Albert Town based horticulture company Hortinvest has expanded its horizons to include a new partnership in the Ardgour Valley, Tarras, investing in fruit growing with the potential for new employment opportunities.Joining forces with Ardgour Station, the two have formed Ardgour Valley Orchards (AVO) and have already planted about 9,000 apricot trees and 1,200 cherry trees during the winter this year, with a further 6,000 apricot trees and 7,000 cherry trees scheduled for 2021 and 2022.Spread across 33 hectares of the station, two thirds of the new orchard has been set aside to produce new commercial apricot varieties bred by Plant and Food Research at its Clyde site in Central Otago. One of the new apricots is an early season variety ready for picking early to mid December.White-fleshed and red-fleshed cherry varieties will complement the stonefruit line-up.White-fleshed cherries will be a point of difference for the new orchard.Hortinvest's Ross and Sharon Kirk said Ardgour Station, located in the fertile Ardgour Valley with plentiful irrigation, provided ideal growing conditions for the cherries and apricots. Bruce Jolly, whose family has bred merino sheep and cattle at Ardgour Station since 1955, said he became interested in diversifying the station's land use into horticulture after a study in 2000 found much of the property was climatically suited to stonefruit production.The site chosen has the best attributes including the nature of its contours, drainage ability and it is frost-free, he said.Ross and Sharon KirkBruce said horticulture was one of the few sectors where the producer could maintain control of the product from orchard to consumer and he was looking forward to being part of New Zealand's horticulture success story.While first harvests aren’t expected until 2023, Hortinvest will manage AVO's orchard and harvest and export operations, including the recruitment and management of staff. Sharon said they’re hoping to attract staff who come to Central Otago and want to stay in the region longer than just a couple of weeks as the orchard could provide work for several weeks from December through to harvests in early March.AVO won’t be providing on site staff accommodation in the early stages, she said, but Hortinvest is already working with the backpackers and the camping grounds on securing workers’ accommodation.“We are also looking at some purpose built accommodation in the future which likely will not be on site,” Sharon said..AVO is the latest orchard development undertaken by Hortinvest in Central Otago. Its other developments include Tarras Cherry Corp which will harvest its first commercial cherries this summer and Deep Creek Fruits NZ LP - a significant enterprise which is developing cherry orchards at Lindis Peaks and Mt Pisa.PHOTOS: Supplied

Many migrant workers currently in New Zealand will be able to stay and work here for longer, following adjustments to visa settings announced by immigration minister Kris Faafoi.The changes include a six month extension for employer-assisted work visa holders; a postponed stand down period for low-paid essential skills visa holders; retention of the 2019 median wage of $25.50 per hour for immigration settings until at least July 2021; and working holiday visas extended by six months.“Our economy is bouncing back better than expected and we are seeing labour shortages across many industries,” Kris said.“With the labour market outlook being more optimistic, we are implementing a range of changes to ensure the migrant workforce already in New Zealand can supplement employers’ efforts to recruit New Zealanders who have lost jobs due to COVID.”Kris said the visa setting changes will run well into 2021 to provide certainty for employers and workers, and the government will closely watch how the labour market develops to see whether further extensions are needed.There are about 192,000 migrant workers in New Zealand. While this is a similar number to a year ago the numbers would be expected to fall as visas expire and border restrictions mean limited numbers of new workers are able to come to New Zealand.“With border restrictions in place to keep COVID-19 out, we cannot bring the numbers of migrant workers into New Zealand that many industries have come to rely on, especially for their peak seasons,” Kris said.“Our priority remains to help get New Zealanders into jobs and we encourage employers to continue focusing on longer-term workforce planning, training, and improving wages and conditions to attract a local workforce.“While these changes will allow employers to retain their existing migrant workforce, they will still need to prove that no New Zealanders are available before hiring new employees.”Workers on employer-assisted visas can renew, and other migrants can obtain essential skills visas, if they have an offer of work for 30 hours per week and it can be shown that there are no New Zealanders available to do the job. Employers of low-paid migrant workers, who are subject to the stand down period, can avoid the stand down period by paying above the median wage.PHOTO: Supplied

More small businesses will be eligible to take out interest-free loans under changes to a government cashflow scheme announced on Friday (December 18).The COVID-19 Small Business Cashflow (Loan) Scheme (SBCS) has been extended until 2023; the interest-free period has been extended to two years; and the eligibility criteria has also been broadened to include new businesses.“There are encouraging signs for our economy, but the global economic outlook remains uncertain,” revenue minister David Parker said. “The scheme provides a backstop for small and medium businesses.”Small business minister Stuart Nash said cashflow support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been central to government efforts to accelerate the economic recovery and sustain businesses and jobs.“The decision to extend the interest-free loan scheme is designed to give confidence to our smallest businesses and keep up the momentum of recovery.” The scheme can provide up to $10,000 to businesses as well as an additional $1,800 for each full-time equivalent employee. PHOTO: SuppliedWhile data for the Queenstown Lakes district is not available, David said a milestone of 100,000 SMEs in New Zealand had drawn on the government support, to the tune of $1.6B. Small businesses from around the country can apply to the scheme, which has a maximum loan of $10,000 plus $1,800 per full-time-equivalent employee.Around 82 per cent of loans so far have gone to firms with one to five employees and roughly 92 percent are to firms with 10 or fewer staff.Most loans have gone to SMEs in construction and building (17 per cent), accommodation, restaurants and cafes (12 per cent), those offering professional, scientific or technical services (10 per cent), retail trade (nine per cent), and manufacturing (seven per cent).The SBCS was introduced to support SMEs struggling because of loss of actual or predicted revenue as a result of COVID-19. The expanded eligibility criteria come into effect in February 2021.Find more information on how to apply to the Small Business Cashflow (Loan) Scheme here.

A 2019 marker has joined the five other stainless steel markers outside Kai Whakapai recording the dates of the six most notable floods of central Wanaka.Eleven months after the December 2019 flood of Wanaka’s central business district, which closed roads and forced many businesses to shut, a meeting of local business operators, elected members, contractors and staff of the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and Otago Civil Defence Emergency Management was held in Wanaka (November 2).Wanaka CBD property owners’ group representative Roger Gardiner, who had been critical of the QLDC’s slow response to discuss how to better manage future floods, said the meeting was productive.He said while no-one expects to hold the flood waters back during a big flood they all agreed with better planning “we can be smarter on how we manage [the floodwaters] and we should be able to keep the town operating”.“It comes at a cost to everyone when streets are closed for four or five days,” Roger said. The metal barrier was deployed to keep water out of Patagonia Chocolates on December 5. Consideration was given to creating a bund (raised ground) along the CBD foreshore to reduce the impact of water entering the CBD, with work expected to start early next year, he said.Options to use a boom or sandbag the low lying area on the lakeside of Ardmore Street were also discussed, as was the option of having on standby two appropriately sized pumps, specifically designed to mitigate the impact of floodwaters, which could be deployed at short notice.Some businesses were forced to close last December, even though they were unaffected by floodwaters, because the council shut down the sewerage infrastructure amid fears of contamination. As a result, council engineering staff will investigate what options are viable to allow stormwater and sewerage infrastructure to remain operational during a similar flood event, Roger said.Big Fig was closed by rising floodwaters.Further clarification regarding local authority announcements which enabled tenants’ insurance cover to be triggered was also sought, he said.Meeting participants also agreed it was desirable to have a QLDC representative with delegated authority in Wanaka to improve response times and the coordination of resources.QLDC media spokesperson Jack Barlow said in future flooding events, a QLDC emergency management officer will be “a visible presence in Wanaka...working alongside the community, contractors and other stakeholders”.He added that Wanaka’s Lakefront Development Plan (stage four: the CBD foreshore area) will consider flood mitigation measures for more frequent events. Roger said evidence of the impact of climate change made it all the more compelling for council to revise its existing Flood Risk Management Strategy for the communities of Lakes Wakatipu and Wanaka - which was published 14 years ago.“Flood guidelines for lakefront businesses to provide information on how to prepare for floods (including emergency plans and business continuity plans), and what to do and where to go when flooding occurs, are currently being updated,” Jack said.Roger said while the meeting was constructive he is disappointed there has been no effort from the QLDC and its contractors to document proposed actions and keep key stakeholders informed.“Council staff and contractors [are] to come up with a simple new plan [but] there is no agreed time frame or allocation of responsibility to convene a future meeting with stakeholders. We find this very frustrating,” Roger said.PHOTOS: Wanaka App

“Not great timing” seems to be the local businesses’ assessment of the government’s plans to introduce a further increase in the minimum wage.The minimum wage was previously $17.70 per hour, but was increased to $18.90 per hour in April this year. In April 2021 it will be raised to $20/hour: a jump of $2.30 in a one-year period.Ignite Wanaka executive officer Naomi Lindsay said the change will impose significant costs to small businesses.‘Significant costs’ for businesses“The increase in minimum wage, proposed extension to sick leave, the new domestic violence leave introduced this year, proposed additional Matariki Bank Holiday as well as the proposal to increase the minimum wage to be offered to 3-year visa holders from $25.50 to $27 all adds significant costs to small businesses,” she said.An escalation in fixed costs makes it harder to turn a reasonable profit, says a local businessman. PHOTO: Wanaka App“This is on the back of a really tough year financially, with little relief on outgoings including rent, etc. This issue will impact many sectors that employ what is deemed unskilled labour earning hourly rates around the living wage rate, including but not limited to retail, hospitality, tourism and some supporting industries.”“Many small and medium businesses are already struggling to maintain overheads with reduced income. Adding other increases to an already stretched environment is causing local businesses to rethink their business models, opening hours and staffing, as a ‘do nothing’ when faced with enforced rising costs isn’t an option,” Naomi said.Naomi said the general issue of rising business costs was mentioned at a recent local meeting with incoming tourism minister Stuart Nash.“He is aware of the pressure this puts on business. We will continue to raise these issues with appropriate parties as and when we can,” she said.Staff may lose jobsLocal businessman Brian Kreft, who owns Wanaka Paper Plus, said the impact of the cost increases will vary from business to business depending on the strength of their cash flow or balances.“The concern is the escalation in fixed costs and it just makes it harder to turn a reasonable profit… You've got to look and say what can you do to decrease costs to cover,” he said, adding that in some cases that will mean staff will have to go.Brian also noted the ‘domino effect’ whereby staff receiving an increase in wages will lead to other staff seeking a wage increase of $2.30 per hour. For example, an adjustment in pay by that amount for 10 staff could increase costs by $51,667 compared to 2018.“The timing’s diabolical. I don’t think thought has been given to the escalation of this because it permeates through the whole business,” Brian said.However, Brian believes the Reserve Bank has done well in keeping unemployment low and money flowing into the workplace. “The proverbial hasn’t hit the fan, but it’s just a matter of when that’s going to be,” he said.Or - wage increases will stimulate economyWhen finance minister Grant Robertson visited Wanaka on the campaign trail in October he said an increase to the minimum wage would stimulate the economy.He said the idea that increasing the minimum wage is bad for the economy doesn't stack up, pointing out that unemployment fell constantly throughout the 2000s, despite minimum wage increases averaging 8 per cent, and it continued to fall throughout the 2010s even with further minimum wage increases by both National and Labour governments. Finance minister Grant Robertson said an increase in the minimum wage will stimulate the economy. PHOTO: Wanaka AppLow wage earners spend most of what they earn in the economy, so increases act as an economic stimulant, he said. It’s also a moral issue, Grant said: Employees should earn enough to live on.“We believe that many people are trying to get by on very low pay and having a pretty hard time and they deserve to make a living,” he said. A new report from the Helen Clark Foundation and the NZ Institute of Economic Research says now would be a good time to bump minimum wage to $22.10 - the amount determined by the Living Wage campaign to be "necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life".How locals are paidIgnite surveys local businesses annually to gauge wage levels, although the survey was not conducted this year because of COVID-19 restrictions.Naomi said among respondents there was an increase in wages paid for both the skilled and unskilled workforce in 2019.Last year’s survey indicated just 1.49 per cent of businesses who responded to the survey paid their staff on average the then minimum wage of $16.50 per hour. Almost six per cent of respondents paid their staff an average of $17.21 per hour, and almost 39 per cent of respondents paid their staff an average of between $21-$28. Local cafe owner Chris Hadfield, who is also a member of the Wanaka Community Board, said he has always paid all of his staff more than the minimum wage.Chris Hadfield says paying his staff a living wage has kept them in town. PHOTO: Supplied“The majority of our permanent local staff we’ve paid the living wage, which is why some of them have been there for eight years or more,” he said.Chris said, however, that the wage increases are bad timing for local businesses.“It’s going to be three to five years before things are anything near to what they used to be. I think we’d all agree that it’s not great timing.“Ultimately if base costs go up, prices go up,” he added.Life on the minimum wageOne local worker told the Wanaka App it is “very hard to survive here on minimum wage”.Working a 40 hour week on the current minimum pays $752 before tax - just over $600 a week in the hand. With rents around $500, she said, that can leave just $100 per week for food, petrol and other costs.“Getting top ups from WINZ and Working For Families basically means public money is being used to help top up employees of these businesses to be able to survive, essentially subsidising them,” she said.“The rise gives an extra $44 before tax on a full time wage: it may be the difference between eating well and staying healthier, or not. Employers need to think more long term but they won't until they are forced to.”Community Networks general manager Kate Murray said the service provides assistance and food parcels to working families in Wanaka.“We definitely do see people who are above the threshold for Work and Income who are struggling to make ends meet.“Their cash flow position is difficult - it doesn’t take many unexpected costs, such as healthcare, to not be able to manage,” she said.

It’s the news local businesses have been waiting for: The trans-Tasman bubble could soon open. Today (Monday December 14) prime minister Jacinda Ardern said a bubble between New Zealand and Australia should be expected within the first quarter of 2021.The PM did issue a disclaimer on the announcement, saying the decision would be made "pending confirmation from the Australian cabinet and no significant change in the circumstances in either country”.A trans-Tasman bubble would allow unrestricted, quarantine-free travel between the two countries. It’s something tourism-dependent businesses in Wanaka and elsewhere in New Zealand have been calling for for many months. At today’s post cabinet press conference the PM said cabinet had agreed in principle to the bubble.Officials have begun work on preparations, the PM said, which would need to include clear plans for the event of a community outbreak, arrangements for air crew and airlines, among other things. "It is our intention to name a date... in the New Year, once remaining details are locked down," she said. Late last week a travel bubble between New Zealand and the Cook Islands was announced, also likely to be implemented in the first quarter of 2021. The Cook Islands and New Zealand bubble would likely be in place before the trans-tasman bubble, the PM said.

Wanaka restaurant Ode Conscious Dining will reopen later this month with a lifeline budget, owner and chef Lucas Parkinson has announced. The restaurant closed its doors on November 8 after the second lockdown in Auckland proved to be one too many financial hits to take. Now, Ode has received a lifeline budget: “An initial investment large enough to get us operational again,” Lucas said.He remained tight-lipped about the financial backers and the certainty it provided for Ode into the future, but said if the trial period was successful the restaurant would “secure” its partners. “I can't say too much at present... The main thing is we're back in action and feeling good about Ode's future,” Lucas told the Wanaka App.This is the second time Ode has closed and reopened, and a third closure was narrowly avoided thanks to a successful apple crumble fundraiser. Ode first closed 15 months after it first opened when the restaurant was severely damaged by fire. After a lengthy battle with insurers and a costly rebuild, it reopened. The restaurant stayed afloat following the first COVID-19 lockdown in March after Lucas put out a plea for the community to buy apple crumbles to help save the business.Later, when the Auckland lockdown hit, Ode lost many of its bookings and closed again on November 8. Lucas said it had been a “gut wrenching” experience but said he was positive about the future.“I know our community and guests will show up and give their full support to help us get through…” Ode will reopen on December 17 under the new moniker ‘New Zealand Cuisine’. The fine dining restaurant serves local and organic food.  PHOTO: Supplied

The government has changed the rules for Queenstown Lakes employers who want to hire migrants.The Ministry of Social Development's 'undersupply list' was updated yesterday (Tuesday December 2) to include 20 types of tourism and hospitality jobs, specifically in the Queenstown Lakes district. The move allows more employers to support a work visa application for roles paid below the median wage - including chefs, bartenders, baristas, cleaners, housekeepers, outdoor guides, tour guides and others (full list below). Both the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) mayor Jim Boult and Southland’s new National MP Joseph Mooney welcomed the news."I am delighted to see the changes made by the ministry today, responding to the lack of New Zealanders available to fill a number of key tourism and hospitality roles in the Queenstown Lakes district," Jim said.There is a lack of New Zealanders available to fill key tourism and hospitality roles in this district, mayor Jim Boult says."Our district has relied heavily on workers from overseas given the scale of the visitor economy here, and I couldn’t see any other way of helping these businesses adequately staff themselves” Southland MP Joseph Mooney says it will mean many thousands of workers on employer-assisted work visas will be able to secure further employment."There was serious concern in the community [that] work visas were expiring and there was a struggle to not only find Kiwi workers, but any workers at all," he said."I had heard of situations where businesses were having to close because they couldn’t get sufficient staff... While [this] does not solve the labour shortage issue, it will provide some relief to many businesses.”The following occupations will be added to the undersupply list for the area covered by the QLDC:351311 - Executive Chef, Head Chefs, Sous Chefs, Chef de Partie, Commis Chef351411 - Cook431111/ 431511 - Restaurant supervisor431511 - Waiter431111 - Bartender431112 - Barista851299 - Butchery assistant851211 - Bakery assistant851299 - Food trades assistant851111 - Fast food cook851311 - Kitchenhand431411 - Concierge542113 - Hotel or Motel Receptionist811211 - Cleaner431912 - Porter811511 - Laundry Attendant811411 - Housekeeper452299 - Outdoor Adventure Guide452217 - Raft Guides452214 - Canyon Guide451412 - Tour GuideEmployers will still need to advertise their vacancies and demonstrate they have made genuine attempts to attract and recruit suitable New Zealanders.PHOTOS: Supplied

Although the Reset Summit has wrapped up, there’s still a chance for local businesses to learn more about living with a smaller environmental footprint this year. ‘Zero Carbon Now Wanaka: How to measure and manage your business’s carbon footprint’ is coming to Wanaka today (Tuesday December 1).“If you missed out on WAO's carbon footprint workshop, or even if you want to delve deeper into the measurement and certification options within New Zealand - this is the event for you,” WAO organisers said.The free event is being led by Ekos, an international non-profit enterprise that develops innovative approaches to financing a sustainable future.Ekos will “demystify the carbon footprint measurement process and… help your business get started on their zero carbon journey no matter what stage it is at,” Ekos said in a statement.Attendees will learn about the importance and the advantages of understanding their business’s carbon footprint; how to start measuring and reducing; and a sense of how much it might cost to measure to the ISO standard and get certified as a zero carbon/climate positive business operation.The event will teach business owners how to start measuring and reducing their carbon footprint.The Otago Regional Council (ORC) recently tallied up its greenhouse gas emissions for the financial year 2018-19, finding its greenhouse gas output over the period was 578 tonnes. Most of the output came from transport fuels, domestic air travel, and purchased electricity: fuel for the ORC’s fleet of 59 vehicles accounted for 349 tonnes; domestic flights, mainly between made up 103 tonnes, and purchased electricity for ORC offices, depots and pump stations totalled 76 tonnes.ORC chief executive Sarah Gardner said the assessment was a first for the organisation, adding that it was done in parallel with a region-wide emissions assessment.“There’s no requirement for us to do an inventory like this of our own organisation, but it has been really helpful for us to take a step back and understand what ORC’s day-to-day activities look like in terms of carbon output,” she said. “Crucially, this work also sets us up with a baseline to measure improvements over time.”‘Zero Carbon Now Wanaka: How to measure and manage your business’s carbon footprint’ will take place at the Lake Wanaka centre tonight, with the doors opening at 4.45pm. A presentation followed by a Q&A session and networking. Register for the free event here.PHOTO/IMAGE: Supplied

A little local company is working with authors and publishers around the world from right here in Wanaka. Sisters Kimberley and Claire Davis are the duo behind Little Owl, which provides editing and writing services for a wide variety of clients. Distance from clients in the rural location hasn’t proven to be a problem, and the business has continued to tick over despite the effects of COVID-19. “We’ve been really fortunate,” Kimberley said. “We’re surprised by how busy we’ve been.“We sort of hope for the best and plan for the worst.” Claire’s background is in communications and events and Kimberley’s in traditional publishing: they decided to pool resources under Little Owl.“We found we have crossover skills that complement each other,” Claire said. The pair tend to tackle different parts of the projects they work on but come together for advice and to look over each other’s works. “It’s nice to have that inbuilt trust where you know you can trust the other person’s intentions,” Kimberley said. Little Owl has worked on a huge variety of books and publications: from Annabel Langbein’s recent memoir Bella: My Life in Food, to Husna’s Story by Farid Ahmed, survivor of the Christchurch mosque attack, and Not That I’d Kiss A Girl by Lil O’Brien. They both have a soft spot for children’s books too, and a long list of recent work in the children’s and young adults book category. “One of my favourites is working with authors on something that has been a really long-held project for them,” Kimberley said. “That’s really rewarding.”“Especially when a project has been a really long time in the making,” Claire said. The pair both take their roles within the publishing industry seriously and care deeply about helping produce quality publications.“There’s that feeling of social responsibility,” Kimberley said. “A book implies credibility.” “There are so many places you can access stories now, from books to Instagram,” Claire said. “As part of a wider industry we care about respecting the process. We’ve built a bit of a reputation for being sticklers.” Learn more about Little Owl here.PHOTO: Jodie James

An application to establish a sightseeing e-bike rental and food/coffee caravan on the Wanaka lakefront has been rejected by council staff, who believe the lakefront is at “commercial capacity”.LandEscape, which operates an e-bike and hot-tub tourism business on 115 hectares near Hāwea Flat, applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) for a licence to operate a mobile facility on the Roys Bay recreational reserve beside the Mt Aspiring Road car park.Active sightseeing proposalThe concept is to promote active sightseeing by e-bike. Initially it would use a mobile coffee caravan with outdoor seating as a focal point on the foreshore where e-bike test rides and safety briefings could occur. LandEscape already has 82 e-bikes designed for sightseeing, numerous spare batteries available from multiple locations for swapping, and a shuttle service to pick up and drop off visitors at their accommodation.LandEscape's YouMo e-bikes are especially designed for cruising and sightseeing. PHOTO: SuppliedLandEscape owner Rik Deaton acknowledged that “unfettered usage of the lakefront reserve by commercial interests” wasn’t desirable but is convinced his proposal, which is more than just a bike rental operation, would benefit the community.It is a comprehensive strategy to replace sightseeing visitors’ cars and motorhomes by providing “a viable and desirable alternative for sightseers”, he said, and is consistent with council’s stated objective to encourage active transport.“It [his proposal] is a synergistic, high-volume, electric bicycle operation...that puts our second transportation network (cycle trails) to work alongside our road system.”Seeking redress Rik took his concerns to the Wanaka Community Board (WCB) earlier this month (November 5), but was declined the opportunity to present his case during public forum by chair Barry Bruce, on the grounds Rik hadn’t pre-registered to speak and his statement would have exceeded the allocated three minute timeframe.Instead, Rik provided a written summary of his application to date, which indicated he had approached elected members at a WCB drop-in session in September 2019 and was advised of the possibility of a suitable site on the foreshore beside the new Mt Aspiring Road car park.A food trailer, similar to this Airstream, is considered the most likely option and it would be wrapped in LandEscape’s corporate artwork with e-bikes, hot tubs and Lake Hāwea and the mountains in the background. PHOTO: SuppliedOn the basis of this, LandEscape employed a professional planner and applied to the QLDC for the licence to operate on the Roys Bay foreshore. But Rik’s application wasn’t supported by council senior parks and reserves planner Aaron Burt.Lakefront at ‘commercial capacity’Aaron told the Wanaka App the location identified for the proposal, in the Roys Bay - Pembroke Park Open Space and Connection area, wasn’t suitable for commercial licences and “the LandEscape activity suggested would limit the ability of the public to enjoy the reserve in the area sought”.Aaron said council also had to consider the volume of proposals for the lakeshore reserves balanced against the popularity of those reserves for public/community recreational use and “the reality is that commercial concepts requiring a licence or lease are typically unsuccessful.” He said the council anticipated commercial activities on the CDB lakefront where they could be clustered to reduce the impact on the community's recreational use of the reserve. Both Paddle Wanaka and Lakeland Adventures have been issued commercial licences to operate on this portion of the recreational reserve.  In the case of Lakeland Adventures the licence to operate replaced its previous activity based at the log cabin (recently removed), and was appropriate in that location, Aaron said.The Lakeland Adventure’s licence was approved by the WCB in May. At the time, some WCB members and Wanaka-based councillors had concerns about the size of the operations but agreed that every effort should be made to support local businesses through the economic difficulties of COVID-19 and having a vibrant lakefront was important.Under the Reserves Act, the council must ensure the values of public reserves are not eroded by commercial use, Aaron said, and the CBD lakefront has reached “its commercial capacity”.Instead, Aaron recommended LandEscape “utilise commercial premises in the CBD to operate its business”.Next stepsRik said commercial premises in the CBD isn’t a practical solution for a number of reasons, including that e-bikes are bulky and the number required was too great for the limited space of a CDB shop, and no premises in the town centre included a space to safely provide riding tuition for uninitiated visitors.Not easily deterred, Rik has resubmitted LandEscape’s application for a licence to operate and said if the application is rebuffed once more council should “expect that decision to be challenged in court”.

Newly-appointed tourism minister Stuart Nash says he will be going back to Wellington to talk to other ministers about solutions for some of Queenstown Lakes’ current challenges. The minister, who replaced Kelvin Davis in the post-election cabinet reshuffle, was in Queenstown yesterday (Wednesday November 18) for talks with district mayor Jim Boult, the council's economic development team, and tourism industry leaders.Jim said he was "particularly pleased" the minister had chosen to come so soon after being appointed to the role.Stuart said he'd had a "very constructive conversation" with Jim about employers' struggles to find staff in the absence of people on working holiday visas. "I'm going to go back and talk to the minister for immigration and the minister of finance and other colleagues to outline a solution that I think, in the short-term any way, may alleviate a couple of problems the Queenstown [Lakes] district faces," he said.It was Stuart’s first visit to the district since his appointment as tourism minister.On Tuesday (November 17) Stuart addressed the Tourism Summit Aotearoa in Wellington and announced one of his goals is to ensure that New Zealanders no longer subsidise international visitors to the extent they have in the past. Asked today whether the district’s proposed bed tax could be a way to transfer the cost of tourism from communities to the tourists themselves, he said he had "a lot of thoughts" about that. "What I have done, two things, first of all the Tourism Futures Taskforce, which is made up of some incredibly knowledgeable and experienced people in the industry, they're going to give me a report in mid-December. "I'll take a good hard look at that, see what their recommendations are. "The other thing is I have asked my officials to be innovative in their recommendations to me about how we can better value the tourist experience that international tourists get when they come to this country." The visitor levy was on its way to parliament as a private members bill before being shelved when COVID-19 struck. Earlier in the day, Stuart had outlined plans to ban international tourists from hiring campervans which are not self-contained. Tourists defecating on the side of the road is not part of New Zealand's global brand, he said. "And I don't think they are the sort of tourists New Zealanders want to see in our country." He said New Zealand will welcome tourists from across the economic spectrum, but will target high spending visitors. "I think what we do as Kiwis, is we undervalue the offering we have. I'm not saying we're going to asset-test everyone who wants to buy a ticket to New Zealand, but what I am saying is if we're spending taxpayers' money marketing New Zealand . . . that spend should be targeted at the high-end tourists." He said New Zealand's global brand was at an all-time high due to prime minister Jacinda Ardern and the country's handling of the coronavirus, and plenty of people will want to come here once the borders reopen. PHOTOS: Queenstown App

Beauty entrepreneur Anna Ross has returned to her roots in Otago after 11 years abroad. The CEO and founder of ethical nail polish company Kester Black formed and grew her brand in Melbourne, Australia, but decided after more than a decade overseas it was time to come home.Her successful brand, launched in 2012, has earned countless awards.Anna said she had been wanting to return to New Zealand for a couple of years and after a long search, it was finding a reliable company for packaging and distribution was the final clincher.“That was really the last piece of the puzzle that allowed us to leave Australia and come back to New Zealand,” she said. Kester Black products are vegan, sustainable and cruelty-free, certified carbon neutral, B Corp certified. Plus, two per cent of all revenue is donated to social causes.Anna is now based in Hāwea Flat, and half of the Kester Black team has come to New Zealand with her: Anna and her husband are two of a small but efficient four-person team behind the company.Going remote has “really forced us to automate and streamline,” Anna said. Living back in New Zealand also gives the company boots on the ground to help grow the company’s following here, she said.After spending her childhood in Dunedin, Anna’s parents made the move to Hāwea Flat, and it was the obvious choice when deciding where to set up a new base.“Every time I’ve come home for the last ten years I’ve managed to come back here [to Hāwea Flat],” Anna said.“It is just breathtaking every time I look out the window. There’s something about the smell, I never get sick of the view, and I love the lake and the mountains.”But moving to the countryside hasn’t slowed down Anna’s life just yet. Business has been booming - up around 1000 per cent on last year - something Anna attributes to a phenomenon called ‘the lipstick effect’.“In times of recession, the sales of affordable luxury goods skyrocket,” Anna said. “Instead of buying handbags and shoes, people want to feel really good and they buy lipstick. It also applies to nail polish.”She’s wary though that Australia and New Zealand are in “a bit of a bubble”. Anna said when the recession hits at its hardest here the business will likely go one of two ways: the lipstick effect will either continue its upward trajectory or it will be the complete opposite and things will dial right down. But for now Anna is making time to get to know her new community. “I think it’s going to be a really easy place to meet people so I’m just throwing my hand up for everything at the moment,” she said. “It’s so nice to move home, especially to a smaller town where there is a real sense of community and people are welcoming.”Kester Black products are currently stocked at the Wonder Room in Wanaka, and online at the brand’s website here. LINK https://nz.kesterblack.com/ PHOTO: Supplied

Orchard manager Murray Booth says there needs to be change now – it’s not just about one tough season, it’s long term. Murray Booth manages both the 45-hectare Earnscleugh Orchard, and the 21-hectare Hollandia Orchard. He normally employs 50 or more RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employment) workers each season; he currently has six. Many of these RSE workers had become highly trained and highly productive over the past thirteen seasons.“We’ve got 40 Kiwis coming for work; no-one trained.“All these people need training, and fast, and there’s just me and six Vanuatuans.”Kiwis, he said, tended to view horticulture simply as a holiday money spinner.This meant training would become constant this year, if Kiwis did not stay on to develop a higher skill level. “They don’t know anything about apples, apart from buying them in the shop.”Everyone talks about the harvest, Murray said, but there was so much more.“If we don’t get trees thinned and they’re overloaded, we’ll have fruit you can’t pick. “Then the young trees don’t grow because they’re overloaded; it all has longer term impact, and that’s only one aspect.”Murray said they had started thinning early, knowing it would take longer this year.“We’re also mindful there’s cherry growers that will be screaming out for people come Christmas.“So we’ve only got till Christmas to get our work done.”“After Christmas there’s apricots, then apples, then there’s pruning.”“People could get work right through until May, if they want it.”“We’ve invested a lot of time and money into the trees to keep the fruit sound and the nutrition to the trees. “The wheel is turning, we can’t just stop, we have to keep going to get the fruit to market.”Murray said they had employed Kiwis previously, who did not see horticulture as a long term career choice. In the last few years there were few Kiwis as unemployment in Central Otago had been low.“We want Kiwis to realise there’s a lot of opportunity in the horticulture industry, it’s a good career choice, not just a holiday job.”“There’s plenty of jobs, permanent work with qualifications and a good future.”Murray said he worried about the RSE workers, who he come to know well over the years. He had been to the islands and knew their families.He said some had only been home a short time and wished they’d never left – they need the money.“Tourism’s their biggest earner, and there’s no cruise ships.“Their second biggest earner is RSE income, so that’s two main incomes gone, and self-sufficiency is their only option to survive without income.”“They don’t benefit from government aid pay-outs like they do with this work. “They take home skills that benefit their whole community, they build good fences, grow good food and provide for each other.”“Also, if it weren’t for the RSE workers, we wouldn’t have the new developments, we wouldn’t have seen the growth in our industry here.”Murray employs over 50 RSE workers each year.Murray said he sees the practical solution as a mix of both Kiwis and RSE workers.“We need young Kiwis coming through to develop skills, but we also need the highly experienced RSE workers.”“Their work output is tremendous.”“They want to do a good job, they’re serious about the work and have a good work ethic.”“If Kiwis learned to see horticulture as a serious career path, then opportunities would open up for them. It’s a cultural shift for Kiwis.”“When we got the first RSE workers in 2006, it was because we were having trouble with labour – it’s the same now, fourteen years on.”“We were trying to run a business, and we would be wondering each day who would turn up to do the work.”“Back then, Kiwis didn’t treat it like a real job – and they still don’t.”Murray said he had tried to employ Kiwis over the last few years as he developed new orchards, but for most, attitudes to horticulture as a career had not changed.“RSE workers are here because they want to be here."They take pride in their work, they know if they do a good job thinning, it will be better when they come to pick. If they look after the trees, there’ll be lots of work for everyone next season. "They look at the long term; plus they develop skills and knowledge that benefit their families.”“They’ve stayed long term, they get the seasonal cycle and see the impacts of the quality of their work; they understand.“If a Kiwi just stays a week, they don’t get that.“It wouldn’t work in other businesses, so why is it expected to work for us?”Murray said it was frustrating and stressful to have lost the majority of their skilled workers. “COVID hit at apple harvest, so we just haven’t stopped. We did it right and kept everybody safe in their bubbles, we got them home when they wanted to see their families; you go through all that – then this.“We’ve just got to keep smiling.”Murray hopes that Kiwis will shift their attitudes towards horticulture work.“This is a serious industry, it gives a serious contribution to the economy and contributes in a big way to our communities. “It’s a serious career and the knowledge is practical.”He called for the Government to recognise they need their men back, and they need them now - for this season, to set up for future seasons and to give time to train Kiwis.“Our foundations have gone.” “You can’t build new foundations overnight with new people – it’s just not possible.”IMAGES: Supplied

Wanaka power bills will rise, but not as much as they could have done: That’s the silver lining in the Commerce Commission’s draft decision on Aurora Energy’s proposed lines upgrade programme. The draft decision is a mixed bag for customers in Wanaka as well as the wider Otago region.The electrical lines company has historically under-invested in its network, causing deterioration costing hundreds of millions of dollars to rectify. It has proposed a steep hike in households’ power bills to help pay the investment bill.In its application to the commission the lines company sought average increases of $47.30 to Wanaka customers’ monthly power bills by 2023/2024. If that seems a higher figure than has been reported in the past, that’s because it is: Before being assessed, the commission had to adjust Aurora’s number to include relevant factors - like GST and inflation - which Aurora had neglected to include.After taking that into account, the commission found there was still plenty of room to cut the fat: Expenditure cuts could reduce that bill by $15.80 per household per month, taking it down to an average of $31.50.The commission proposes Aurora be allowed to recover a maximum spend of $523M over five years, close to $100M less than the $609M it requested.Aurora Energy CEO Richard Fletcher inherited a tough job when he joined the company in January 2018. PHOTO: SuppliedThe Wanaka figures, which also apply to Central Otago, are still significantly higher than the commission’s estimates for Dunedin and Queenstown households, which would pay an average of $22.20 and $22.70 by 2023/2024 respectively under the draft decision.Incremental bill increases could start as soon as April 2021, with the commission estimating line charges alone could rise between $3-13 per month for the majority of households across Otago. This would increase to between $20 to $73 per month by 2026. “While our draft decision would lower Aurora’s expenditure and substantially reduce the increase in lines charges compared to its plan, we expect the impact on electricity bills would still be significant,” Commerce Commission associate commissioner John Crawford said. “To help mitigate the bill shock, we have proposed to smooth Aurora’s revenue over the five-year… period. This would limit Aurora to increasing the maximum revenue it can collect from its customers by no more than ten per cent a year.”The commission acknowledged it has to strike a difficult balance between managing customer costs and funding the infrastructure upgrades needed.“We understand the disappointment and anger Aurora’s customers hold about the position the business is in,” John said. “Aurora has, nevertheless, made its case for urgent and ongoing investment to replace old and failing assets in its network.”Without the investment, John said, “the network will continue to deteriorate, safety incidents will increase, and its customers will experience more frequent, and longer, outages.”Under the package of proposed decisions, Aurora would also have to set targets for power outages and interruption levels that reflect its actual performance over the past five years; and face requirements to improve its transparency on how it delivers against its plan and how it reports on its service quality and pricing calculations.These were in part a response to customers’ lack of trust and confidence in Aurora delivering on its promises, the commission said.An alternative scenario to the ten per cent each year scenario which the commission said could be considered is to cap overall revenue increases at five per cent in the first year and then ten per cent for each of the next four years, he said. Aurora Energy said it would make a comment after it had worked through the 500-plus page draft decision.The commission will hold public meetings on the draft decision in Alexandra, Cromwell, Wanaka, Queenstown and Dunedin later this month. The Wanaka meeting will take place at the Lake Wanaka Centre on November 25, 10am-12pm.Submissions on the draft decision can be made before December 10. Read the Commerce Commission’s summary of decisions here or its full draft decision here.

Three new directors have been appointed to the Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) board of directors.The new directors, who were confirmed at the QAC’s annual general meeting on October 30, are Anne Urlwin (Wanaka), Andrew Blair (Arrowtown), and former Air New Zealand chief marketing officer Michael Tod (Auckland) - who was made redundant from Air NZ in May.Anne is a professional director with executive and governance experience across a range of sectors from energy, infrastructure, construction, IT, health and financial services. She is currently deputy chair of Southern Response Earthquake Services and the independent chair of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu’s Audit & Risk Committee. The new directors were approved for appointment during a public-excluded session of October’s Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) full council meeting, with a shareholder resolution submitted to the AGM jointly with Auckland International Airport Ltd.The new directors replace Michael Stiassny and Norm Thompson, who both retired after serving on the board since 2014, and fill a gap presented by the resignation in July of former chair Prue Flacks.They bring “experience and knowledge of governance, finance and the airline industry, as well as local insight, to their positions”, the QAC said in a statement. Adrienne Young-Cooper, who was originally appointed in 2017, has been re-appointed for a further four-year term and remains board chair. Mark Thomson has also been re-appointed as the director nominated by Auckland International Airport Ltd.Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult thanked the outgoing members for their time on the board, saying this year “has been extremely challenging for anyone involved in the aviation industry”.“There are undoubtedly still challenging times ahead for the industry as we have yet to really grasp the full extent of COVID-19 on global travel and the world’s economy. Times like these need strong leadership and people with the skills, knowledge and experience to think innovatively and to make some difficult decisions,” he said.Queenstown Airport is a council-controlled trading organisation (CCTO) with two shareholders - Queenstown Lakes District Council (75.1 per cent) and Auckland Airport (24.9 per cent). It is managed by QAC and governed by a board of directors.PHOTO: Supplied

It’s been a year since SUCfree (Single Use Cup-free) Wanaka launched, and the project to rid Wanaka of single-use takeaway cups by 2022 is making good progress.Wanaka now has nine entirely single-use cup free cafes, 24 with a cup-lending scheme or ‘cup libraries’, and so far it has saved an estimated 180,000 single use cups from landfill in the first year. The annual Wanaka A&P Show will also be single-use cup free next year.SUCfree Wanaka member Chrissie Lahood described the group’s vision, which she hoped more individuals and cafes would support in its second year. “Imagine people talking about it, saying: ‘I’m visiting this cool little town and they don’t have any disposable cups at all’,” Chrissie said.Everyone buying coffee or hot drinks would instead sit in, bring their own cups, or make use of cup-lending schemes that would operate in every cafe. SUCfree Wanaka has already saved about 180,000 single use cups from landfill.“We want Wanaka people to get behind this vision,” she said.Research undertaken during Plastic Free July showed SUCfree Wanaka wasn’t as well known as members hoped.“We found out people hadn’t heard of it as a project: Too many people don’t know that we have got this vision to have a SUCfree Wanaka by 2022.”In its second year, Chrissie said the group also aimed for wider awareness of the harm of disposable cups.“There’s a lot of single-use cups now with misleading packaging. People think it’s compostable or it’s biodegradable, but there’s plastic in all of these cups - if there wasn’t plastic in them they would leak.”Without a commercial composting system, these cups - labelled biodegradable or not - all end up in landfill. SUCFree Wanaka was formed following the 2018 WAO (formerly One Wanaka) Summit.Chrissie said last Monday’s first birthday celebration was “small but meaningful”, with participating cafes and members reporting on their progress. Learn more about SUCfree Wanaka here.PHOTOS: Supplied

The Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) does not plan to pursue expansion of Wanaka Airport within the next three years, according to the corporation’s draft statement of intent (SOI).The revised SOI will be considered by the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) during its monthly meeting this week (Thursday October 29).In April the QLDC accepted an interim SOI from the corporation, acknowledging that the SOI (which was written before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic) did not reflect the current environment. The council gave QAC another six months to prepare a revised draft SOI.QAC deputy chair Adrienne Cooper said then the pandemic had led to QAC being a “significantly changed business” with much uncertainty in the short to medium term. The new SOI says COVID-19 has resulted in a reduction in passenger and aircraft movements to and from the region which is expected to last for some time. The sharp reduction in aircraft movements means QAC “will not apply to expand air noise boundaries at Queenstown Airport, nor progress plans to develop Wanaka Airport, over the period covered by this SOI”, the draft statement says.The QAC says it is not seeking to accommodate wide-body jet operations in the long-term planning for Wanaka Airport.While the QAC will not pursue any expansion at Wanaka Airport, the draft SOI notes: “...we do expect at some point in the future to resume the master planning process for Wanaka Airport and this will be signalled in a future statement of intent.”The SOI also clarifies that “QAC has not sought nor is it seeking going forward to accommodate wide-body jet operations in the long-term planning for Wanaka Airport”. The global shift caused by COVID-19 is a “unique opportunity” to reflect on the recent significant growth in the district and “come together and plan for sustainable infrastructure, including airport infrastructure”, the SOI says.What’s more, the QAC is encouraging QLDC to use the hiatus in international passenger volumes to complete the spatial plan for the district (which is intended to serve as the district’s future development strategy). That will enable QAC to form its long-term strategy, the SOI says.The draft SOI also notes that Christchurch International Airport Limited’s (CIAL) acquisition of 750ha of rural land in Tarras, intended for the development of a new wide-body jet capable international airport, will be considered as part of QAC’s “long-term planning work”.“The QAC board of directors is confident that the region is well served by its existing airports now and into the future,” the SOI says.Wanaka Stakeholders Group deputy chair Mark Sinclair told the Wanaka App: "This latest SOI addresses none of the key issues about Wanaka Airport and the approach it signals is still legally faulty. We're reserving further comment until the High Court judgement comes out sometime in the next few weeks."QAC’s business operations deliver an annual dividend paid to QLDC, which totalled $6.2M in 2019. QAC expects to pay a dividend of $8.295M for 2020 but no dividend at all in 2021 or 2022.PHOTOS: Supplied

A new online platform to help ensure seasonal and temporary workers in Otago find suitable and affordable accommodation will launch soon.Wanaka entrepreneur Carmen Blackler is the founder of The Workforce Accommodation Network (The WAN), a community-focused initiative connecting workers and local accommodation. “One of the things that is very important to me is that we look after the people that serve our community,” Carmen said. “The WAN would like to change the paradigm of accommodation from being just a commercial transaction to one of hospitality, care and reciprocity for all who contribute to our communities.”She said temporary and seasonal workers are important to the local economy but there are limited accommodation options for many of them. “They come in and help our businesses thrive but because they are often on minimum wage and here only temporarily the normal accommodation options do not work for them,” Carmen said. The WAN was initially due to launch only in Wanaka and the Queenstown Lakes district, but it has been extended to all of Otago because of the issues that orchards are facing for the upcoming harvest.Pointing to AirBnB and long-term rentals, Carmen said neither of those scenarios meet the needs of temporary workers.And while some workers, often young people or travellers, might be prepared to stay in a van or camping ground to save money, workers should have more options. The WAN will help to fill this gap by connecting people who have a spare room, sleepout or house with individuals (who must be verified by a local business to register) working in the local community.“In terms of the arrangement between the accommodation and the roomer, that is between them,” Carmen said. “It is our expectation that the accommodation would charge them some rent but we expect it would be relevant to what they earn.” Carmen said while the tourism industry had taken a big hit because of COVID-19, those workers will return, and there are lots of other people who continue to move to Otago temporarily.“The idea is still valid because we still have construction workers, relief teachers, orchard workers; there’s a real myriad of people.”Carmen, who has a background in engineering, dove into the topic of housing and temporary workers while studying for her Master’s thesis in Auckland. After much research and investigation, Carmen said it became clear that accommodation for seasonal and temporary workers was a significant problem that she was determined to solve.She also discovered through her research that connecting workers and accommodation has wide positive impacts.“These connections ensure well rested and cared for workers, which leads to increased productivity. Increased productivity helps local businesses prosper, which in turn benefits the whole community.”Carmen started building The WAN platform in May and plans to launch in December. Businesses, workers and accommodation providers can learn more about The WAN and register their interest here.PHOTO: Supplied