A Southern Lakes alliance, including Wanaka, has scored a $8.5M grant from the central government’s regional events fund.The grant, announced yesterday (Thursday September 10), will support the staging of events in Wanaka, Queenstown, Central Otago and Fiordland.When announcing the funding, tourism minister Kelvin Davis confirmed that regions will be responsible for driving domestic tourism as part of the government’s tourism recovery plan.“We are supporting the events sector as Tourism New Zealand advice indicates that up to one third of domestic travel is primarily driven by people looking to take part in events,” he said.“Through this fund, we will empower regions to make the decisions around how the money is spent and what events are most likely to drive domestic visitation for their region. This means they can invest in existing events, developing new ones, capability building or events coordination.”Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult said he is delighted with the funding. Mayor Jim Boult said events are the most effective way to encourage New Zealanders to visit the region more regularly. PHOTO: SuppliedJim said the work of the Mayoral Taskforce for Tourism and Short-term Recovery identified events as the most effective way to encourage New Zealanders to visit the region more regularly.“That the government recognised the value of events in supporting an economy such as ours is fantastic. Equally, that the minister saw fit to award $8.5M of the fund to the Southern Lakes is truly a show of confidence in the ability of our region to recover and once again become a major contributor to GDP.”Jim said the grant will provide the opportunity to bring high quality events south while also supporting jobs in tourism.The minister said the fund is a medium-term one designed to provide funding certainty for two to four years. Each grouping, including the Southern Lakes Alliance, must produce an investment plan prior to funds being released. The minister said investment plans should be submitted by early November, and funding agreements would be in place by December.PHOTO: Supplied

Local photographer Andy Woods has come away from the 2020 Iris Professional Photography Awards with 16 new awards under his belt. The awards are the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography’s (NZIPP) annual celebration of photography. Of Andy’s 16 awards, three were in the commercial category, three in the landscape (in-camera) category, three in the nature category, five in the travel category and two in the wedding (in-camera) category.“It’s a real honour to receive these awards,” Andy said. “I am really pleased with results as the Iris Awards recognise and honour the best in contemporary photography from New Zealand and overseas professionals”. Maungawera Valley based Andy is an NZIPP accredited professional photographer and his speciality areas include commercial, travel, wedding, architectural, agricultural, portraits, product and food. Andy Woods PHOTO: SuppliedAndy holds a ‘Master Photographer’ distinction with NZIPP, recognised globally as a benchmark of excellence. He is also a member of the Advertising and Illustrative Photographers Association (AIPA).As well as entering the awards, Andy was also one of the many judges. He judged five out of the 15 categories. The judging was done via online livestream with a panel of five judges judging each photograph.The Iris Professional Photography Awards have been running for more than 35 years, celebrating the innovation and excellence of professional photography and providing a platform for recognition within the wider photographic community and with the general public.The 2020 award winners were announced on September 7. Learn more here.Find more information about Andy’s work here.

The Tourism Recovery Ministers Group has approved grants for three Wanaka businesses from the Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme (STAPP).Wanaka River Journeys, Wilkin River Jets and Backcountry Helicopters are among 130 tourism assets around the country to receive funding through the programme.STAPP is intended to protect the assets in the tourism landscape that form the core of New Zealand’s essential tourism offerings, helping ensure their survival through the disruption caused by COVID-19.Applicants for the fund must demonstrate they have exhausted alternative options for support, and there is a need for support to safeguard the asset. The tourism asset must also be of strategic significance (national or regional, cultural, environmental and/or historic), be a key attraction, be responsible for significant visitation to the region where it is located, and generate significant spillover benefits.STAAP is part of the government’s Tourism Recovery Plan.Lake Wanaka Tourism was granted $700,000 through STAPP in late July, as one of 31 regional tourism organisations (RTOs) to receive grants totalling $20.2M. Backcountry Helicopters (pictured) and Wilkin River Jets are Makarora based businesses.In this round, Wanaka River Journeys has been granted $215,101, while Wilkin River Jets and Backcountry Helicopters each received grants of $500,000. Sue Pihama, who co-owns Wanaka River Journeys with her husband Brent, said they were thrilled to receive the STAPP funding. Wanaka River Journeys offers a range of experiences, including by jet boat and pack raft, on the Matukituki River.“We are really pleased we have been recognised and we are proud we have been given that recognition through a lot of hard work and an incredible product,” Sue said. The strength of domestic tourism over the past few months was a positive sign for the industry moving forward. “We are optimistic about the future and the summer season ahead,” she said. Wilkin River Jets and Backcountry Helicopters did not respond to a request for comment before publication. Patsy Nolan is a director and CEO of both companies.There were 305 businesses which applied for support through STAPP. While all STAPP funding has been assigned, the recipients of the funding have not all been made public yet, so there may be more local businesses who have received STAPP funding. PHOTOS: Supplied

The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) says new population predictions indicate a slowdown in the district’s population growth, but chief executive Mike Theelen says this will be short lived.“While COVID-19 will have a significant impact on our population in the short-term, this doesn’t mean our district’s ongoing development will stop,” Mike said.While the population growth might not happen as fast as it might have done without the economic impacts of COVID-19, the district continues to grow, and the pace is expected to pick up again.“Our modelling expects that ongoing family formation and migration from people across Aotearoa New Zealand and elsewhere who see the district as a great place to live, work, and play will ensure that population trends recover over time,” Mike said.Property information provided by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) showed the number of properties sold in Wanaka this July increased by 23.5 per cent compared to the same time last year. RELATED: Another strong month for property salesWhether these properties are for permanent dwellings or investment properties/holiday homes is not provided in the data, it does indicate interest in Wanaka continues to remain strong. At Wanaka Primary School, principal Wendy Bamford said the school roll had gone up substantially since lockdown.“We have had some increases we weren't expecting,” Wendy said. “We have had New Zealanders returning from overseas e.g. America, Bali, UK, Dubai, and we have several families from Auckland arriving in the next fortnight.”Rolls have increased unexpectedly since lockdown at two local primary schools. PHOTO: SuppliedThe school had so far had 16 unexpected new arrivals and 17 expected new entrants.“We continue to receive regular enquiries including a couple of families from Australia, when they are able to travel,” she added. Hawea Flat School principal Tania Pringle said the school is continuing to grow and there has been a significant increase of enrolments from families moving from out of the district. “A third of all our enrolments (seven families) since returning from lockdown have been from families new to the area. This compares with an eighth of all enrolment prior to lockdown. “We are continuing to field regular enquiries from families looking to shift into the area immediately or in the new year. These enquiries come from across New Zealand as well as a number of people looking to return from overseas.”Tania said since lockdown only one child has left the school to move out of the district. Conversely, Mount Aspiring College’s school roll had decreased slightly: On March 1 the school roll sat at 1,133; by July 1 it was down 10 to 1,223.The biggest factor expected to slow down the increase in population in the district was the economic impacts of tourism and how that would affect jobs.“Tourism accounts for 64 per cent of all jobs in the district, and without international tourists it’s evident there will be a knock-on effect in terms of the district’s population figures,” a QLDC representative said.A report commissioned by QLDC and completed by Infometrics in May predicts an economic decline of 25.3 per cent, or 7,500 jobs lost, before March 2021.But there is plenty to suggest the population increases will pick up the pace again, says Mike, who expects a slowdown over the next ten years then an increase in the 20 years following. “Both historic and current patterns suggest the district can have continued confidence about its future population,” he said.

Confirmation of the Sounds Air flights between Wanaka and Christchurch could not have come at a better time, Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean says.“I met with the Sounds Air chief executive Andrew Crawford several months ago where we discussed the potential for flights to and from Wanaka airport, and I’m very pleased to see that their proposal is becoming a reality," said Jacqui.“Flights into Wanaka will bring tourists and visitors into town at a time when the hospitality and accommodation sectors sorely need their support, and the flights will support business travel and connectivity with the rest of New Zealand.RELATED:Sounds Air tickets on sale from next month“It was great to hear confirmation on Monday that the proposal had got the thumbs-up and that this plucky Blenheim-based regional airline would be able to launch a daily service between Christchurch and Wanaka starting on November 2.“With the Queenstown Airport Corporation managing the Wanaka operation, everyone’s hoping for a smooth final sign-off between the parties involved, which include QAC owners Queenstown Lakes District Council and Auckland International Airport, along with Christchurch Airport.“These plans have been a long time in the making for both the airline and the communities that will be served. Whether it’s Christchurch people who own property in Wanaka, or Wanaka residents who do business in Christchurch. They have long expressed a need for this service.“I look forward to seeing tickets go on sale in September as proposed, and for the arrival of the first flights into Wanaka in November,” said Jacqui.