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

Last week, the Wānaka App explained the origins and history of Three Parks; today we explore the future development, expansion and diversification of the site.Three Parks, Wānaka’s largest commercial, recreational and retail development, is experiencing exponential growth and diversification, with major retail, residential, health and recreational projects underway that are set to double its development within the next decade.Since its first building opened in 2017, Three Parks has rapidly evolved into a vibrant commercial and community precinct. Now, according to Three Parks’ developer Allan Dippie, owner of Willowridge Developments, momentum is accelerating.“So many things are happening at once now it’s actually hard to choose which project to complete first,” he said.“Three Parks is like constructing a giant Jigsaw puzzle and it’s important all the pieces are in the right places.”Large-scale retailThe big box stores, co-located at the northeastern end (closest to the State Highway) of Three Parks, share shopping demands and car parking across three compact retail precincts.The first and second precincts, beginning with New Word Three Parks supermarket and Mitre 10 MEGA respectively, have attracted a number of large operators from out of town, such as Noel Leeming and The Warehouse, as well as providing growth capacity for already established Wānaka retailers, such as Smith’s City, which relocated to Three Parks.The next major building (beside Mountain Warehouse) to be completed before the end of the year has McKenzie & Willis and Fit Gym lined up as its major tenants, Allan said.Land preparation for the third retail precinct (to the south of Mitre 10 MEGA) is already progressing and will feature a Woolworths New Zealand, which received consent last month to build a large supermarket and a 200m2 venue for retail, food and beverage tenancies.Adjacent to this supermarket, and In the final stages of design, is a new retail complex for four to five retailers which require largescale spaces (400m2-900m2).Plans indicate the location of the proposed town square beside Sir Tim Wallis Drive. And at the heart of Three Parks’ retail precincts, a town square is proposed, catering for a market and a hospitality precinct featuring cafes, pubs and ‘ethnic shared space’ food options.A new boutique cinema, replacing Ruby’s which closed in March this year, will also be located at town square.  Behind the town square and directly opposite Mitre 10 MEGA yet another multi-tenant, large retail space will begin construction soon: there’s “lots of demand from a variety of medium sized to large retailers from all sectors”, Allan said.Commercial office, health and residential developmentAt the Ballantyne Road end of Three Parks a variety of businesses and offices have been established, ranging from vet services, cafes and gyms, to laundries, dog and car wash facilities, funeral services, and indoor trampolining.“Willowridge takes much pride in facilitating these developments which enable local companies and investors to initiate their own projects,” Allan said.Opposite the primary school, a health care precinct is proposed.Property investment company Roa has plans for a $300M privately funded project comprising a five-level hospital with four operating theatres, imaging services, a 24-hour emergency department and more than 70 inpatient, emergency, and post anaesthetic care beds; with more offices co-located providing allied medical services, such as consulting and treatment rooms.At the Ballantyne Road entrance to Three Parks there are a variety of commercial offices and businesses.In addition to these developments, Three Parks is also quietly progressing its residential plans with civil works for the first stage of Metlifecare’s retirement village, adjacent to Wānaka Golf Club’s ‘back nine holes’, nearing completion. Construction of the village has just begun.“There is always demand for residential projects in Wānaka; we are presently master-planning and designing larger scale apartment style projects,” Allan said, including apartments potentially for worker accommodation. And the Mt Iron Resort Hotel (adjacent to the State Highway) is consented: “This will have apartments within that complex suitable for visitor accommodation,” Allan said.Three Parks’ diverse futureOne of the aims is to make Three Parks so diverse and comprehensive in the goods and services it offers that the Upper Clutha community becomes self-sufficient and no longer need to travel out of town for these services, he said.“Covid made us realise the importance of this.”Metlifecare Retirement Village, beside the tree-lined golf course, is now under construction.“Perhaps the most exciting thing we are doing next is another community driven project working with the QLDC and the Community Board to transform the 20ha [former] sewage ponds site into a recreation and sports field super-hub, which we will connect to the [Wānaka] recreation centre by cycle path,” he said.This public asset “has been sitting idle and not doing anything but breeding rabbits for the last decade”, Allan said. Willowridge Development’s civil construction arm, Central Machine Hire, is now working on the remediation of the ponds site and the creation of a new grass surface.It’s hard to appreciate the scale of the sports-hub land, he said, “but it’s huge and it’s definitely a crown jewel in terms of a community asset, and the QLDC needs to be congratulated for having the foresight to preserve it forever for community use.”The size of the former sewerage ponds, now being transformed into future sports fields, is more visible from the air.The consent process for the first stage of industrial development planned in the industrial zone between the new sports hub and Riverbank Road, is also underway, Allan said. This will include a new roundabout intersection on Ballantyne Road (near Claas Harvest Centre).The former “Wheels at Wānaka” arena is also being adapted to suit public concerts as was announced recently when Three Parks was revealed as a new venue for Greenstone Entertainment, the promoter behind the former annual Gibbston Valley concerts.“We have committed to Greenstone for at least the next five years,” Allan said.Three Parks Outdoor Arena will typically cater for concerts attracting 12,000 - 15,000 people but the arena will have double that capacity, he said.Allan said future connectivity to the existing town and the wider surrounds is going to be key. As well as progressing roundabout entrances to Three Parks at both Ballantyne Road/Golf Course Road and new intersections off Riverbank and Ballantyne Roads, public transport bus stops are included in the Three Parks master-plan.The planned roundabout on Ballantyne Road, near Claas Harvest Centre, will also provide essential access to the residential subdivisions Alpine Meadows and Alpine Estate, connecting traffic between Ballantyne Road and Cardrona Valley Road for the first time.“A lot of people ask how long Three Parks will take to complete and it is hard to give an answer except to say we would rather do things right instead of development for development’s sake. If it’s not a good fit we don’t do it and we wait until the right project comes along.” Within the next 10 years, Allan expects Three Parks’ development will double in size.“We are very lucky to have such a big, blank canvas to work on and the future is very exciting with much planned.”PHOTOS: Willowridge Developments

Wānaka homes have earned a slew of accolades at the Southern Master Builders House of the Year Awards 2025.The annual competition recognises the best homes and those who brought them to life.‘Special Delivery’, built by Owens Building, was one of two Wānaka houses to take a coveted regional category winner award.Judges described the meticulously crafted 180sqm home as “traditional alpine architecture … reimagined and given a contemporary edge”.‘Twin Peaks’ by Jennian Homes Wānaka. PHOTO: Isaac Norton and Simon LarkinIt also won a gold award, as did the second regional category winner, Twin Peaks.Judges said the Jennian Homes Wānaka build “blends charm with modern simplicity”.“Clad in a mix of materials, including natural stone and crisp black finishes reflective of the rural vernacular, it offers instant street appeal in a scenic setting.”Other local homes to win awards included ‘Whale House’, a 300sqm architectural build which judges said was “inspired by the elegance of a diving whale’s tail” (built by Home Factor) and ‘Architectural Adventure’, defined by “angles, overhangs and unexpected moments” (built by Archi Build Ltd).‘Whale House’ was inspired by a diving whale’s tail. PHOTO: Supplied‘Scandi Southern’, a generous-sized, future-proofed family retreat (built by Dunlop Builders) was also recognised, as was a much smaller 69sqm holiday retreat, ‘Simple Miracle’, (built by Owens Building).Rounding out the eight local winners were ‘Modernist in Mood’ (built by Gibson Builders) and ‘Quietly Confident’ (built by Buildcraft), both imposing, clean lined homes praised by the judges for their forms.Jennian Homes Wānaka managing director Nathan Simon said it was great to “see Central and Wānaka so well represented with fantastic results” in the awards.“We are extremely proud of our guys and contractors that deliver on every house.”‘Simple Miracle’ measures just 69sqm. PHOTO: Isaac Norton The Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards is held in two stages.First is the regional level, and from the award winners 100 homes are selected for Top 100 status and proceed to a second round of national judging, before the National House of the Year Awards in November. Find full details of all the homes and awards from the Southern House of the Year Awards 2025 here.‘Modernist in Mood’ was “quietly confident”, judges said. PHOTO: Isaac Norton 

US-based Editor & Publisher (E&P) Magazine this week announced the 2025 Media That Matters list, and the Wānaka App - along with its software platform iAppNetwork - is one of only 15 organisations globally to be included.The annual list honours media outlets that are “serving their communities with passion and purpose” and showing that local news and information still matters in a rapidly changing world.Wānaka App co-founder Tony O’Regan said he was proud of the recognition, but ultimately saw it as a reflection of the community it was built to serve.“This platform was born out of a belief that Wānaka and the Upper Clutha deserve a trusted, local source of news and information - one that’s accessible, easy to use, and focused on what matters here,” he said.“This recognition is really a recognition of our readers, our advertisers, our supporters, and our community as a whole.”Since launching in 2016, the Wānaka App has grown to become a go-to source for breaking news, events, community stories and local updates. Its software platform - the iAppNetwork - now supports community media around New Zealand and Australia.“We’ve always believed in the power of local,” Tony said. “The comments, story tips, feedback and conversations we get from our readers every day help shape what we do. This is the community's app.”The E&P honour sits alongside other recognition for the Wānaka App, including its role in grassroots coverage of local government, housing, health, environment and community events. The Wānaka App was recognised in 2017 and 2019 for excellence in innovation at the Wānaka Business Awards, and again in 2024 for excellence in professional services.“We’re committed to being a community hub,” Tony said. “We want to support the wellbeing, resilience and identity of this place we all call home.”The full Media That Matters list is available here and includes organisations from across the US, Canada, and beyond.

Tourism and hospitality minister Louise Upston is celebrating the results of a recent marketing push in Australia, but the local tourism boss says the visitor increase can’t be credited to one campaign alone.Tourism New Zealand’s ‘Everyone Must Go’ campaign, launched earlier this year, aimed to deliver an additional 6,750 Australian visitors in autumn, and the minister said it ended up attracting 7,981.“‘Everyone Must Go’ has been a winner,” the minister said this week. “Tourism New Zealand stats released to me show it delivering an additional 7,981 visitors to smash its initial forecasts.”The campaign was the first under the government’s Tourism Boost initiative, with a spend of $800,000, and it showed how industry and government could work together to grow the economy and support local businesses, according to the minister.But Lake Wānaka Tourism and Destination Queenstown CEO Mat Woods said increases in visitor numbers coming from Australia reflect decades of work.“We’ve built strong demand for Queenstown and Wānaka in the Australian market over the past 40 years and Australians continue to be our most important international visitor market,” he said.Lake Wānaka Tourism and Destination Queenstown CEO Mat Woods said the RTO had put many, many years of effort into attracting Australian visitors. PHOTO: Lake Wānaka TourismHe also noted that the regional tourism organisation had a campaign positioning Queenstown Lakes region as a leading autumn and winter destination at the same time as the Tourism New Zealand one.“What we do know is Queenstown Airport experienced almost 60,000 Australian arrivals through March, April, and May, which is an increase of 14 percent on the same period last year, outpacing the New Zealand average of seven percent.”Queenstown Airport is the number one arrival port in New Zealand for Australian holiday arrivals, and almost half of all Australian holidaymakers visit the Queenstown Lakes district during their stay, he said.This demonstrates “the importance of Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism’s continued investment in this market.”Mat also pointed to broader collaboration underway with many other regional tourism organisations.“We continue to partner with eight regional tourism organisations as 'Southern Way' to promote the lower south as a touring destination, driving longer stays and dispersal,” he said.Currently, the campaign includes an itinerary flying into Dunedin on Jetstar’s new Gold Coast service, touring through Queenstown and Wānaka, and flying home from Queenstown Airport.

A new music and lifestyle festival celebrating the best of Central Otago is coming to Gibbston Valley this summer.The Valley will debut on Saturday, January 24 (Auckland Anniversary Weekend) at The Church Cellar Door, offering a full day of live music, wine, food and scenery in one of the region’s most spectacular settings.“The Valley is about bringing together the best of what Gibbston has to offer - music, flavour, scenery and atmosphere,” festival director Nathan White said.“This isn’t just another summer gig. It’s an elevated experience in one of the most iconic spots in the country.”The event is being produced by Ripe Events, the team behind Wānaka’s Ripe Wine & Food Festival, and is being designed with a long-term vision of becoming a summer fixture in the region.Wines will be served by Mount Edward and Canyon Brewing will be pouring craft beer on the day.The Church venue has hosted other large-scale events, and organisers said the festival will be a seamless experience for concertgoers with site access and traffic management being ‘upgraded’.The full artist lineup - including New Zealand icons, household names and rising stars - will be announced soon.The festival is expected to draw as many as 5,000 people and will run from midday to 8pm. Tickets go on sale on September 1, 2025.The Valley will follow the end of the long-running Gibbston Valley Summer Concert, which held its final show earlier this year. That event is planning a move to Wānaka in 2026.Read more: Gibbston Valley Concert moving to Three Parks PHOTO: Supplied

Central Otago District Council (CODC) has issued a formal warning to the company behind a proposed gold mine near Cromwell, saying it is carrying out activities that don’t comply with the district plan.The letter, sent on June 25, was addressed to the landowner and occupier of Bendigo Station and outlined several breaches at the site.Council acting group manager of planning and infrastructure Quinton Penniall told the Central App the company had until August 1 to either stop the unconsented activity or apply for the correct permissions.He said Matakanui Gold - which operated as a wholly‑owned subsidiary of Santana Minerals - had since applied for retrospective consent for an existing site office, geology compound, and storage area. The company’s application, lodged on July 18, also sought permission for wider mineral exploration across 20 properties in the area, he said.“As of now, council has not formally accepted this application under Section 88 of the Resource Management Act 1991,” Quinton said.The council’s enforcement action was triggered by a public complaint and details Matakanui Gold itself provided during other consenting processes, he said.In a statement provided to the Central App, a spokesperson for Santana Minerals said the company was “actively engaging with the Central Otago District Council to address the matters raised in their letter”.The spokesperson said Matakanui Gold had developed plans to shift its exploration base to nearby Ardgour Station for the duration of any future mine granted under the Fast-Track Approvals legislation.“We submitted the early works resource consent application to CODC on May 16 in accordance with the district plan to establish new buildings and facilities,” the spokesperson said.“We believe this solution will satisfy the issues raised by CODC. We are yet to receive those consents.“We are committed to working collaboratively to resolve any concerns and to ensure a long-term, compliant solution is in place.”Vocal local opponents of the mine claimed the district plan breaches revealed a “cavalier approach” to consenting and represented the latest incident to further undermine Santana Mineral’s credibility with the community.A spokesperson for Sustainable Tarras said residents living closest to the proposed mine site had raised concerns about the unconsented activities, which the group then brought to the council’s attention.The mine is being pursued under the coalition government’s new fast-track approvals legislation, designed to speed up consenting for major projects.A Santana spokesperson said the fast-track application was “imminent”, and that the company expected to submit it in the coming weeks once all required reports had been received.Meanwhile, Sustainable Tarras maintained the streamlined process was not appropriate for what it described as a “highly complex and highly environmentally impacting project”.Ardgour Station and Bendigo Station are neighbouring rural properties in the Dunstan Ranges, just north of Cromwell, forming the core footprint of Santana Minerals’ proposed Bendigo-Ophir gold project.Santana Minerals announced earlier this month it had purchased Ardgour Station outright, which is earmarked for the mine’s supporting infrastructure, including the processing plant and tailings storage.

Five years after announcing a Wānaka to Christchurch passenger service, Sounds Air has announced the service will be cancelled at the end of September, blaming “out of control” aviation costs.Sounds Air managing director Andrew Crawford told Radio NZ this morning (Monday July 21) that despite “very, very good” booking numbers for the service, the airline had no choice but to cancel its Wānaka to Christchurch and Blenheim to Christchurch services.The move means the loss of “about ten staff” in Wānaka and Christchurch, he said.“Since Covid, aviation has been out of control cost-wise,” he said.“We are really faced with no choice. In the last three months we’ve had another half a million dollars of annual costs imposed on the business.“At some point you have to say ‘no more’.”Andrew said he was “really worried” about the number of people on the regional flights who fly to access healthcare.“It’s a big part of our business,” he said.“All these regional services provided connectivity, and a big part of that is health care.”Sounds Air withdrew other regional services in December 2024.“In some ways it’s a relief,” Andrew said, because “the pressure on the business, staff, and shareholders is extreme”.In addition to sky-rocketing maintenance costs, exacerbated by the low Kiwi dollar, Andrew also said it was a “serious problem” getting aircraft engineers.He said Sounds Air airfares had increased by 22 percent since Covid and they could put them up another 22 percent and “it still wouldn’t be enough”.The company will get rid of its nine-seater aircraft and concentrate on offering its original services in the Cook Strait area.The Sounds Air Wānaka to Christchurch service was announced in August 2020 and began operating in November 2020. The service will close at the end of September 2025.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka’s Three Parks Outdoor Arena may host the long-running Greenstone Entertainment summer concert from next year, after organisers confirmed plans to move the event here.The large-scale concert has attracted more than 15,000 people each year for the past 15 years, featuring major acts such as Cold Chisel, Crowded House, Alanis Morissette and ZZ Top, and contributes around $12M to the region’s economy annually.Organisers Amanda and Dean Calvert said the move came after being told the Gibbston site would be developed for housing.“We're absolutely delighted to have secured Three Parks Outdoor Arena as our new home for the next five years,” Greenstone Entertainment CEO and founder Amanda Calvert said. The Three Parks Outdoor Arena siteThree Parks Outdoor Arena is owned by Wānaka businessman Allan Dippie and recently hosted 50,000 people for Wheels at Wānaka.“Allan is such a community driven person and without his foresight the concert would have likely moved away from the region," Amanda said."The expansion into Wānaka marks an exciting new chapter for us, and we're confident it will become a highlight of the South Island summer calendar.”Dean said it had been “extremely hard” to find a suitable new venue.“We started the whole thing back in 2011 in Gibbston and have built the concert into one of the most renowned for our demographic in the country,” he said.“But the region has been on that journey with us... land is so valuable now. And it's not just the concert site, it's the infrastructure needed to bring 15,000 people to that site.”“We hadn't been able to find anything and were on our way out of town... when Allan popped up and said 'come and have a look at this venue’.”Allan Dippie said the venue was excited to be teaming up with Greenstone.“Their impeccable track record for putting on world class events that attract major international artists have made this joint venture an easy decision,” he said.“Three Parks Outdoor Arena will offer a true outdoor amphitheatre experience like no other and we look forward to welcoming concert goers next year.”Greenstone has applied for consent for a 30,000-person capacity, although Dean said they were unlikely to hit that number. The consent application is currently being vetted by Queenstown Lakes District Council.There were traffic issues around the three-day Wheels at Wānaka event. A full traffic management plan has been drawn up for the concert consent and Dean says the site provides better access than Gibbston, on a notorious stretch of SH6.Related: Extravaganza of machinery draws thousandsThe 2026 concert tour dates and artist line-up will be announced soon.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has appealed a decision by the Environment Court ordering it to pay more than $120,000 in costs to local developer Tussock Rise - a move that reignites a dispute dating back nearly a decade.The council confirmed it had lodged an appeal, challenging the Environment Court’s ruling, which found QLDC’s conduct justified a higher-than-normal costs award to Tussock Rise.“QLDC’s appeal sets out a number of alleged errors in the costs decision,” a QLDC representative told the Wānaka App.“The decision to appeal was taken after careful consideration of the issues, and the impact of such a decision on ratepayers and the PDP [Proposed District Plan] process.”The Environment Court ordered QLDC to pay Tussock Rise in a decision issued in June, but the stoush dates back to 2016, centering over the zoning of a 9.3-hectare property owned by Tussock Rise.After Tussock Rise purchased the land, it sought to rezone it from Industrial B to Business Mixed Use, but QLDC rejected that request. When QLDC later proposed General Industrial Zoning over the same site through the PDP, Tussock Rise appealed.The council initially tried to have the appeal struck out, but the court disagreed and allowed the case to proceed, awarding $5,000 in costs to Tussock Rise at this stage. After a substantive hearing, the court ruled in favour of Tussock Rise again, leading on to the most recent decision to award the six-figure sum to Tussock Rise.Environment Court Judge PA Steven said she was satisfied “there were special circumstances in this case that justify an award of costs”; agreed with Tussock Rise’s legal counsel that QLDC had “advanced arguments without merit and evidential support”; and said some of the council’s actions had demonstrated a “disregard for due process”.Read more: QLDC loses case against developers - againTussock Rise part-owner Grant Bisset told the Wānaka App this week it was “disappointing but not surprising that the QLDC have appealed the costs award against them”. He said Tussock Rise was surprised that QLDC had chosen to lodge an appeal in the High Court instead of engaging with the company.“Their budget for litigation doesn’t seem to have the constraints of the infrastructure one.”Both parties said they could not comment further because the matter is now before the courts.PHOTO: Wānaka App 

Sweeping Resource Management Act (RMA) changes signalled by central government are a "significant area of focus” for Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).Three discussion documents proposing changes to the rules governing councils' oversight of housing, infrastructure and development - among other areas - are currently open for public feedback.The government calls them the biggest package of changes to national direction under the RMA in New Zealand history, and holds the view they will streamline or remove burdensome regulations holding back growth.The changes would “help unclog the growth arteries of the economy”, Minister responsible for RMA reform Chris Bishop said, adding that they have been designed to be able to transition to a new RMA, once implemented.The discussion documents currently open for feedback cover a dozen national policy statements and national environmental standards. QLDC plans to make a submission on the proposals but - ahead of that submission being lodged - gave little away about how it feels about them.“Our policy team is currently working across the organisation to assess the proposals and their impact on specific areas of our work in the Queenstown Lakes District so that we can provide a submission on behalf of the community before the closing date,” a QLDC spokesperson said.Deputy mayor Quentin Smith said while the RMA “can be slow, complicated, and frustrating at times” it was important not to “throw the good away with the bad”.“The government’s proposed changes might make it easier for developers to build faster, but they also risk taking away local appeal rights and cutting the public out of decision-making,” he told the Wānaka App. “That means fewer chances for people to speak up through submissions or appeal rights and fewer checks on bad developments. The direction to more centralised decision-making has rarely served us well in our district and doesn’t always reflect what’s right for our people, towns or landscapes,” he said.“We all want progress and improvement. But not at the cost of losing what makes this place special - or shutting communities out of decisions that affect them for generations.”Meanwhile, councillor Lyal Cocks said he was optimistic about the process and thought it was “appropriate to put it out there for review”.The RMA has become “quite cumbersome and expensive”, he said. “I think it’s timely to get the input from the population…and see if we can come up with a more appropriate and useful planning system.”“I know there is a concern that if it goes too far we may lose some of the control over the protection of our landscapes and our environment,” he said, “but I’ll be interested to get more information and get more detail of what this will actually look like.”The discussion documents are open for public feedback until July 27. Read them here.PHOTO: Supplied

A total of 531 objections have been lodged over Super Liquor’s plans for a 300sqm+ liquor store in Lake Hāwea, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has confirmed.The Super Liquor, billed for Lake Hāwea’s Longview subdivision, received resource consent approval a few months ago but it still needs to clear the hurdle of securing an alcohol licence.The objections to its alcohol licence application have triggered a hearing, but QLDC says a date has not yet been set for it.Lake Hāwea resident Lisa Riley, who has spearheaded community awareness of Super Liquor’s plans, said she was encouraged by the number of objections lodged during the objection period.“The goal I was hoping for was 200 objections, which seemed achievable, given our population,” Lisa told the Wānaka App. “So to now have a result of 531 objections…it’s just amazing, and I am so thankful to all the individuals who took the time to have brave conversations with others, the volunteers who did mail drops, and everyone who made time to learn more about this.” “Getting that many objections to this liquor licence really speaks to the strength and thoughtfulness of our community,” Lisa said. “People clearly care deeply about the character of Lake Hāwea and the wellbeing of its residents.”Ahead of the hearing, Lisa said she is working with legal counsel to prepare evidence and is encouraging submitters to consider whether they’d like to speak at the hearing when the time comes.“Something I’d love to see from council is a real effort to ensure the hearing is held in Hāwea itself, where people most directly affected can easily attend and be heard,” Lisa said. Lisa said she would also like to explore a Local Alcohol Policy - a set of rules managing the supply, sale and consumption of alcohol - for the district.“It would give our communities a stronger voice upfront in shaping where and how alcohol is sold, rather than having to react to each new licence,” she said.Alongside the objections, three letters in support of the application were received, QLDC confirmed.A council spokesperson said the council did not plan to share any objections or letters publicly before the hearing.“The District Licensing Committee will decide on the time of [the] hearing, and a notice of this will be placed on QLDC’s website once arranged,” they said.PHOTO: Supplied

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has been ordered by the Environment Court to pay company Tussock Rise more than $120,000 in costs. It is the second time costs have been awarded to Tussock Rise, following a long-running dispute with the council over the zoning of a 9.3-hectare property the developer purchased in 2016.Tussock Rise part-owner Grant Bisset told the Wānaka App this week he was "delighted with the court’s decision and that this nine-year process has come to an end".“We were determined not to leave Wānaka a legacy of heavy industrial land with the associated heavy traffic in such a central and elevated location."This matter has been through two court processes and we have been awarded costs both times."Tussock Rise first applied for a private plan change in 2016 to rezone the land from Industrial B to Business Mixed Use, an application which QLDC rejected. Later, when QLDC notified stage three of the Proposed District Plan, it proposed to rezone an area including the Tussock Rise land to a General Industrial Zone.Tussock Rise lodged an Environment Court appeal against this, which QLDC applied to have struck out - claiming it was “frivolous or vexatious” - but the Environment Court rejected this, and ruled in favour of Tussock Rise, awarding $5,000 in costs.When the substantive Environment Court hearing was held, the court ultimately sided with Tussock Rise, enabling a more flexible rezoning for the site.The recent application for costs followed this, and in a judgement on June 18, Environment Court judge PA Steven said she was satisfied there “were special circumstances in this case that justify an award of costs”.Tussock Rise land looking north on Gordon Road. PHOTO: Wānaka AppShe was also satisfied that “higher than normal costs are justified” in this case.The judge said she agreed with Tussock Rises’s legal counsel’s submission that the council had “advanced arguments without merit and evidential support” and some of QLDC’s actions during the hearing demonstrated “disregard for due process”.QLDC told the Wānaka App this week it was “disappointed in the outcome relating to the cost decision and remain disappointed with the overall outcome”.“We've lost important and easily accessible industrial land that was anticipated to meet Wānaka's long term growth needs,” a spokesperson said.Grant disagreed with QLDC’s statement and he said the council’s modelling had shown sufficient capacity for all business land uses through to 2048.“The QLDC’s desire to funnel heavy industrial traffic into central Wānaka is perplexing,” he said. “The court’s position clearly vindicates [Tussock Rises’s] view that heavy industrial activities are inappropriate in the elevated centre of a resort town adjacent to residential areas.”

Skiers and snowboarders took their first trips up the new Soho Lift yesterday (July 5).The high-speed six-seater chairlift unlocks access to 150ha of skiable terrain in Soho Basin, expanding Cardrona Alpine Resort’s ski area from 465ha to 615ha.Snowmaking facilities are not in place at Soho Basin for this winter season so skiers and snowboarders have had to wait for enough snowfall before their first ride in the new chairlift.Cardrona held a Soho Lift blessing ceremony last month (June 29) ahead of its opening, with speeches from representatives of Ngāi Tahu including Komene Cassidy, RealNZ CEO Dave Beeche Doppelmayr’s Garreth Hayman and tourism minister Louise Upston.The new lift has capacity for 3,000 passengers per hour. PHOTO: Belle Grace“It was incredible to celebrate with all the generations of Cardrona and RealNZ, including both the Lee and Hutchins families,” Cardrona and Treble Cone chief mountains officer Laura Hedley said."To get this lift and terrain open, after decades of dreaming of what could be... it's a pretty emotional moment for our entire team."Early-season conditions still exist, so the terrain was mostly ungroomed and for advanced level skiers and snowboarders only.The Soho Lift is 1,237m long, with 75 chairs, and a vertical rise of 379m.It has 11 towers and is the same model as the $23M Shadow Basin chairlift by Doppelmayer at The Remarkables.

Two chefs from Hook Wānaka have brought home medals after competing in the Caputo Cup - held for the first time in New Zealand at Fine Food New Zealand 2025 at the Auckland Showgrounds (June 30 - July 1).The competition, which honours the traditional craft of Neapolitan pizza-making under the official regulations of the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani (APN), attracted top pizza chefs from across the country.Simone Coacci placed third in the Pizza Napoletana STG category, which required contestants to master the art of classic Neapolitan pizza - made with specific ingredients, techniques, and cooking methods recognised by the APN.Sam Mari earned third place in the Pizza Contemporanea category, which focuses on modern approaches to dough fermentation, innovative toppings, and presentation.The Caputo Cup is one of the most respected pizza competitions in the world, and this year’s New Zealand debut marks a milestone for the country’s growing artisan pizza scene.Hook Wānaka owner Graham Lee said the team was “delighted” with the results.“To have two of our chefs placed in such a high-level event is a massive achievement - and it reflects the care and craft they put into every dish at Hook,” he said.PHOTO: Supplied

One of New Zealand’s most iconic buildings – the Cardrona Hotel – is on the market for the first time in more than a decade.The 162-year-old heritage-listed hotel in the Cardrona township is expected to attract significant national and international interest.The Cardrona Hotel’s current owners – Cade and Alexis Thornton and James and Fleur Jenneson – have owned the historic establishment since 2013 and describe it as a “once-in-a lifetime opportunity”.“It has always been a very busy and successful business, and we have loved our time here, but our next step is to spend more time with our young family,” Cade said.The 8613sqm property encompasses a restaurant, year-round beer garden, and 17 ensuite hotel rooms sleeping up to 44 guests.The hotel was built in 1863 and its history is steeped in the gold rush era, with many of the original relics such as the historic facade, and a glass window looking into a mineshaft in the floor of the property. It is one of the regions’ most well-known tourist attractions and a popular après ski destination, hosting everyone from international movie stars and royalty to locals.“In our time, the growth has been phenomenal, and the business has become a big beast,” Cade said.“We now employ 40-50 staff, the hotel averages 84 percent occupancy annually, and it’s often fully booked at many times throughout the year."The sale is likely to be one of the Cardrona Valley’s highest, and coincides with continued growth in the area.The hotel business and associated buildings will be sold by private negotiation.Expressions of interest are open until Friday August 15.PHOTOS: Supplied