe; the adoption of a departure tax will enhance New Zealand’s credibility and standing; and it could become a vital lever to set an upper limit for inbound tourism.”Calum says while tourism minister Stuart Nash is challenging the notion of a departure tax, the remaining three proposals are “no brainers” which he believes will be adopted. Calum said the tourism industry’s rejection of the departure tax “is based on an old lie - any increase in airfares will kill demand”, but added data estimates indicate demand is relatively unresponsive to changes in the price of airfares. He said the introduction of a departure tax would help to reduce aviation emissions by constraining visitor demand and, depending on how it was designed, by incentivising technological change.“In addition, the tax would provide a source of revenue which could be directed towards mitigating aviation emissions and supporting wider climate adaptation efforts as well as a number of other potential benefits.“New Zealand could and should take a leadership role in galvanising countries wishing to promote a higher level of ambition on international aviation emissions.”The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us we can limit inbound tourism, he said in a letter to the Wanaka App.“Firstly it is important to acknowledge there are a lot of our community doing it hard. We will getthrough this. The question is - what happens after the borders reopen?” he asked.International tourism will rebound, and while opinion varies on how fast that will happen the CEO of Emirates recently stated he expects to see 2019 levels back by 2024, Calum said.Calum assumes New Zealand will remain a desirable destination, and remain reliant on long-haul aviation. And as international tourism returns, the government will turn to tourism income to “fill NZ’s Covid-19 depleted coffers”, he said.He said while the economic recovery and the immediate needs of our community present a challenge, we must continue to take the threat of climate change into account; prioritise value over volume, and take a “holistic approach”.“This cannot be simple economics,” Calum said.Read more: Push for sustainable tourism gathers pace.

Snow Sports New Zealand has announced the appointment of Garett Shore as the Snow Sports NZ chief operating officer.Garett lives in Wanaka and has been heavily involved in the snow sports industry for more than 29 years, the majority of which has been spent developing his own company Rookie Academy, a successful ski and snowboard training company. In conjunction with running Rookie Academy, Garett has been actively involved in the New Zealand Snowsports Instructor Alliance (NZSIA) at a governance and management level. He has represented New Zealand on the international stage as a member of the NZSIA Interski Team at three Interski Congresses.  Read more: No business like snow business: Garett ShoreSnow Sports NZ CEO and high performance director Nic Cavanagh said Snow Sports NZ was thrilled to welcome Garett to the senior leadership team.“Described as a perfectionist for his meticulous planning and preparation, Garett is switching from instructing and assessing to helping guide New Zealand’s elite athletes and enable them to deliver world class performances on the international stage,” Nic said.Garett said he was excited about the opportunity to work for Snow Sports NZ. “The past and present team of athletes, coaches and support staff have done an incredible job of putting competitive snow sports on the map, both in New Zealand and globally. I look forward to being in a position to build on this legacy and help foster and grow snow sports in New Zealand,” he said.“I am a definite believer that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life.”He added he was motivated by the opportunity to respond to some of the obstacles the industry will face in the near future.Garett will take up his new position on March 8, 2021.PHOTO: Supplied