For 30 years, the closest Justine and Geoff Ross had come to cows was two cowhide chairs in their Auckland living room.But that didn't stop the couple behind the successful 42 Below vodka business from buying a high-country station at Lake Hāwea and embarking on a new way of farming.The station isn't just carbon neutral, it's carbon positive.They detail the struggles, even outright hostility as well as the triumphs and deep satisfaction from having a dream, and the courage to chase it in their new book, Meet You At The Main Divide: A Family's Story Of Life On Lake Hāwea Station.When she first set eyes on the property it was a “hard no” Justine Ross tells Jesse Mulligan (RNZ Afternoons), but a trip to the back country on the property changed her mind.“There's a stream there and we sat there as a family and had a bit of a picnic, and I just couldn't believe it, it was unfathomable and it still is really, that we could actually own this piece of land.”Geoff, despite years in the marketing game in Auckland, felt the pull of the land strongly, he says.“I thought I'd suppressed it after being in Parnell and the agency worlds, but it was always there actually and after a couple of trips down here for recreation, the pull finally got the better of us.”Their first year on the property wasn’t plain sailing, Justine says, but gradually the family settled into life on the farm. They were also driven by a desire to do something tangible for the climate, Justine says.“Geoff was part of Pure Advantage, a lobby group for the business case for the environment, which does amazing work.“And I've been involved with Greenpeace, there was just so many factors pointing to having the need to do something significant about what we believe is the existential threat that our planet is facing.”Having made their money “selling booze” they wanted to leave a more wholesome legacy, she says.“A legacy that's really about what we believe in, to become climate advocate people through farming was just a no brainer for our whole family.”They acknowledge they met some resistance to the way they planned to farm at the outset, Geoff says.“It was probably at a ram sale, the first ram sale I went to actually and the subject of climate change came up, over smoko.“And there was a sense of resistance at that point. But it's amazing how much that's changed in the last few years.“And in fact, the last ram sale I went to, now the conversation is that the climate is definitely changing.”Seasoned farmers from the region know better than anyone how the climate has changed, he says.“One of the drivers for coming here, with a lot of discussion in the media was around farming as a problem in climate change, I guess what we wanted to disprove that and show that farming can be part of the climate change solution.”Being a carbon positive farm means they sequester twice the amount they emit, Geoff says.“We emit largely through our stock and tractor hours, we emit 2500 tonnes of greenhouse equivalents every year. So, it's a big number.“But thanks to a lot of that bush, a lot of the plantings, we’ve planted 22,000 trees, a lot of the regenerating gullies and and steep faces which have little farming value, because we've protected that, it's sequestering 5500 tonnes.”Country Calendar featured them last year, and they copped some pretty virulent online burns, being called ‘Instagram farmers’ and ‘five-minute farmers’.“I mean, all those things are true. In many regards, we are, we've only been here six years, so in many contexts, it's a short period of time.“But there is often a case for fresh eyes. And if you look to other sectors, to use an obvious one like air travel, Air New Zealand don't always hire pilots to be the CEO, they often have expertise and experience from other sectors to drive that business forward.“Farming, as in all sectors, has got to keep the change reflex, we've got to have fresh eyes, we've got to keep looking to what our customers are doing.”“And whilst I can't claim to be an expert with a team of dogs, hopefully there's some skills from what Justine and I've learned, maybe on the market facing side, that can be useful to farming,” says GeoffAnd it’s not all soft and fluffy, hard economics lie behind the farm strategy, he says, the farm turns a profit.“When you're in marketing, you spend a lot of time speaking to your customers and finding out what they want and then looking at what you can offer and then searching for your competitive and ideally a unique competitive advantage.“And New Zealand has many particularly in farming, and I don't think they've been articulated or potentially heard well enough.”And if they are ‘Instagram farmers’ there are hard-headed reasons for that, they say.“There's 50,000 farms in New Zealand, if each of those had as we do for instance 1000s of followers for our Instagram, from countries around the world, let's say in New Zealand each farm had 2,000 followers, that's a 100 million people worldwide listening to the great work that New Zealand farmers are doing,” Geoff says.It's the way they find business, says Justine.“We connect with those clients is through Instagram. So, if that makes us Instagram farmers, we’ll take it.”PHOTOS: Lake Hāwea Station

The 2023 FIFA women’s World Cup CEO David Beeche has taken on a new position as CEO for tourism giant RealNZ.RealNZ owns a broad range of popular tourism businesses in the lower South Island including Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone Ski Area.“The tourism industry has been through an incredibly tough period, and I look forward to helping continue the rebuild and drive a successful future for RealNZ,” Dave said. With a background in both sport and tourism, he said it was “an honour to take up the reins as leader and kaitiaki” of the company.“We are thrilled to have Dave lead RealNZ into the future,” RealNZ chair Martin Dippie said.“His experience managing complex multi-site businesses, strong people and leadership skills, and passion for conservation give him an excellent foundation to grow this iconic South Island business.” A keen outdoorsman and multi-sporter, Dave has strong connections to the South Island. “The family and I love the deep south, have spent many years working and holidaying here at our home in Arrowtown,” he said. “We’re looking forward to permanently relocating and integrating into the local community.”Dave replaces Paul Norris, who has been acting CEO since April, following Stephen England-Hall’s resignation. PHOTO: Supplied

Wanaka based lawfirm Aspiring Law has acquired the Suburban Law practice in Christchurch, expanding its South Island presence to its other locations in Wanaka, Arrowtown and Dunedin.“This acquisition reflects the importance of the Christchurch market to us and our longer-term strategy," Aspiring Law co-director Janice Hughes said."Being available to our clients wherever they are, is important to us, and this will make it easier for clients to visit us outside of the hustle and bustle of the central city."Aspiring Law co-diector Steph Gifford said the decision to merge with Suburban Law was an easy one."We’re both locally run legal practices with shared values and similar ways of doing business so this couldn’t be a better match," she said. "It’s been a comfortable and seamless transition aided by the fact that our people are like-minded and the teams complement each other beautifully.”Steph said for Suburban Law clients, it’s business as usual, just with a few new faces added to the mix.

After a mixed - but ultimately successful - winter on the slopes, the South Island’s 2023 ski season was seen out at Cardrona Alpine Resort’s annual closing day on Sunday (October 15). Snow was slow to arrive, but when it eventually did Wānaka welcomed thousands of skiers and snowboarders from around the world.This year was the first time Cardrona and Treble Cone used ticketing systems to manage capacity and improve the guest experience. “Over the last few winters our experience wasn’t quite where we wanted it to be, without the ability to moderate the number of guests we welcomed onto our mountains,” Cardrona and Treble Cone Experiences general manager Laura Hedley said. Snow was slow to arrive. PHOTO: Wānaka App “Implementing a system used by many of the world’s biggest ski resorts allowed us to limit the number of passes sold on any given day, to keep the number of skiers and snowboarders at a manageable level.” She said the skifields didn’t always get it right, but they continued to learn through the season.Laura said the early-season snow “led to some challenges”, but feedback from guests was that their experience at Cardrona and Treble Cone had been much better than in previous years. Highlights of the winter included hosting world-class events where Kiwi snow sports stars took on their international counterparts on home soil, like the Winter Games NZ Junior World Championships.US Olympian Jessie Diggins at the Snow Farm with a young fan at the Merino Muster last month. PHOTO: Wānaka App“Seeing Lucia Georgalli, Rocco Jamieson and Mischa Thomas all on the Junior World Champs podium at home was really special – it’s incredible to watch the next generation of New Zealand snow sports athletes step up, and exciting to see how that has inspired kids who will take their turn in a few years’ time,” Laura said.The Snow Farm also experienced challenges this season, with delays to its base building project meaning temporary facilities, such as containers and portaloos, had to be transported to the Pisa Conservation Area.The Waiorau Nordic Ski Club said the season’s challenges brought the club closer together, providing a sense of community and momentum for the future.The Snow Farm’s annual Merino Muster (part of the Worldloppet International cross country circuit) in September welcomed a sizable field of international competitors and featured “the world’s fastest course”, according to three time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins (USA).

Aurora Energy has reported $11.1M in net profit (for year ended June 30, 2023) and is happy with the progress on the second year of its five-year-long $563M investment programme.The forecast profit for this year was $9.9M. Last year’s profit was $7.8M, and June 2021 was $0.68M.The company said the positive result against forecast was driven by higher revenues due to strong residential demand and the removal of some historical pricing structures from April 2023. Chief executive Richard Fletcher said the company has completed a significant amount of work over the last couple of years and despite economic inflation and rising costs for labour and materials, they have delivered largely to plan.“We have now cleared a backlog of higher-risk poles, which is a significant milestone, and continue to bundle work in the same area into larger packages. This means we can minimise the disruption for customers as well as reduce delivery costs,” he said.There will be a community drop-in event to share results from the annual delivery report on Thursday October 26 (11am -1 pm) at Alexandra Community House on Centennial Ave.There will be information relevant to the community and Aurora Energy will be available to answer questions.The annual report, the annual delivery report and the media release can be found on Aurora Energy’s website.The annual delivery report is a requirement under Aurora Energy’s customised price-quality path (CPP), to outline how they are performing against their plans, following approval from the Commerce Commission in 2021 for the five-year investment programme to undertake essential maintenance and upgrades on the network.Richard said they were happy with progress and continuing to deliver against the ambitious work programme to upgrade the network. “A robust and efficient electricity network is central to reducing carbon emissions through electrification and that’s why our investment programme is so important.” Capital expenditure of $99.3M (it was $83.0M in 2022) went to new network assets in Central Otago, Dunedin, Wānaka and Queenstown during the year.

Wānaka’s third retirement village could be operational as soon as 2025.Retirement village giant Metlifecare has submitted a resource consent application for a new village in Three Parks.The company purchased a 5.42ha site near the Wānaka Golf Course last year and its application, lodged in August, provides more information about its plans for the site.Layout plans for the proposed retirement village. IMAGE: SuppliedIf the project gets the go-ahead, it will feature 93 villas, a care home, and an amenities building. Plans have changed since last year, when Metlifecare head of development Matt Wickham said the company planned for 120 villas and seven apartments.Application documents say the villas would be a mix of two and three-bedroom terrace-style homes, each with garages, and the care home would feature 30 suites.The amenities building, according to architectural drawings, would feature a billiards room, cafe, salon, dining room, lounge, and activities room. An artist’s impression of the amenities building. IMAGE: SuppliedIn its application Metlifecare said there was “high demand for elderly housing in this location”.The Wānaka retirement village would be Metlifecare’s first in Otago and third in the South Island. The company also has almost 40 retirement villages in the North Island. The Wānaka retirement village could create up to 140 construction jobs in the community during the building phase and another 50 once operational, across nursing, gardening, kitchen staff and more, the application said.Queenstown Lakes District Council is currently considering the Metlifecare application.

Dates have been confirmed for the phased rollout of freshwater farm plans in the region, Otago Regional Council (ORC) says.ORC environmental implementation manager Libby Caldwell said this will give farmers and growers certainty of when they need to begin work on preparing their plans - a new regulation which mandates farms over a certain size need audited freshwater plans.She said ORC had already fielded a number of questions about this farming community. “It’s great to see such interest in an area where we can see so much potential to focus on freshwater while helping farmers and growers plan for the future.”More than 3,500 Otago farmers will need freshwater farm plans, from about 34,500 across the country.The plans will apply to all pastoral or arable land of more than 20 hectares and all horticultural land of five hectares or more.The freshwater farm plans are a key part of the government’s wider Essential Freshwater reforms, which aim to protect and improve freshwater quality and ecosystems across New Zealand.The roll-out of freshwater farm plans across Otago’s six freshwater management units will begin next February. Farmers will have 18 months following the start-dates in their part of Otago to have their freshwater farms plans created and certified.The Upper Clutha has a start date of February 2025.“ORC will have staff available to help support this implementation over the next couple of years including workshops and one-on-one meetings with farmers to ensure they understand the process and are confident in creating a freshwater farm plan,” Libby said. “We will soon be calling for expressions of interest from those looking to train as certifiers and auditors of freshwater farm plans in Otago.” PHOTO: Supplied

A large site on Ardmore Street with super-sized development plan approval is on the market. Approval for a wide-ranging commercial and residential development on the 5,600 sqm site on the northern side of Ardmore Street was granted earlier this year. The plans include a large hotel, 58 residential units, and a handful of retail and food and beverage tenancies.Read more: Five-storey Ardmore Street development in the worksIt would fill the substantial site, made up of six individual parcels, which are located between ANZ and Heartland Design and Print.The site is currently on the market. PHOTO: WanakaDevelopers Wānaka Central JV Ltd are hoping to sell the property less than six months after receiving approval from Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC). The company’s directors are developers Brett Gamble and Anthony Gapes. Auckland-based Anthony is a former director of the company behind Queenstown’s Five Mile development. BusinessDesk reported earlier this month that three of his entities are in liquidation owing more than $10M.The Ardmore Street property is listed with Bayleys Wānaka. 

A record number of Māori businesses throughout the southern region have been selected as finalists in the 2023 Kupeka Umaka Māori ki Āraiteuru (KUMA) Southern Māori Business Awards.They include Wānaka companies WanaHaka Tours, which offers a range of experiences combining Māori culture and local tourism, and EASI NZ, a human resources business. Judging panel convenor Jeff Broughton said judges were impressed with the high calibre and number of quality candidates and applications received. “The applications came from a diverse range of industries, and it is clear that Māori business is continuing to expand across Otago and Southland,” he said. “It was an honour and a privilege to be part of the judging process and we congratulate all those that gave us an insight into the amazing mahi that is undertaken by pakihi Māori (Māori enterprise).” “We have seen the scope of what pakihi Māori are achieving in our takiwā and couldn’t be more proud of and excited by their achievements. Now it’s time to celebrate their successes.”An awards evening will celebrate these businesses.The awards gala dinner takes place this Saturday, September 30 at community cultural and art space Te Atamira in Tahuna (Queenstown). This year’s awards theme centres on mātauranga, which embodies the significance of Māori knowledge, wisdom, and culture in the world of business.Victoria Campbell, the awards dinner’s keynote speaker. PHOTO: KUMAKeynote speaker at the event will be Kāi Tahu astronomer Victoria Campbell, who is currently leading a new research project at Tūhura Otago Museum to explore the southern cosmos from a Kāi Tahu perspective.

Silverlight Studios has been granted an extra five years to ‘give effect’ to both its film park and the workers’ accommodation the company plans to build on its 332ha site near Wānaka Airport. When the film park project was approved in December 2021 under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act, decision documents suggested the project would move quickly. Bulk earthworks could begin in 2022, those documents said, while construction of sound stages, an ‘Italian village’ and a ‘seaside village' could take place in 2023, with the Paris replica set to be built in 2024.Two years later, with no signs of construction on-site, Silverlight Studios has secured extensions until March 2029.The extension applies to both the film park (55ha of development featuring studios, production offices, a film school, a screening theatre, and an exhibition centre) and the 300 residential units for workers’ accommodation.Fast-track consents have a default duration to lapse within two years, but local councils can grant extension periods.Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) resource consents manager Fiona Blight said the company had made “substantial progress” on the film park.The company has completed detailed design work for some of the sound stage buildings and sets and bulk earthworks, prepared environmental management plans for earthworks, liaised with QLDC’s building department and finance department, and undertaken geotechnical investigations, she said.It has also had discussions with construction companies for the project.The film park could cost as much as $280M to construct. Silverlight Studios was approached for comment.IMAGE: Silverlight Studios

The findings from Wastebusters’ 2023 Resourceful Communities survey, released on Friday (September 22), highlight an increase in secondhand shopping, and reduce/reuse behaviours holding strong despite cost of living being a key cause of concern.For a third year, Wastebusters asked people about the barriers that stop them reusing and reducing waste. Survey respondents ranked price as the number one factor that influenced their consumers choices (up from third most influential factor in 2021), followed by healthy choices and environmental impact (both down one ranking).Wastebusters project manager Sophie Ward said there was a notable upturn in the frequency of secondhand shopping (68 percent always or usually shop secondhand first, compared to 55 percent in 2021), with many respondents appreciating how Wastebusters helped them shop secondhand first.“It’s heartening to see that despite the challenges posed by the cost of living crisis, the majority of people are still choosing to reuse and reduce,” Sophie said. The survey found an upward trend in those always or usually choosing reusable period products, with an increase of 36 percent in the 25-34 age bracket and up 40 percent for 35-44 year olds since 2021. Other behaviours remained positive, with 95 percent always or usually using their own drink bottle (compared to 92 percent in 2021 and 93 percent in 2019) or buying fruit/vegetables unpackaged (87 percent compared to 88 percent in 2021 and 87 percent in 2019).“We’ve also seen this high involvement in sustainable actions across Wastebusters’ zero waste campaigns. In the last year, 2,500 people have come along to our community events to engage and learn about low waste living, home composting, repair and slow fashion,” Sophie said.This year the survey asked participants what encouraged or facilitated their reuse behaviours. The survey found incentivisation a key factor; people want to be encouraged to reuse and bring their own containers, whether through shop signage or discounted products. As part of Plastic Free July this year, Wastebusters provided a number of hospitality outlets with BYO cup/container posters which may have contributed to the 10 percent increase in people considering taking a BYO container for takeaway food.There is a clear need for accessible alternatives such as a cup/container lending scheme to help overcome barriers to reuse, Sophie said, with ‘I forgot my cup’, ‘I didn’t plan ahead’ or ‘BYO not an option’ the most common barriers cited again this year.“We also found that people really wanted to reduce their daily impact and they cited numerous areas they wanted to learn more about,” she said.“It’s more important than ever to provide our communities with ways to connect, interact and feel inspired to take positive action.”Topics included learning more about food, recycling, advocacy, shopping, repairs, and creating a sustainable home environment.“Thanks to all who responded to the survey,” Sophie said. “The information we gathered will be incredibly helpful for us to develop zero waste programmes specifically designed for our communities.”For more information, read the summary and full survey report.PHOTO: Supplied

Big-box retailer The Warehouse will open the doors to its Wānaka store on October 12. The Warehouse, plus Noel Leeming and Warehouse Stationery, have been under construction at Three Parks for the past year or so and the opening day will feature free cupcakes, goody bags and special deals. “We’re extremely excited to open our new store to the Wānaka community and [save] everyone a trip over the Crown Range,” The Warehouse Wānaka store manager Pascal Maeder said. The Warehouse is well-known for offering a range of everyday goods; Noel Leeming supplies tech, whiteware and appliances; and Warehouse Stationery has office supplies.Warehouse Group chief store operations officer Ian Carter said 65 team members have been employed across the new stores, most of whom live locally.“We’ve got a fantastic team who are busy preparing the store for opening on October 12 and are really looking forward to welcoming customers instore,” he said. Ian said The Warehouse was pleased to offer a full pantry and grocery range in the Wānaka store.“We offer… essentials at the same price across the country, like $3 for two litres of milk. “We’re also incredibly proud of our own-brand, Market Kitchen, giving customers more choice on products like butter, coffee, flour, pastas, oats and rice.”Customers will be able to drop off soft plastics for recycling at The Warehouse as well as e-waste, mobile phones and used ink and toner cartridges at Noel Leeming.The traditional Warehouse sausage sizzle fundraisers will also start right away.A four-day fundraiser for Wānaka’s Toy Library, Riding for the Disabled, Scouts Group and Parents and Friends of Mount Aspiring College taking place for four days from opening day.On opening day, ribbon cutting will take place at 8.30am as the doors open and the first 300 customers (200 for The Warehouse and 100 for Noel Leeming) will get free cupcakes and goody bags.The Warehouse will be open from 8.30am-8pm every day and Noel Leeming will be open from 9am-5pm.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

More than 260 sites owned by The Warehouse Group are set to be powered by solar farms as the group inks a long-term agreement with Lodestone Energy.The agreement will apply to all sites where The Warehouse Group purchases electricity directly, including those occupied by The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery, Noel Leeming, Torpedo7 stores and its distribution centres and store support offices.Working with a retail service provider, Lodestone Energy will implement metering and billing techniques to enable the company's solar farm production to offset the demand of The Warehouse Group's stores from Kaitaia to Invercargill.The Warehouse Group chief executive Nick Grayston said the company aimed to reach zero emissions in its operations by 2040."Moving to solar electricity will help us achieve this goal years in advance," Grayston said."We'll gradually transition our Aotearoa New Zealand sites to Lodestone Energy solar farms and by the end of December 2026, we anticipate we'll have eliminated close to 100 percent of all our New Zealand electricity emissions," he said."This will avoid around 5300 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year."PHOTO: Supplied / Lodestone EnergyLodestone Energy managing director Gary Holden said the agreement would deliver flexibility, with a competitive pricing structure for The Warehouse Group via an innovative path for power purchase agreements."The Warehouse Group's operational hours are a great match for solar energy," Holden said."When their stores are at their busiest, the sun's energy is at its peak," he said."With the sophistication of the New Zealand market, this arrangement is akin to locating solar panels on top of The Warehouse Group sites but at a lower cost, with faster deployment and without the limitation of the physical space of a rooftop."

Global drinks business International Beverage announced on Wednesday ( September 13) that it had acquired Cardrona Distillery.The acquisition includes the Cardrona Distillery and visitor centre plus Cardrona’s portfolio of super-premium brands including Cardrona single malt whisky, The Reid Vodka, The Source Gin and the Rose Rabbit liqueurs.“This is a momentous day for our business,” Cardrona Distillery founder Desiree Reid said.“On behalf of myself and the whole team, I am delighted to welcome International Beverage as the new owner of the Cardrona Distillery.”International Beverage said in a statement that it will focus on investment in the purpose-built distillery site to maximise the potential of Cardrona’s brands in the core New Zealand, UK and USA markets. They will also deploy International Beverage’s global network to build select new routes to market.Desiree will remain with the company in the role of managing director. She said Cardrona Distillery had been looking for an investor to support the company's international growth for some time.“We found that partner in International Beverage, a world-class group of spirits businesses who own some of the whisky distilleries we most admire including Pulteney, Speyburn, Knockdhu and Balblair,” she said.“It has been a 12-year journey to reach this point, and we are so proud of the great whisky foundation laid in the Cardrona Valley.”International Beverage managing director Malcolm Leask said he was delighted to have the Cardrona team join the business.“The team has done an excellent job in building Cardrona’s super-premium brands to date with so much integrity, quality and potential for the future,” he said. “We are very much looking forward to working with them to build on their success within our international network, as we strengthen our premium spirits portfolio for the global market.”Cardrona Distillery opened in December 2015.PHOTO: Cardrona Distillery

The council’s proposed Urban Intensification Variation (UIV) not only proposes increased density and building heights in residential areas in the district, it could also mean “confronting changes” to Wānaka’s CBD.The variation was the subject of two drop-in sessions in Wānaka yesterday (Wednesday September 14). 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 more: Urban intensification: Growth ‘up and out’ proposed The CBD height proposal could see the maximum height of buildings in the CBD increase from 12 metres to 16.5 metres.The Precinct on Helwick Street is currently the highest building in Wānaka’s CDB, at 12m tall. The Precinct is the highest building in the CDB at 12m.Adding another four and a half metres would equate to an additional storey, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) planning policy manager Alyson Hutton“It’s the start of another bloody Queenstown,” said one resident at yesterday’s drop in session.The CBD height proposal is one of the more “dramatic and confronting” within the UIV, deputy mayor Quentin Smith told the Wānaka App.Alyson said the changes to the height limits in the CBD were intended to allow for different business types and even the potential for people to live in the CBD.Quentin said one question to assess is whether or not the existing height restriction in the CBD has put off developers.Wānaka’s Wanaka Central Business District Property Owners Group did not wish to comment on the proposals at this stage, but members of the group planned to attend yesterday’s drop-in sessions and discuss the issues before forming a view.The Wānaka App spoke to one retailer in the CBD who had owned a business there for 22 years. She said the height should remain the same to keep “the same feel [the CBD] has always had”.“There’s enough going on at Three Parks,” she said.Other proposals in the UIV for the CBD include relaxing and simplifying setback and sunlight access standards for sites that adjoin a residential zone; and new waste and recycling storage space, building height setback at upper floor, outlook space and minimum ground floor height standards.The main message coming from council staff and elected members was: “We want people to understand and submit on the proposal”, Quentin said.There is no more consultation planned in the Upper Clutha on the UIV.Submissions are open until September 21, and information about how to make a submission can be found here.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Three Wānaka builders have taken the top spots at the Central South Island Registered Master Builders Apprentice of the Year 2023. The Apprentice of the Year competition recognises excellence among carpentry apprentices and the competition tests entrants’ project management, business, presentation, and practical skills. Craig Burke (who works for Bayview Construction) was named Apprentice of the Year, Sam Hoskins (Dunlop Builders) took second, and Jackson Reardon (CDL Building) earned third place.The three local winners and all other entrants had to submit a building project and take part in a two-hour practical challenge and, from there, the top 10 progressed to the interview stage with a judging panel and an onsite visit to discuss their project.Judges said Craig’s submission stood out and during the interview “he exuded confidence and presented himself well”.His site visit, on a new build, impressed the judges, and highlighted his “profound understanding” of the practical aspects of building."During the practical competition his time management skills and commitment to maintaining a tidy site were truly commendable,” judges said. “He also demonstrated a keen desire for knowledge by consistently seeking guidance and ensuring he stayed on the right track."As the regional winner, Craig will go on to compete in the national competition in Auckland on November 9.There he will take part in a 45-minute interview with the national judging panel and an additional six-hour practical skills test before the winner is announced at a national awards dinner.PHOTO: Supplied

National Party leader Christopher Luxon has ruled out a bed tax in the short term to fund Queenstown Lakes’ under-pressure infrastructure.Luxon was in Queenstown yesterday (September 7) to announce a host of new policies to boost the tourism industry and New Zealand economy.They include lifting the upper age for working holiday visas from 30 to 35 years, and allowing people to apply for a second and third work visa while worker shortages continue, while also removing the median wage requirement and fast-tracking applications.His party will task the proposed National Infrastructure Agency to work with councils to provide more funding to areas with high visitor numbers but low ratepayer bases, such as Queenstown Lakes.But, asked directly about whether the National Party supports a bed tax, or visitor levy, which Queenstown Lakes District Council is pushing for to pay for the infrastructure needed to cope with high tourism numbers, Luxon dismissed the plans."Look, the reality for us, in a cost of living crisis, that is not the right answer for New Zealand at this point in time," he says.Neither was an increase in the $35 International Visitor Levy the answer, although he said he would like to see the existing funds raised from it applied better.Instead, Luxon says National will work directly with councils on funding."I want central and local government working in a more constructive way. We've actually got to sit down with them and say 'what are the long investments that are needed in this sub-region of New Zealand'. That will be different here in Queenstown, from Hawke's Bay, from Northland to Southland to the West Coast."Let's actually identify what those projects are. We see that's the way the Brits work, the way the Australians work, so that we are actually getting long term planning in place . . . rather than band-aiding and supergluing stuff together..."On immigration, Luxon says removing the rule that employers must pay migrants 95 percent of the median wage, currently $29.66 per hour, would allow tourism businesses to "attract the staff they need at rates that reflect their skills and experience".Being able to renew work visas for a second and third time would enable NZ to compete with the likes of Australia and Canada."We want to be able to reach out and actually make New Zealand attractive again, as it once was."He believed that would enable businesses to attract "thousands or hopefully tens of thousands" of workers, paid good wages but without the cost barrier for businesses.Luxon said exploitation, highlighted in recent cases in NZ, could be avoided if "Immigration New Zealand was doing its job", pointing out that only 2 percent of businesses are audited."We do not want to see migrant exploitation in New Zealand. The images that we've all seen over the last six weeks in this country are things that we would see in other places, but never expect to see here in New Zealand."He was challenged by media on what increased migration might mean for Queenstown Lakes housing availability, where workers were already sleeping in cars.Luxon says National will increase the land available for housing by asking every council in the country to consent 30 years of housing growth."That's what many other countries do around the world. It's important that we have an infrastructure in New Zealand that's actually focused on a 30-year pipeline with decent projects properly defined like we see in Australia."Targeted rates would mean the costs were placed on the developments, rather than cross-subsidised from existing ratepayers."And what we're going to say to councils is 'if you build above your five year average, we will pay you $25k per consent, for every property that's built', to get councils participating in the benefits of growth."He reiterated National's previously announced policy to support landlords bringing more rentals to market, by enabling them to deduct mortgage interest from their taxes, and reducing the Bright Line test back to two years.And he highlighted the need to direct capital to good community housing providers, such as Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust, and also to encourage overseas capital to finance build-to-rent schemes."You need innovative housing solutions. So many countries around the world have build-to-rent projects and products that are available. Those are really good options for workers..."Last week, National announced plans to allow foreign buyers to buy houses in New Zealand again, with a 15 percent tax on properties over $2M going direct to the treasury. That would repeal the ban introduced by Parliament in 2018.Luxon says that would stimulate investment in NZ."I want to have a tech entrepreneur who wants to live six months in San Francisco and six months here in Queenstown, with an ability to buy a house, because that means they can actually make an investment, partner with a local New Zealand firm, build their knowledge, pass on their talent . . ."Luxon also announced plans to create a new 80km Great Walk in the South Island at Waiau – Toa/Molesworth, to co-invest $3M in e-bike chargers to electrifying the New Zealand Cycle Trail, and a $5M contestable fund for Regional Tourism Organisations, such as Destination Queenstown, to promote regional events.The total cost of the package of improvements will be $22M over four years. National will fund this from unallocated revenue from the International Visitor Levy.PHOTO: Queenstown App

The board of directors for Destination Southern Lakes, the new destination management organisation (DMO) for Queenstown and Wānaka, was announced yesterday (Thursday September 7).The DMO - the first of its kind in New Zealand - will oversee the implementation of the region’s destination management plan ‘Travel to a Thriving Future,’ which was endorsed by Queenstown Lakes District councillors in February.Travel to a Thriving Future sets out to ensure that tourism supports a thriving community – environmentally, socially, culturally and economically. Read more: New tourism plan adopted for districtThe plan is a partnership between Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT), Destination Queenstown (DQ), and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), with input from Kāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation.“The Queenstown Lakes District has the ambitious goal for the region’s visitor economy to be regenerative and carbon zero by 2030,” DQ chief executive Mat Woods said.“To meet that goal, we need to get underway with delivering the projects from the DMP. It’s great to have the governance in place for the DMO so now the RTOs, QLDC and other organisations can get going with delivering the projects.”The DMO will focus on delivery of destination management initiatives as an umbrella organisation for the two regional tourism organisations (DQ and LWT) and as an independent governance group it will oversee progress at a districtwide level.The DMO board members are Murray Strong (chair), AJ Millward, Dr Kate Meyer, Dean Fraser and Kristine Dunne. The chairs of DQ and LWT, Richard Thomas and Calum MacLeod, complete the board.Calum MacLeod PHOTO: Wānaka AppCalum, former QLDC deputy mayor and councillor, is the current chair of LWT. He has served on the Wānaka Community Board and is the founder and owner of Cinema Paradiso.

The Wānaka App has just released an update that improves the reader experience on iPad and tablet devices.The update means the Wānaka App is now responsive to the screen size, orientation, and display modes for iPads and tablets.“It is exciting to be able to bring a much-anticipated update for readers on larger devices,” Wānaka App co-owner Tony O’Regan said.“Approximately 10% of our 25,000 monthly readers use those devices, so it is nice to deliver them a better experience.”Tony said that readers on iPads and tablets will notice ‘a lot of improvement’.“The whole screen layout is designed for the device, which makes it easier to navigate and view,” he said.“Images will now be responsive to the device, and pages will respond to screen size with two and three-column layouts depending on the page.”Readers will know if they have the latest update as it includes a new Home button in the navigation menu.A new Home button is a feature of the latest updateIf readers do not see the Home button then they will need to go to the app store, search for the Wānaka App, and click Update.The Wānaka App launched in 2016 and has been consistently improved, including a completely new mobile app design, the addition of a web app (website) for desktop, and now full optimisation for iPad and tablet devices.More than 183,000 unique readers have engaged with the Wānaka App in the past 12 months recording 7.5M page views.If you have a question about this update please email [email protected]: Wānaka App