Up to $30M in government loans for small passenger airlines to support at-risk regional air routes have come “too late” for Wānaka’s Sounds Air passenger service.Sounds Air managing director Andrew Crawford told the Wānaka App the airline has already sold one of its aircraft and the other two are under negotiation.“It’s too late for Wānaka and Christchurch,” he said.After six years’ of Sounds Air lobbying the government to support regional airlines, the timing of the loan offer yesterday (Monday September 1) was “disappointing”, he said.Andrew said the loans would be great from a long term point of view, although airlines don’t have any details yet and won’t until the end of this month.“But it’s tragic for Wānaka,” he said. “It’s just so sad, especially for… healthcare. We fly a lot of very sick people.Andrew said “Wānaka is only growing bigger and bigger”, meanwhile the road to Queenstown can be dangerous and Queenstown Airport can be “tough” to fly in and out of.Passenger numbers for the Wānaka to Christchurch service were good, but aviation costs were “astronomical”, he said.“In the end the passengers go ‘we just can’t pay this anymore’,” he said.“These were all the messages we put to [the] government… It’s so frustrating.”Regional development minister Shane Jones and associate transport minister James Meager announced concessionary loans for small airlines on Monday, saying regional carriers are under pressure from rising costs, limited access to capital, and ongoing post-Covid disruptions.“Reliable air services are critical for the economic and social wellbeing of regional New Zealand. They enable access to healthcare, education, business, and whānau, particularly in areas where other transport options are limited,” Shane Jones said.Without this support, some communities risk losing vital air links and potential regional development.”Sounds Air’s passenger service from Wānaka to Christchurch will finish at the end of September. Lake Wānaka Tourism said the announcement was likely to have little impact on visitor arrivals for Wānaka, but a significant impact on local people who travel to access healthcare.Read more: Air service cancellation will affect healthcare, airport reviewPHOTO: Supplied

Businesses are being invited to support an endowment fund designed to provide enduring benefits to Te Kura O Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) and the wider community.The endowment fund is a “future-focused” initiative of MAC Foundation, the foundation’s chair Matt Williams said.“It’s likely that none of us sitting around the table today will see the full benefit of this fund. But that’s exactly why it matters, it’s about long-term security,” Matt said.“The value of an endowment increases over time, meaning gifts given now will support our school and community for generations.”Late last year the fund received a $100,000 grant from the Ray and Elsie Armstrong Charitable Trust, alongside $154,000 from the MAC Foundation itself.This means the foundation is almost a quarter of the way to reaching its initial target of $1M.“We’re inviting business partners to join us and help grow this fund,” Matt said.“By partnering with us, businesses will help enhance educational opportunities and school facilities, as well as support vital programmes that benefit students, teachers and families.”He said the longer-term goal is to grow the fund to $5M, allowing interest generated from the investment to be used for annual donations to the school while reinvesting a portion to increase the fund’s capacity for years to come.MAC Foundation has supported MAC since 1993, giving more than $600,000 since 2008. The foundation owns the MAC hostel buildings and the land on which they sit. In addition to the new endowment facility, the foundation funds a wide range of initiatives, including specialist staffing, music and library resources, hardship support for students, the Te Ūkaipō scholarship, and outdoor pursuits equipment.MAC principal Nicola Jacobsen said the endowment fund enables the college to go beyond what is provided for by Ministry of Education funding. “By contributing to this fund, the community is investing in the young people of Wānaka, ensuring they have access to the very best learning and wellbeing resources to enrich their education,” she said.PHOTO: Supplied

Ardgour Valley Fruit is in liquidation and a second orchard company run by the same managers is under review.Sources have told The Central App that Hortinvest owners Sharon and Ross Kirk, of Wānaka, will no longer be managing the Deep Creek Fruit company from the end of August.Deep Creek Fruit operates two of the biggest cherry orchards in Central Otago, with 51,150 trees in production at Mt Pisa across eight varieties, and a further 49,589 at Lindis Peaks.Both were started by Hortinvest in 2019, then the Kirks collaborated with Bruce and Linda Jolly to venture into apricots in the Ardgour Valley orchard, planting 50ha in the new NZ Summer varieties.Liquidators were appointed for Ardgour Valley Orchards on August 10. Deep Creek Fruit has a separate group of shareholders, and chief executive Jo Pearson declined to comment.Ross Kirk is currently the development and operations manager of Deep Creek Fruit and Sharon a director and international sales and marketing manager.The Deep Creek Fruit website lists Maurice Noone as the chairman of the board and director, along with both Richard Perry and Sharon as directors and Debbie Oakley as an independent director.In 2022 Ardgour Valley Fruit built a new packhouse at Tarras and in summer 2025 about 150 tonnes of the new apricot varieties were exported under their Temptation Valley brand.The trees, coming into their fourth season, were expected to reach full production in 2026-2027 when they planned to export 500 tonnes.Ardgour Valley Orchards also produced several cherry varieties including a distinctive, white-fleshed variety (Stardust).The Kirks didn’t respond to an email about their management contract by the time the story was published.PHOTO: Supplied

Resource consent has been approved for the Wānaka Health Precinct joint venture between Roa and Kā Rūnaka (represented by Puketeraki Ltd and Ōtākou Ltd).Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has used discretionary powers to grant the consent without the need for a hearing, following a public notification process where all 17 submissions received were supportive. The consent is for a five-level surgical hospital and helipad, supported by four purpose-designed office buildings for allied medical services, and on-site car parking.Roa CEO Mike Saegers said achieving the resource consent was “a big step forward”. “The community can now look forward to the Wānaka Health Precinct attracting medical specialties and services not currently available in the area,” he said.Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki chair Matapura Ellison welcomed the news on behalf of Kā Rūnaka. “The critical lack of health and social infrastructure is a significant and growing issue for the people of Wānaka and Central Otago,” he said. “This project is vital to meeting the future needs of this area’s rapidly growing population and we look forward to advancing the project, including the wider interests of mana whenua.”While Roa initially announced it planned to engage “a high-quality private healthcare operator to manage the hospital”, Mike told the Wānaka App it was “an absolute priority for us for these facilities to be available to everyone”. “We’re looking at all options to make that happen, and we’re engaged with the public health sector about ways to do that.” Read more: Roa announces joint venture partnership with mana whenuaIMAGE: Supplied

About 130 residents packed the Presbyterian Church in Cromwell on Tuesday night (August 26) to discuss a proposed gold mine in the Dunstan Range that opponents warn could alter the character of the region and cause irreversible environmental damage. The meeting, organised by Sustainable Tarras in collaboration with Forest & Bird and the Central Otago Environmental Society, was framed as reflecting widespread frustration at a lack of information from Santana Minerals, the company behind the proposed mine, which is seeking approval through a fast-track consenting process. Meeting facilitator Mark Sinclair said it had been left to volunteers to try to piece together the pieces of the puzzle for members of the public, and the turnout at the meeting reflected strong community interest. “There’s a significant turnout here tonight for a community the size of Cromwell…that’s because people really care about the issues we’re going to discuss tonight,” he said. Speakers challenged claims by Santana Minerals the mine would be minimally visible, with Mark highlighting chief executive Damian Spring’s remark the project would be like “a chip in your windscreen from the road”.  Visuals presented at the meeting indicating the mine would have a far greater impact on the landscape than claimed drew audible gasps from the audience. Rob van der Mark, a local vineyard owner speaking for Sustainable Tarras, said the mine would alter the region’s character, changing it from “100 percent pure” to “100 percent industrial gold mining”. He warned the approval of one mine could lead to "a free-for-all" that could threaten “what we know and love about Central Otago”. Rob also raised concerns about the proposed tailings dam - full of “chemical-laden slurry” - and its risk to local aquifers and waterways, and dust dispersal in a gully where the wind is known by locals to move through like a “freight train”. He claimed the mining company was repeatedly attempting to “fly under the radar”, not being proactive in releasing its own reports and requesting non-notified consenting processes for subsidiary activities. Matt Sole, the co-chair of the Central Otago Environmental Society, described the long-term environmental legacy of open-cast mining: “Huge opencast pits cut into the Dunstan Range….That’s not a price we should be asking our children and grandchildren to pay,” he said.  He highlighted alternative economic opportunities, including slow tourism, boutique accommodation, and the local wine and food industries, describing residents as “kaitiaki, guardians of this ‘World of Difference’.” Tourism expert Professor James Higham, who contributed via a recorded presentation, said research confirmed Central Otago residents valued “stunning open spaces...undisturbed mountains...largely untamed nature”, and these qualities were all threatened by extractive industries.  He warned of reputational risks to the region’s tourism, wine, horticulture, and creative sectors, and said mine impacts would be largely irreversible.  “Restoration measures would merely skirt around the edges. The major impacts cannot be undone ever,” he said. Rob Enright, a Wānaka-based barrister advising on the fast-track consent for Port of Tauranga’s proposed container wharf extension involving land reclamation, explained that the fast-track process is “very stacked in favour of the applicants…that’s just the nature of the beast”. He said the accelerated process compresses what, for a complex project like a gold mine, could be a three-year assessment under the Resource Management Act into roughly six months, with limited rights of appeal. It is his view a central element of the fast-track process is demonstrating regional or national benefits, and he questioned how the cost-benefit analysis will be assessed and to what extent the applicant must prove their case.  He suggested this could be a key factor in whether the project proceeds. At the end of the meeting, a question-and-answer session allowed attendees to put their concerns directly to the panel of speakers. One resident described the fast-track process as “a stitch-up”, limiting public input, while others sought clarification on who is considered an adjacent property entitled to participate under the legislation. Others queried who would benefit economically versus who would bear the environmental costs. Audience members also raised concerns about dust and air quality, with one describing conditions in mining towns as “thick grey dust … big wafts of it … it’s just everywhere”. A former geologist in the audience, with experience in the gold-mining industry, raised concerns about tailings dams, noting, in his experience, "these things do leak”. Santana Minerals CEO respondsSpeaking to the Central App on Wednesday, Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring addressed concerns raised at the meeting. On community information, he said: “We’re very mindful of making sure that when we’re putting stuff out there, that we’re really robust about it, understand it, and are comfortable to share it. Those parts are still moving, but when we land on it, then we’ll push it out into that public space.”Damian said the company has completed a series of studies with landscape architects.“I can categorically say that the visualisation I saw last night looks nothing like the visualisation that these experts have created,” he said, referring to an image of the proposed mine site as seen from across Lake Dunstan. An image depicting the area of the proposed mine was challenged by Santana Minerals boss Damian Spring.He explained his previous “chip in the windscreen” remark was intended to give context to the scale of the Dunstan Mountains, which cover 90,000 hectares, of which roughly 600 hectares would be disturbed by the proposed mine.On the project’s cost-benefit analysis, Damian said he is confident data will show the mine’s regional and national economic impacts are commensurate with the impacts on the surrounding environment and the project provides net benefits. He also rejected claims about potential contamination of surrounding waterways from arsenic or cyanide, saying: “Our experts need to demonstrate that we are able to manage the effects with proven technology and methods…and that’s because the regulator’s experts will be expecting that. We will essentially be a zero-discharge site during operations.”Damian said he attended the meeting to hear views from the community.“Sustainable Tarras [says it speaks] for the community, but I struggle with coming up with a definition for community because it’s so diverse. I thought it was a view from the community that was worth listening to.”IMAGES: The Central App

A local affordable housing provider is cautiously optimistic about government changes allowing a wider range of building materials into New Zealand, but warns that the devil will be in the detail.Building and construction minister Chris Penk said the new legislation, by providing access to more building materials, will make it easier and cheaper to build homes.“There are thousands of well-made, high performing products that have been tested against rigorous international standards but have faced barriers for uptake here, purely because they have not been specifically tested against our own standards,” the minister said.He said removing “red tape” will create a more competitive marketplace which, in time, should offer more product choice and lower costs.Last month thousands of overseas building products were given the green light - via a list of overseas certification schemes that automatically qualify certain products for use in New Zealand - and a second tranche will be added later this year.Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT), an award-winning local trust which builds homes for low to middle income earners in the district, said the changes could be significant.“On the face of it, this decision seems like a sensible proposition and we welcome any changes in legislation that result in the reduction of cost of building materials while still ensuring a high standard of quality is maintained,” QLCHT chief executive Julie Scott told the Wānaka App.“With close to 100 QLCHT homes either under construction or in the planning phase, this could potentially have a real impact on reducing building costs, and the flow on effect for that is a decrease in purchase price for our households. “However, as with all these legislation changes, the devil is always in the detail.” Julie said she would want to see provisions to ensure substandard materials won’t end up in use here.“No one wants a repeat of the leaky home saga – especially Queenstown Lakes ratepayers, where our council was, unfairly, left as the last man standing.”Opposition parties are also cautious.Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter said the changes seem practical but they "could be great or it could be terrible, depending on which building products and which licensing schemes they're looking at".Industry groups have also backed the move, saying it should help reduce costs and improve productivity.QLCHT said it took comfort in the fact the changes are not prescriptive.“We don’t have to change unless we choose to,” Julie told the Wānaka App. “There will simply be more choices available.” “...the key to safeguard quality is to not blindly accept material substitution just because something is cheap…[but] capture the opportunity when there is an alternative that genuinely offers a more competitive price point and better performance.”PHOTO: Wānaka App

‘Wheels at Cromwell’ could be an option, after a surprise proposal at a Cromwell Community Board meeting on Tuesday (August 19) for the town’s racecourse to host the major motoring and machinery event previously held in Wānaka.Peter McDougal, who introduced himself as a trustee of Wheels at Wānaka, made a pitch for the biennial show that attracts tens of thousands of people to find a new home at the Cromwell Racecourse.Addressing elected members as they heard from submitters on Central Otago District Council’s (CODC) draft racecourse reserve management plan, Peter indicated his presentation would pivot the conversation from the topic of “horses to horsepower”.He said a chance encounter with a council employee led to discussions about relocating the event to Cromwell. “I said, ‘have you got anywhere to hold our next event?’ and she connected me with council staff,” he told the board. He has since met twice with CODC staff and visited the racecourse, which he described as “a very good site for 2027 and beyond if we can put it together”.Peter said he and Allan Dippie shared a love of vintage tractors, which sparked their early collaboration on the Wheels at Wānaka event.Grown under Allan’s watch (the developer behind Wānaka’s Three Parks), Wheels at Wānaka peaked with 65,000 attendees this Easter - but Allan also announced it as his last.Efforts by The Central App to reach Allan for comment were unsuccessful.Back at this week’s community board meeting, Peter said the event attracted people from all over - “They brought bulldozers from Whangārei” - and Cromwell stood to benefit from providing an alternative venue. “If you look at the number of people that come into the district and the benefit to the hospitality people, they generate a tremendous amount of money,” he said.He suggested using the area housing the existing cross-country course for a heavy machinery display, with horse jumps temporarily removed and reinstated. “We don’t want to stand on anyone’s toes,” he said.A CODC spokesperson confirmed staff had met with Peter and advised him to present his proposal at the hearing meeting. At the meeting, staffer Gordon Stewart said the next step would be “a meeting of the main users to see what we can make work”.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Smiths City Wānaka is one of a handful of stores from the nationwide brand closing this year.The more than 100-year-old furniture and appliance company has announced it is downsizing after its business dropped 40 percent from two years ago, Stuff reported.So far this year Smiths City stores in Tauranga, Palmerston North, Wellington, Blenheim, and Nelson have closed. Smiths City once had 35 stores nationwide, and that number has now shrunk to 10.In 2023 Smiths City Wānaka relocated to Three Parks, as the anchor tenant in a building adjacent to the Warehouse.At the time, Three Parks developer Allan Dippie said it was one of a number of successful local businesses which had outgrown its premises in Wānaka.Before that the store was located on Reece Crescent.The store at Three Parks has already been leased to a new tenant, Furniture Central.PHOTO: Supplied

The Valley - Gibbston’s brand-new music festival - has unveiled its highly anticipated artist lineup, set to take the stage on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at The Church Cellar Door, Gibbston.The new festival is produced by Ripe Events, the team behind Ripe - The Wānaka Wine and Food Festival, and they hope it will become a cornerstone of the South Island summer festival calendar.Headlining the debut edition are some of Aotearoa’s most celebrated acts, including Kora, the Black Seeds, Reb Fountain, and Hollie Smith.Kora is back - bigger, deeper, and more electrifying than ever - and set to reawaken fans with their explosive fusion of roots, reggae, funk, rock, dub, and electronic music. With a new album and national tour on the horizon, Kora’s return promises to be one of the standout live experiences of the summer.KoraThe Black Seeds, masters of soulful roots-reggae fusion, have spent more than two decades taking their distinctive sound of consciousness, community and humanity to the world. With a loyal international following and enduring local fanbase, their live show remains an unmissable celebration of groove and good vibes.Reb Fountain, described by MOJO as “New Zealand’s next alt-folk sensation” and hailed by Rolling Stone for her moving performances, is one of the country’s most compelling and critically acclaimed artists. Her Flying Nun releases Reb Fountain and IRIS have cemented her place as a bold and powerful voice in Aotearoa music.Hollie Smith has powerhouse vocals and a reputation for music built on integrity and passion, making her one of New Zealand’s most respected singer-songwriters. A prolific artist and captivating performer, she continues to inspire audiences nationwide with her unmatched presence on stage.Hollie SmithSupporting this powerhouse lineup are local favourites Robert Glen and The Meadow Sounds Band, bringing homegrown flavour to a world-class bill.“This lineup is exactly what we dreamed of when we set out to create The Valley,” festival director Nathan White said. “It’s a celebration of Aotearoa’s soundscape, paired with the food, wine and natural beauty that makes Gibbston truly iconic.”Alongside the music, festival-goers will enjoy premium beverages from the likes of Scapegrace, Mount Edward Wines and Canyon Brewing. Tickets go on sale on September 1 with GA starting at $89, with a limited VIP option also on offer. While the festival is not targeted to the youngest ones, children under 12 will be free if you can’t find a babysitter, organisers said.The festival will take place on Saturday January 24, 2026, at The Church, Gibbston. Tickets go on sale on September 1, here.PHOTOS: Supplied

Queenstown Airport will pay an $18.8M dividend to shareholders after reporting record results in its 2025 Annual Report.The airport posted a $29.4M profit from $79.9m in revenue for the year to June 30. Passenger numbers rose five percent to 2.6 million, with 18,865 scheduled aircraft movements, up three percent on last year.“As a council-controlled trading organisation, we’re proud of the contribution we make to the region,” Queenstown Airport Corporation chair Simon Flood said. “When our terminal is humming, other local businesses are also doing well.”Queenstown Lakes District Council, as majority shareholder, will receive $14.1M of the dividend - equal to $440 per ratepayer. An interim $7M was paid in February, with the balance due this month.Alongside its financial results, the airport put more than $200,000 into local charities and launched a $50,000 community fund open to groups across Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago.It also delivered major infrastructure projects under its Master Plan. The installation of Australasia’s first engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) was completed on time and on budget, enhancing runway safety. The first terminal expansion since 2015 is now under way, adding 800m² of operational space along with seismic strengthening and electrical upgrades.Customer upgrades included new self-service check-in technology, expanded security screening, and new food and beverage offerings such as Skippers bar in international departures. Extra toilets and a parenting room are being built in the domestic lounge.On sustainability, Queenstown Airport advanced to Level 4+ ‘Transition’ in the global Airport Carbon Accreditation programme and is aiming for Level 5. Since 2019, it has cut emissions by 76 percent and is targeting 85 percent by 2028.Interim chief executive Todd Grace said the airport was entering a major period of development.“There is a lot to do… but we are confident the outcome will be an airport that will serve this region well for decades to come,” he said.FY25 snapshotRevenue: $79.9MProfit: $29.4MDividend: $18.8MPassenger movements: 2,601,883Aircraft movements: 18,865Community contribution: $200,000+Major safety project completed (EMAS)PHOTO: Supplied

Creative students at Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) have launched 12 new businesses this year through the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), a programme where students set up and run real businesses.Their products range from a soothing balm designed for skin exposed to alpine air to cat-scratching beds made from recycled building products and a natural bug repellent.Year 13 students Ella Asberg, Ruby Norman, Lili Kaler, Jack Labes and Jack Ramsey said their ‘Summit Soothe’ balm was designed for “life in the mountains”.It is infused with kawakawa and lavender to soothe chapped lips, dry skin, and irritation caused by harsh alpine conditions.Kitchen Canvas tea towels, another new product from this year’s Enterprise class, feature “time-honoured recipes passed down through generations of local families”.“Each recipe tells a story of tradition and community, making this more than just a kitchen essential - it’s a piece of Wānaka’s living history,” creators Amber Leslie, Chloe Field, Leah Polk, Madison Hosking and Caitlin Harridge said. Another group of students - Harrison Eastwood, Ben Quarrie, Caleb Young, Luca Frires and Seb Small - had men’s mental health in mind when they created their product ‘Take a Hint', which comes under the brand name ‘Scents of Humour’.‘Take A Hint' is a solid cologne made with jojoba, coconut oil and fragrance oils.“Our goal is to raise awareness for men's mental health so we are putting 10 percent of our profits into Movember, a charity based around changing men's mental health for the better,” they said.Through the long running YES programme, students bring their own products to market and gain level three NCEA university entrance-approved credits at the same time.There are 35 students taking part in YES this year and they have created 12 products in total.PHOTO: Supplied

A paid parking trial planned for Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Franz Josef Glacier is being closely watched in Wānaka, with the local tourism boss noting it should be considered in the wider context of other charges facing visitors.The Department of Conservation (DOC) trial will see parking at the two tourism hotspots charged at $5 per hour or $20 per day, with concessions for locals (within district boundaries) and tourism operators.Lake Wānaka Tourism and Destination Queenstown chief executive Mat Woods told the Wānaka App that fees of this kind need to be managed carefully.“It’s important the government reviews visitor fees and charges as a whole system, and more importantly that funds are invested back into the place where they’re collected,” he said.“Parking fees are a way to help better manage popular sites, ensuring everyone contributes and can appreciate our most treasured natural attractions.”Lake Wānaka Tourism and Destination Queenstown chief executive Mat Woods urges a big-picture view on visitor charges ahead of paid parking trials. PHOTO: LWTHe noted that a $100 international visitor levy is already collected at the border per person and it will soon cost another $20 - $40 to enter four national parks around the country.“Add parking into the mix and the fees accumulate, it starts getting expensive, and we will start seeing the impact,” Mat said.The nine-month paid parking pilot is planned to start in October, with a trial at Aoraki/Mount Cook to follow in December. As well as the hourly and daily fees, there will be an annual pass for locals (within district boundaries) for $10 per year, a $60 annual pass for other regular visitors, and concession-holding tourism operators will be able to apply for a parking fee exemption during the pilot.“The pricing proposal aims to answer submitters’ calls for an initial free period, special consideration for locals, and a reasonable price for visitors,” DOC director of heritage and visitors Catherine Wilson said.“It is designed to be simple and easy to understand and provide different fee options tailored to different users of the car parks.”Legislation allows DOC to levy “fair and reasonable fees” for the use of its facilities, which include campsites, huts and car parks, Catherine said.“This is standard practice at many national parks overseas,” she said. “Most international visitors accept this as a necessary contribution to support the amazing nature they come to New Zealand to enjoy.”  Once the pilot is complete and the outcomes reviewed, a decision will be made on whether to continue with paid parking at the three sites, and whether to extend it to other busy sites. 

Wao Aotearoa has officially launched its 2025 Wao Summit - and tickets are available now.The summit will feature six days of kōrero, films, walking tours, practical workshops, and community events across Wānaka and Queenstown, from October 28-November 2. Each summit is dedicated to climate action, system change, and stronger communities, but each year has a new theme.The 2025 theme is ‘2125 - our journey to the future’, Wao Aotearoa general manager Monique Kelly announced at Thursday’s (August 14) launch event.“It's us that are leading and making that journey into 2125,” she said.“We need to be able to know what the steps are that we need to take in order to create that thriving ecosystem in which all life can thrive.”Monique said this question would underpin all the sessions at this year’s summit.“Our audience are future generations,” she said. “They're the ones who are going to be judging us and scoring us.“So we really want to make sure that everything we do is for them.”The launch event took place at Rhyme X Reason Brewery, and included a presentation by professor Sara Walton, who teaches and researches in the area of sustainability, climate change and business.Sara will be one of the speakers at the Wao Summit.Professor Sara Walton of Otago University was a guest speaker at the launch.Others include Dr Maureen Murphy, who researches food system resilience; Melanie Joan Lloyd, a snowboarder, climate policy advisor and artist; and Dr Carly Green, who has more than 20 years experience in climate change mitigation.Learn about these speakers, and many more, at the Wao website, where the full programme is now available.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Queenstown Airport is celebrating its 90th birthday as one of New Zealand’s oldest commercial airports still operating on its original site.The airport - now an international gateway welcoming more than 2.6M passengers each year - has come a long way from its humble beginnings.The 1930s were a golden era for aviation and the people of the Whakatipu Basin were excited by the possibility of connecting with the rest of New Zealand and other parts of the world more easily.They identified the disused Frankton racecourse as the perfect location for an official aerodrome and began lobbying politicians and officials to make this happen. The land on which Queenstown Airport was established was used as a racecourse from 1863 until about 1920 and the first hangar was built alongside the stone grandstand. PHOTO: QACA landing ground licence was granted in August 1935 and contractors were hired to level a grass airstrip - the beginnings of Queenstown Airport.“It is important to recognise milestones of this magnitude and to look back with gratitude for the foresight of those who laid the foundation for what we enjoy today,” QAC chair Simon Flood said. “It is also an opportunity to take stock of our direction of travel to ensure Queenstown Airport remains a place our community takes pride in and our passengers love to travel through.“Airports are important places, and we are proud of our long history and the deep connection we share with our community.”Queenstown Airport’s first terminal was a humble building, constructed after the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Co Ltd began flying 32-seat DC-3s between Christchurch and Queenstown in 1964. PHOTO: QACSimon said Queenstown Airport was built with entrepreneurial spirit and it remains a vital enabler of social and economic wellbeing.“We are carefully managing its growth to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the people and businesses of the Southern Lakes region for decades to come.”Queenstown Airport chief operating officer Todd Grace said it was a privilege to be responsible for developing infrastructure for the next generation.By the end of the 1960s, the main runway had been sealed and a flight services station established, enabling Hawker-Siddeley 748 flights. PHOTO: Archives New Zealand R24767905“The next phase of our journey is really exciting for our team,” he said. “We’re at the very beginning of a substantial programme of investment to enhance safety, resilience, sustainability, and customer experience.”“We’re grateful to everyone who has been part of our story so far, and we’re committed to ensuring Queenstown Airport is fit for the future, while retaining what makes it special.”

Two new seasonal visas announced by the government have been welcomed by local operators.The up to three-year Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV) and up to seven-month Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV) will help businesses access the workers they need during peak periods, while also prioritising jobs for New Zealanders, immigration minister Erica Stanford announced this week. “The new visa is great news for Wānaka and Queenstown tourism operators, from snow making to wine making, allowing highly skilled seasonal talent to return to the region for work,” Lake Wānaka Tourism and Destination Queenstown chief executive Mat Woods told the Wānaka App.“It will help create more consistency and less disruption across the tourism sector, ensuring visitors can enjoy world class experiences across all four seasons.”Cardrona & Treble Cone chief mountains officer Laura Hedley told the Wānaka App the GWSV will “provide greater confidence for the Aotearoa ski industry and many of its key staff”.“While the majority of our workforce is from New Zealand, we also rely on seasonal snow sports professionals from around the world to open Cardrona and Treble Cone each winter. These staff come back year after year in roles such as instructors, groomer operators and patrollers and they bring a huge amount of skills and knowledge to our team each winter. “This new visa pathway gives both them and us more certainty, and we welcome the change.”The GWSV is for highly experienced seasonal workers in roles such as rural contracting, sheep scanning, winemaking, and snow instruction. It enables skilled workers to return for subsequent seasons on the same visa. Visa holders will need to spend a minimum of three months out of every 12 months offshore before returning to New Zealand. The PSV is for short-term seasonal roles such as meat and seafood processing, calf-rearing, and wool handling. Visa holders will have to have at least one season of previous relevant experience and people will need to leave New Zealand for at least four months before the visa can be renewed. For visa over three months there will be a new requirement for insurance with health coverage.Waitaki MP Miles Anderson said many seasonal businesses in the electorate have “recruitment challenges”.“A huge part of the Waitaki’s prosperity centres around the meat, fruit and tourism industries. These new visas will help these businesses access the workers they need throughout their respective seasons,” he said.PHOTO: Supplied

There has been keen interest from Kiwis and foreign buyers in the sale of the Cardrona Hotel, and expressions of interest close on Friday (August 15).The 162-year-old heritage-listed hotel and restaurant has been on the market for five weeks, and owners Cade and Alexis Thornton said enquiries had surpassed their expectations.“We’ve had a lot of enquiry from Australia, as well as potential domestic buyers,” Cade said.“We have narrowed our discussions down to eight groups, so it’s looking promising. “Each group are fantastic operators with a background in hospitality or hotels. Alexis and I are confident that we'll find a highly skilled and experienced publican who will do great things for the hotel.”The interested buyers are from New Zealand, Australia, the USA and Singapore, and many have a prior connection to the hotel.“It has been really nice to see that almost all the interested parties already have an emotional connection to the hotel and have visited or stayed with us in the past,” Cade said.The hotel listing on Trade Me Property is the website’s third most popular live listing this year, with more than 130,016 views in the five weeks it has been listed. Trade Me Property customer director Gavin Lloyd said engagement with the listing showed the hotel “holds a special place in the hearts of many New Zealanders”.There has also been strong interest from global media, with the hotel appearing in the news around the world, from Australia to Iceland. Expressions of interest for the sale close at 4pm on Friday.PHOTO: Supplied

Discussion will resume in Wānaka later this month on the council’s controversial proposed Urban Intensification Variation (UIV).A hearing on the UIV will take place at Edgewater Resort on August 25-27, following sessions in Queenstown over the past few weeks.If approved the UIV would allow for substantially increased building height and density in parts of Wānaka, including the CBD.The UIV - first proposed two years ago - proposes increasing allowable building height to eight metres in the Lower Density Residential Zone (LDRZ) and 11 metres (+ 1m for pitched roofs) in the Medium Density Residential Zone (MDRZ), as well as 16.5 metres in the CBD.It would also include rezoning some areas in the Upper Clutha from LDRZ to MDRZ.This 16.5 metre scaffolding was erected on Brownston Street to demonstrate the potential impact of some of the proposals. PHOTO: Wānaka AppWānaka resident Mark Gray is one of the members of Wānaka Responsible Growth Advocates group responsible for erecting a 16.5 metre scaffolding on Brownston Street in 2023 to demonstrate the height of some of the proposals.Read more: Scaffolding sparks debateMark attended the Arrowtown UIV hearing session recently, arguing that the UIV would put Wānaka’s “character” at risk. “This character underwrites the value of the town to residents and visitors alike and is integral to the national and international reputation of Wānaka as an alpine resort destination,” he told the Wānaka App.“I implored the hearing panel to slow up the process to examine all options to satisfy the remit of [central government’s national policy statement on urban development] but do not risk altering/eroding the highly valued character of the town.”Mark is one of many submitters on the UIV supporting intensification at Three Parks rather than elsewhere.The bulk of submissions to Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) oppose the proposal. Mark said Three Parks “has all the ducks in a row - essentially green fields, prospective rather than retrospective infill, blank slate infrastructure, parking, recreational amenity, professional services, large and small box retail, supermarket zoning for HDR and MDR, and so on”.He argues that while the existing CBD and Wānaka’s “central residential” area could take on some intensification (“more out than up”), they “account for the character of the town - low rise, village-like alpine resort town”.He said “more modest intensification in these zones would preserve character”, while shifting the bulk of intensification to Three Parks. “Three Parks is by default becoming the central focus of the town in any case and if planned, designed and managed well, could be a great example of what the [NPS-UD] is looking to achieve."The UIV is an outcome of central government’s national policy statement on urban development (NPS-UD), which directs councils around the country to remove some planning rules and plan for growth ‘both up and out’.Read a more detailed explainer of the proposal here.It aims to respond to overly restrictive planning rules around the country that have driven up prices and denied people housing. QLDC chief executive Mike Theelen has said it is intended “to stop local communities and local councils forever finding reasons not to intensify”.The Wānaka sessions of the hearing will take place from August 25-27 (Monday to Wednesday) at Edgewater Resort.Read more: ‘Confronting’ changes proposed for Wānaka CBD

Teams from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), led by the Labour Inspectorate, have launched a sweeping compliance monitoring operation in Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago. Coinciding with the peak ski season activity, the four-day operation, codenamed Operation Fandango, is focused on ensuring that both employers and employees in the ski sector are aware of their rights and responsibilities under the law, MBIE said in a statement. The majority of the businesses being visited will be in the hospitality and retail sectors but construction, cleaning and security businesses will also be under the spotlight. “Our aim is to promote the fair treatment of workers - particularly those who may be vulnerable - by checking that employment and visa conditions are being met,” Labour Inspectorate’s head of compliance and enforcement Joanne Hacking said.  The operation was initiated following ongoing complaints and concerns about compliance with minimum employment standards in the Queenstown Lakes area.The Labour Inspectorate is being supported by a team from Immigration New Zealand with joint visits planned throughout the operation. Accredited employers are required to meet a range of obligations above minimum employment rights and Immigration New Zealand may complete checks at any time during the accreditation period. Besides Wānaka the teams will also be checking on businesses in Queenstown, Frankton, Glenorchy, Cromwell, and Alexandra. Joanne said while identifying breaches of minimum employment standards is a key focus, educating employers and employees about their rights and responsibilities is also an important part of the operation.“We also want to raise awareness of the Labour Inspectorate and the importance of complying with minimum employment entitlements,” she said. “The operation will include compliance checks for businesses that may not have previously engaged with the Inspectorate, as well as follow-up visits to support ongoing compliance among employers who have had issues in the past.” Operation Fandango follows a successful similar joint MBIE initiative led by the Inspectorate in the Queenstown area during the 2024 ski season. Joanne said ski field and related sector employers need to understand that no matter whether employees are employed on a casual, part-time or fixed-term basis they all have minimum employment rights.“This includes providing all workers with a written employment contract, paying them at least the minimum wage if they are 16 years or older, allowing them meal and rest breaks, and entitlements such as holiday pay, sick leave and public holiday pay.” She stressed the importance of accurate record-keeping for time worked, payments, holidays and leave taken, and entitlements.  PHOTO: Wānaka App

Woolworths Metro Wānaka will close at the end of the month, the company has confirmed.The small-scale grocery store - formerly Countdown Metro Wānaka - has operated from the former BP on Ardmore Street since late 2021.“We’ve seen declining customer demand at the store and, with news of the resource consent for a new full service supermarket at Three Parks, we’ve decided to close the Metro store,” a Woolworths spokesperson told the Wānaka App.“Its last day of trading will be 31 August and we’re working closely with our team to continue their careers with Woolworths.”Local shoppers have been able to collect their online Woolworths grocery orders at the local Woolworths Metro, or have them delivered.The spokesperson indicated online orders would still be possible for Wānaka customers once the Metro closed.“...we’ll be communicating shortly to our customers about options for them, including delivery from our Alexandra store,” they said.Plans are well underway for a much larger 3,900sqm supermarket at Three Parks.That supermarket will open some time in 2027, the spokesperson said.Read more: Wānaka Woolworths one step closerPHOTO: Wānaka App