Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) has declared an annual dividend for the first time in two years.The corporation has reported its annual results for the year ending 30 June 2022, and QAC board chair Adrienne Young-Cooper said after operating for more than two years in the complex environment created by the Covid-19 global pandemic and the related global and national response, the board is “cautiously confident: it has entered a sustained recovery period. QAC declared a shareholder dividend of $1.3M.Adrienne said the board is focused on supporting the recovery of the Southern Lakes region and the businesses operating at Queenstown Airport.“The company’s business fundamentals and operating capabilities remain strong. We are pleased to declare a dividend this year after two years without declaring an annual dividend.”For the majority of the reporting period (330 days) there were no scheduled international flights to and from Queenstown Airport. Domestically, there was an extended period of nationwide and regional lockdowns, and regional border restrictions which resulted in significantly reduced domestic flights at Queenstown Airport.  Nor were there flights between Auckland and Queenstown, usually QAC’s busiest route, for half the total operating days (178). Adrienne said the business disruptions had a significant impact on operations and revenue. During the second half of the reporting period there was a phased reopening of the New Zealand border. Visitors from all international markets are now able to enter New Zealand. “The pace and timing of recovery is dependent on a wide range of factors, including the continued propensity of New Zealanders to travel domestically, trans-Tasman flight schedules to and from Queenstown Airport, and the recovery of global aviation and tourism,” QAC CEO Glen Sowry said.“Our forecasts indicate that aircraft and passenger numbers will return steadily and are likely to be on par with pre-Covid levels by FY25, with 1.59 million passenger arrivals and departures forecast during the coming year.” Capital expenditure over the year included investment in the Terminal Upgrade Programme (TUP) and the upgrade of three aircraft stands.Adrienne said a key focus this year has been developing a ten-year plan which considers how Queenstown Airport provides aviation infrastructure and amenity for the district. She said in FY23 the board will consult on and prepare the long-term master plan for Queenstown Airport. For full details on QAC's performance click here.QAC is a council-controlled trading organisation (CCTO) which owns and operates Queenstown Airport. The company is owned by Queenstown Lakes District Council (75.01 percent) and Auckland International Airport Limited (24.99 percent).PHOTOS: Supplied

An initiative to develop a community-driven Wānaka town centre plan is gathering momentum.Last week Heart of Wānaka steering group members presented an update on progress to the Wānaka Community Board (WCB) and the group has set up two public drop-in sessions to seek feedback. The aim of the Heart of Wānaka initiative is to coordinate an integrated town centre development which will feed into the council’s planning and channel funding to where it is most needed.Its key vision is to optimise ‘the lakeside heart of Wānaka’ as a thriving, welcoming community centre.Heart of Wānaka was officially launched at a WCB meeting in May but the steering group behind it - which comprises local representatives from the community, schools, retailers, design, business and property owners - has been meeting monthly since a public meeting in July last year. Heart of Wānaka steering group leader Andrew Howard says the group is not “reinventing the wheel” for town planning.Instead, it is putting together a plan “that will address the changing post-Covid world, community concerns and aspirations”.“A key feature of the planning is not to provide a single 30 year masterplan which is difficult to attain in a growing area and a diversity of opinion,” he said. The steering group plans to present two plans: one a short term plan with “obvious” items that could be completed within a five year time frame, and a second, longer term vision plan that contains “the more aspirational and complex ideas”. It has put together some draft ideas for a first round of engagement which includes seven key principles to guide development and funding.Members of the public are encouraged to head along to the Heart of Wānaka drop-in sessions taking place next week to learn more. Andrew said when Heart of Wānaka has gathered and assessed the community feedback it would develop and share a “more refined” set of plans with the public.The group hopes that, with broad support from the community, it will have a plan ready to take to the WCB for adoption in early 2023. The public drop-in sessions will be held at the Lake Wānaka Centre on Wednesday August 24 (12-2pm and 5-7pm) and Friday August 26 (10am-12pm and 4-6pm).Heart of Wānaka was created after a public meeting when it was discovered that there was a desire for the community - rather than the council - to coordinate the town centre’s development.If the Heart of Wānaka plan is adopted, Queenstown Lakes District Council would continue to be in charge of planning and funding of the CBD development.The area covered in Heart of Wānaka plans include the wider CBD and Roys Bay, from Wānaka Station Park to Anderson Heights and Mount Aspiring College.PHOTO: Wānaka App 

The annual scramble for seasonal workers’ winter accommodation has been eased this year thanks to new accommodation offerings.  Speaking to the regularity of the problem, Home and Co rental agency director Colleen Topping said the town hadn’t been “quite so slammed” this winter. During previous winters the rental squeeze has led to seasonal workers sleeping in cars, setting up makeshift bedrooms in garages, and even turning down jobs due to difficulty finding accommodation.  It even spurred a (now shuttered) voluntary network designed to pair up workers with residents who have spare bedrooms to try to ease the problem. See also: Locals step up to help with accommodation shortage. Colleen said she believed the accommodation being provided by Cardrona and Treble Cone along with Wānaka Backpackers Bothy in the former Base Backpackers - now called the Bothy 2 - had taken some of the pressure off the market this winter. The Bothy 2 was set up in autumn and it has room to sleep 120 Cardrona and Treble Cone employees, which is roughly 13 percent of the skifields’ workforce.  Cardrona and Treble Cone experiences general manager Laura Hedley said difficulties with staff accommodation this winter had been mostly resolved. “The Bothy 2 was definitely required for staff accommodation this year and has housed a lot of the staff that were finding it difficult,” she said.  In Colleen’s role she has seen the winter accommodation shortage year after year.She said a significant factor contributing to the ongoing rental shortage in winter is the result of a law change which means tenants can decide to stay on after a tenancy ends.  “This means that owners who want to use their house for themselves but not on a permanent basis cannot if the tenant elects not to leave,” she said. “The net result is owners of these houses don’t rent them out.” This law change also has an impact on the longer-term rental market, Colleen said. “One of the latest [long-term] houses we have been advertising in Northlake had 24 applications representing at least 48 individuals.” The Workforce Accommodation Network (WAN) was formed by Carmen Blacker in December 2022 to help address seasonal rental shortages.  After two and a half years Carmen made the decision to put the WAN “on hold”. In a statement Carmen said she had found there was little acceptance of the size of the problem, nor an appetite to “try something new” - like making use of spare rooms, secondary dwellings to house staff - to help reduce shortages. Laura said Cardrona and Treble Cone would continue to look for options to house seasonal workers in the future.  “We are hoping we can continue to work with local accommodation providers for staff housing solutions.” PHOTO: Wānaka App

The developer of a 400-hectare residential development (Mt Cardrona Station) above Cardrona township has announced Wānaka building company CDL Building as its new building partner.The appointment of CDL Building comes after Mt Cardrona Station’s original building partner, Otago Homes Limited, entered into voluntary administration last year.“Justin Carnie and his team at CDL Building have been executing high-spec, architecturally designed, quality homes in the Wānaka region for 15 years,” Mt Cardrona developer Tom Morton said. “Their attention to detail and understanding of the alpine environment makes them the ideal building partner.”CDL Building managing director Justin Carnie says he feels privileged to be working on the development.  “We like to ensure the builds we take on align with our existing portfolio, and Mt Cardrona Station blends in seamlessly,” Justin said.CDL Building managing director Justin Carnie.“We’re excited to get the wheels in motion on the project and deliver complex, world-class builds.” Construction work on the first of the new homes to be built is scheduled to start early next year.Mt Cardrona Station has consent to develop a village comprising 437 dwellings, visitor accommodation and ‘village amenities’ adjacent to Cardrona Alpine Resort’s access road.PHOTOS: Supplied

The Otago Regional Council is encouraging farmers to apply for the intensive winter grazing areas they want to use in the years ahead as new regulations come into force. New rules for intensive winter grazing were introduced as part of a wider Essential Freshwater package and the ORC is responsible for implementing them, ORC consents manager Joanna Gilroy said.“We’re looking to do this in a way which is practical for farmers, but also recognises the environmental risks of some farming activities and encourages farmers to think about these risks,” she said. Under the new rules, farmers will need an intensive winter grazing management plan as part of applying for a consent. The application for consent should cover multiple years, with any consents then granted for a specific duration. “In most instances we are encouraging farmers to apply for consent for the next three to five years,” Joanna said.  “Farmers will then need to update their management plan annually and tell us where they have grazed in the previous year, and where they plan to graze next season.”While farmers need to apply for the paddocks they’re likely to graze over the next several years, actual paddock selection and the day to day operation of their property is still in the farmer’s control, Joanna said. Farmers can still undertake the activity without consent if they can meet the permitted criteria in the regulations, she said. ORC compliance manager Tami Sargeant says there will be some monitoring of farms.“Once a consent has been issued, the compliance team will monitor the winter grazing practices to check that farmers are complying with any consent conditions,” she said. If people are unsure if they need consent or not, they are encouraged to contact ORC’s consent enquiries team and the council’s catchment advisors are also available to provide good management practice-based advice. “For farmers in Otago we’re happy to help explain the forms, come out on site and come to community sessions to help with the application process,” Joanna said.  Find application documents here.PHOTO: Supplied

Plans for another big-box retailer for Wānaka - the Warehouse - have been submitted to the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC). The whopping 3,900sqm+ Warehouse store proposed for Three Parks is part of a broader application by Allan Dippie’s Willowridge Development’s Ltd for two large format retail buildings.The Warehouse would be the largest of the nine units across the two buildings.It would be joined by retailers Noel Leeming and Warehouse Stationery - which are also owned by umbrella company The Warehouse Group. There are more than 90 Warehouse stores across New Zealand but Wānaka residents are currently an hour’s drive from the nearest store, which is located in Frankton. The Warehouse, ‘where everyone gets a bargain’, as its slogan goes, is best-known for its broad range of affordably priced goods.Application documents say the new retail buildings would result in an “improved and competitively priced offer of household, whiteware and general goods available locally in the community…”The new Warehouse would be located in Three Parks on Wānaka’s outskirts.It would also bring new jobs to Wānaka, the application said. Allan Dippie told the Wānaka App last year there were “three or four big projects on the boil”, including national and international retail sites near the supermarket.“The steady roll out of Three Parks is going well: we are not in a race to complete it however,” he said. “We want to achieve a well-planned, well executed development that locates everything in the exact right place at the right time for the town’s growth.”“We have a big responsibility to get this project right, and I think we are, but ultimately it’s the Wānaka community that will be the judge of that one as it continues to expand.”Willowridge has not yet received sign-off for the new stores - QLDC has asked for more information before progressing the application. The proposed Warehouse store would be located to the north of the New World Three Parks. PHOTOS: Supplied

Wānaka Water Taxis has received the Tripadvisor Travellers Choice award for the fourth year in a row despite a challenging few seasons.Business owners Brent Shears and Krystle Theunissen have had “a really tough” three years, Krystle told the Wānaka App, which has made it all the more significant that the business has received the award again this year. Wānaka Water Taxis offer tours to Mou Waho Island as well as packages such as four-wheel-drive trips, bike trips and family experiences.Brent, who has previously had kidney and liver transplants, required a second kidney transplant in 2019, as well as heart surgery. Brent and Krystle with their furry companion.Delays in surgery due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the White Island volcanic eruption meant he had to have his lower right leg amputated while waiting for surgery.Meanwhile Krystle shuttled between Christchurch Hospital and Wānaka, running the business during the border closure and pandemic. “We've been lucky with the most incredible guests, so many Kiwis who have joined us, supported us and wrote great reviews,” Krystle said. “It's been really hard work over these last years but our guests made it totally worth it.”Krystle said the business was lucky to have the help of skipper and guide Shilo, as well as the support of Kiwis, many of whom have recommended the business to other guests. Brent has been home since January “minus half a leg and half a foot but plus a new kidney and a new heart valve”, Krystle said.He finally had his kidney transplant at the end of 2020/21 (which was “a fantastic season”), but during the next season the business stayed closed until Christmas because of the Auckland lockdown and Brent having more setbacks, eventually losing half his second foot. Since he returned in mid January the pair have done trips together. Krystle said the Wānaka Water Taxis tend to be booked “last minute”, so it’s hard to say what next summer will bring. “But bookings are coming in already, especially for the Wānaka 4x4 Explorer tours which have been very quiet in the last two years… [and] also for Mou Waho Island. “We are so grateful for all the support we have had,” she said. PHOTOS: Supplied

A former Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student had her horticulture skills put to the test at the Young Grower of the Year regional finals earlier this month.Christie Kirk (24) was among the cohort of young horticulture professionals from around Central Otago who spent a full day irrigating, identifying pests and diseases, operating tractors and proving their knowledge of fruit and vegetables and horticulture for judges.The HortInvest orchard foreman earned third place in the competition, which is designed to celebrate New Zealand’s young horticulture professionals. Christie told the Wānaka App the highlight of the competition was getting to meet other young people in the area who work in her industry. “I also liked the challenge of putting my skills to the test, and finding out what I know well and what I need to work on,” she said.Christie grew up with a family involved in the horticulture industry and she currently works for HortInvest, a local company which grows cherries and apricots, as an orchard foreman. Learn more about HortInvest here.“I manage day-to-day tasks, make sure things are getting done and make sure staff are happy,” she said. “It’s pruning and tractor work and growing the crop.”Although she was almost talked out of working in the industry, Christie said she is very happy to be in horticulture: “It’s been the best thing for me,” she said. The Young Grower of the Year competition is organised by HortNZ and vice-president and director Bernadine Guilleux said the competition is essential for supporting the next generation of talent.“The Young Grower of the Year competition brings together the whole industry, but the most important people are our young people. They are our upcoming leaders and are essential to the future of horticulture,” she said.Jacob Coombridge (22) who works as a supervisor at Webb’s Fruit Orchard took first place at the Central Otago Young Grower of the Year competition and Gregoire Durand (28), a manager at Cherri Global, placed second.Jacbon will join other regional winners at the Young Grower of the Year national finals on September 21.PHOTO: Central App

After almost three years of having their incomes restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic local businesses face the busy holiday season with yet another problem, a lack of staff.Job advertisements in the Wānaka App are running at an all time high in recent weeks and Lake Wānaka Tourism general manager Tim Barke says there is a big hole to fill in the seasonal workforce.“Businesses are reporting a lot of enquiry and bookings, the biggest challenge is having enough staff,” he said.“Almost everyone is constantly advertising but because of the lack of working holiday visa holders and applications for new visas not kicking in until the end of this month there is a big hole in the seasonal workforce.“If there were plenty of Kiwis available to take up the jobs that would be no problem but they simply aren’t there despite significant increases in pay being offered.”Tim said there was a noticeable change in gear with the flow of enquiries since the border testing was dropped and said the Wānaka i-SITE had noticed a good uptick in visitors from Australia.“School holidays are looking great with plenty of snow setting us up perfectly for the holiday period.“The i-SITE has been busy finding accommodation and plenty of activity bookings for people arriving in town but also a lot coming in for the summer,” he said.Puzzling World marketing manager Duncan Spear said the number of Australian families visiting the attraction in the past week has been encouraging.“We expect it [holiday visitors] to be almost back to normal,” he said. “However, servicing that demand is tricky as we are three to four roles down.“There just isn’t that supply of staff but we are managing.”The July school holidays start today and run for two weeks, ending on July 24.PHOTO: Wānaka App

The Otago Regional Council (ORC) says farmers should be aware of recently implemented rules relating to rural discharge.The regional council has ratified changes to the Regional Plan: Water for Otago, which makes operative some key parts of proposed plan change 8 (PC8).ORC’s policy and science general manager Anita Dawe said PC8 rules - which set minimum standards for animal effluent storage and application, intensive grazing, and the establishment of small in-stream sediment traps - are now operative.PC8’s key provisions are to further reduce adverse water quality effects, by promoting good farming practices and for use as a guide to decision making on consent applications.In some rare cases farmers’ consents for existing animal effluent storage may not be required until a later date, she said.Further PC8 information is available at the ORC website.Questions about the changes should be directed to [email protected] for more information.PHOTO: Supplied

A career in civil construction may now be on the cards for some female Mount Aspiring College (MAC) students after experiencing a day on the job with HEB Construction in Wānaka.Twenty one students from MAC and Dunstan High School took to the tools at HEB Construction’s Wānaka water supply upgrade project last Thursday (June 9).The local event was the second of 30 set to take place around the country as part of a ‘Girls with High Viz’ (GWHV) campaign - managed by Connexis - designed to introduce young women to the opportunities available in the infrastructure industry.Alexis Harvey-Wills from MAC (left) getting a few tips from HEB construction site traffic management specialist Tara Murphy about driving a 5.5T digger.“Before experiencing the HEB Construction project and the work it involves they probably did not understand what an infrastructure career had to offer, let alone considered the industry a viable option for when they leave school,” Connexis director Kaarin Gaukrodger said. “The fact that this event has opened up a new career option for them is fantastic and exactly what we’re aiming to achieve with the GWHV events.”The students got behind the controls of a digger and operated a plate compactor and GPS radar.HEB Construction graduate engineer Tess Allen and site traffic management specialist Tara Murphy shared with the students an insight into their work experiences and career paths. The infrastructure industry is facing a severe shortage in skilled workers and women are part of the answer, Karen said.“Less than 14 percent of New Zealand’s civil construction workforce are women, and the sector’s business owners say finding skilled workers remains its biggest challenge.”“Those types of discrepancies across the country’s infrastructure sector demonstrate a clear need to promote the full range of infrastructure jobs in a way that makes them appealing to women.”The GWHV campaign, which involves 15 companies and 71 schools, will introduce 620 female students to what a career in the infrastructure’s civil, energy, telecommunications and water industries can offer.PHOTOS: Supplied

Five Wānaka food producers have been celebrated at the prestigious Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards this year.  The annual awards celebrate the best of New Zealand-made food, assessed by epicurious judges, and the standard this year has set a whole new bar, head judge Lauraine Jacobs said.“2022 has been the most exciting year for the awards to date,” she said. “Each year has seen not only growth in the number of entries, but the quality of the food products continues to rise and rise in every category.” Winners span the length of the country, from Northland to Southland, but Wānaka punched above its weight with a series of medals - including a gold award - earned by local producers. Wānaka’s preserves and chutneys stood out to the judges with fruit bottlers Agustines of Central, Kitchen Window Central Otago and Taste of the Alps all receiving awards.Fruit bottlers from Wānaka stood out with three different producers receiving awards, including Agustines of Central, pictured, which received a prestigious gold award for its rhubarb in rosé preserve. PHOTO: Ray Tiddy PhotographyAgustines of Central picked up a gold medal for its rhubarb in rosé preserve. Golds are reserved for products which judges believe have “actually reached perfection,” Lauraine said. Owner Gus Hayden is a local chef and his growing business, which he started in 2014, had a serendipitous start.See also: ‘A modern twist on summer bounty’. The company also earned a silver for its central black doris jam and its pickled asparagus, and Kitchen Window Central Otago followed suit, also receiving three awards. The Hāwea-based company, which also offers catering services, is owned by Anna Cameron, who impressed the judges with her apple and date chutney (silver), pear and fig chutney (bronze) and apricot and chilli (bronze).Judges also singled out the company for its sustainability efforts, which include composting scraps, a jar-return scheme, a solar and gas powered kitchen, as well as for its “strong community involvement”. Local mainstay Taste of the Alps, owned by Tineke-Maree Sutton, received two silver medals for its black doris plum and horseradish relish and its bread and butter pickle, while an ice cream producer and honey grower also added to the lengthy local medal haul. PURE New Zealand Ice Cream scooped three awards, with bronzes for its lime sorbet and dark belgian chocolate sorbet, and a silver for its damson plum sorbet, which judges said “could be the perfect sorbet”. Branch Creek Honey, which was launched in 2020 by then 20-year-old Jess Curtis and her grandfather on their fifth-generation Cardrona farm, received a silver award for its creamed honey.The company was created after Jess saw an opportunity to turn her and her grandfather’s shared love of beekeeping into a business. See also: ‘Beekeeper buzzing over national recognition’. More than 300 producers from around the country entered the awards and more than 70 percent received an award, which reflects the high quality of entries, Lauraine said. Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards organisers Kathie Bartley and Nicola McConnell encouraged Kiwi food lovers to seek out the winning produce, which they’ll recognise by their medal stickers. “These medals are consumers’ guarantee that product is harvested, grown or made in Aotearoa and it’s been assessed by experts who recognise it as one of the best,” Kathie said. Gold medal winners are in consideration for the ‘Champions’ awards which will be announced at the Champions Party in Auckland in late June.

Structural and civil engineering firm Batchelar McDougall Consulting (BMC) was awarded the supreme winner at the Ignite Wānaka Business Excellence Awards held at Rippon Hall last night (Saturday June 10).BMC, which has offices in Wānaka, Queenstown, Christchurch and Invercargill was acknowledged for its growth, strong customer relationships, research and development investment, and its focus on staff and robust governance.More than 200 people attended the awards gala dinner which had been delayed from 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.“The past two years have been particularly challenging and it’s important that we take a moment to celebrate all that we have achieved as a local business community,” Ignite Wānaka chair Jo Learmonth said.The awards gala dinner was attended by more than 200 people.Convenor of judges Wayne Hudson said it was good to see a large number of entries despite the impact of business disruptions in the past two years.“We [judges] appreciated the honest comments from entrants about how hard Covid had affected them and how they were dealing with the impact on their businesses,” he said.“Hopefully they will have learnt something positive during the process of entering.”Businesses competed in 12 categories with the winner in each category eligible for the supreme award.WAI Wānaka chair and Criffel Station co-owner Mandy Bell was awarded the Outstanding Individual award. When accepting her award Mandy made an impassioned plea for us all to “do our bit” to make the Upper Clutha a better place for future generations.Winners of each category are:Milford Asset Management Supreme Business Award: Batchelar McDougall Outstanding in tourism (supported by Lake Wānaka Tourism): Lavender Farm  Outstanding in professional services: Batchelar McDougallOutstanding in hospitality (supported by Drive Accounting): Pembroke Patisserie Outstanding in infrastructure/trades (supported by Findex): Dunlop Builders           Outstanding in retail (supported by LOGIC1): OculaOutstanding not-for-profit (supported by Queenstown Lakes District Council): WAI WānakaOutstanding in sustainability (supported by Queenstown Airport): Wild WireOutstanding young enterprise (supported by Air New Zealand): Village Gift and The Next Chapter (joint winners) Resilience and Diversification Award (supported by Todd & Walker Law): Wild Wire   Outstanding in innovation (supported by Aspiring Law): The Film CrewOutstanding employer (supported by EASI NZ): OculaPeople’s Choice Award (supported by the Wānaka App): The Village GiftThe principal sponsor of the awards was Milford Asset Management and the following businesses donated their time, products and services: Scope Media, Radio Wānaka, Wānaka App, The Messenger, The Film Crew, Rippon Winery, Mitre 10 Wānaka, Entertainment Solutions, Wānaka Marquee & Party Hire, Metalworks Wānaka, and Pacific Linen.PHOTOS: The Film Crew

Wānaka communications consultancy Scope Media has won a top national award at the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) Awards.The boutique marketing communications and digital PR consultancy won Best Small-to-Medium PR Consultancy of the Year Award in Auckland on Friday night (May 20).Scope Media managing director Celia Crosbie said the awards entry process was a robust exercise, requiring entrants to demonstrate strategic thinking with clients, the ability to deliver against a brief and provide evidence of success, both for clients and commercial results for the business. “This is the award we’ve had our sights set on for several years but we haven’t felt ready to enter till this year,” Celia said. “Our extremely talented Wānaka-based team of marketing communications professionals punch above our weight in the work we do across the district and nationwide, but to be recognised formally as one of the best in the business is so awesome.”The entry included case studies of work that Scope Media produced over the past year – notably, the Home for Healthier Business talent attraction campaign for Queenstown Lakes District Council’s Economic Development Unit; and a regular glossy lifestyle magazine, Property Style, for New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty that has a 30,000 circulation nationwide and has become an essential marketing tool for the real estate company. “Scope Media is an excellent example of a small consultancy displaying resilience, entrepreneurial commitment and adaptability in the face of extreme business adversity,” the judges’ citation said. “When the Covid pandemic caused a collapse of the tourism and hospitality industries in their local community, Scope had the confidence and the creativity to offer affordable PR strategies and programmes that enabled it to continue to grow its revenues.” Celia said Scope Media cares about the community and helping local brands flourish.“We’ve been able to continue making meaningful connections with our people and place, through the privilege of being able to tell their stories.”  The PRINZ Awards recognise excellence in the New Zealand public relations and communications industry, promoting continuous improvement and celebrating best practice. PHOTO: Scope Media 

An ambitious resort complex - including a hotel, backpackers, townhouses, apartments, shops and a winery - has been proposed for a prominent area of Three Parks.The plans for ‘Mount Iron Resort’, proposed for the corner of Sir Tim Wallis Drive and Sir Cliff Skeggs Drive diagonally opposite BP, are on hold with the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) awaiting an external report.Mount Iron Investments Limited (MIIL) is seeking consent for a resort complex, with mixed use residential, visitor accommodation and commercial development contained on a single section to be subdivided at a future date.The central focus of the resort would be a five-story hotel with 126 rooms and a restaurant; a conference centre, and swimming pool and spa facility in landscaped grounds.The main hotel building would be set back from Sir Tim Wallis Drive. The restaurant and conference space buildings are located between the accommodation building and the road, at a maximum height of 6.75m. The hotel would be surrounded by residential townhouses and apartments, and commercial activity would front the main streets.A three-storey backpackers, with a tavern and shops, is proposed for the corner of Sir Tim Wallis Drive and Sir Cliff Skeggs Drive. It would have 34 rooms, and a restaurant.The hotel takes centre stage, and is flanked by townhouses, apartments, and the proposed backpackers (front, to the right).A bar and winery is also proposed in the northwestern corner of the site, accessed from Sir Tim Wallis Drive.“This will be a licensed premises and it is envisaged it will be themed on the region’s wine production,” the application says.Main access to the resort would be from Sir Tim Wallis Drive with a spine road splitting and linking through to two points on Sir Cliff Skeggs Road. Two apartment blocks are also proposed; one three-levels and one four-levels, which would be used for a mixture of residential and visitor accommodation. MIIL directors Jade Kirk and Damian McMillan.Twenty-five townhouses are proposed around the northern and eastern boundaries of the site, and MIIL is seeking consent for them to be used as residential premises or visitor accommodation. The development would include more than 100 car parks, a coach drop off point and bicycle parks. MIIL has two directors: Jade Kirk, CEO of Kirk Roberts Consulting Engineers Limited in Christchurch; and Damian McMillan, chief operations officer and principal structural engineer of Kirk Roberts Consulting, Tauranga. The company was incorporated in May 2021.IMAGES: Supplied

A new community-driven initiative to ‘reset’ a Wānaka town centre masterplan was formally launched with a presentation to the Wānaka Community Board (WCB) last Thursday (May 12).The aim of the Wānaka Heart initiative is to coordinate an integrated town centre development which will feed into the council’s planning and channel funding to where it is most neededIts key vision is to optimise ‘the lakeside heart of Wānaka’ as a thriving, welcoming community centre.Behind the self-funded initiative is a cross-sector steering group, comprising local representatives of the community, schools, retailers, design, business and property owners, which has been meeting monthly since a public meeting in July last year. The outcome of that meeting was a desire for the community - rather than the council - to coordinate the town centre’s development.The council would continue to be in charge of planning and funding of the CBD development.The masterplan will cover the wider CBD and Roys Bay, from Wānaka Station park to Anderson Heights and Mount Aspiring College, group spokesperson Howie Howard (Ignite Wānaka) said. The plan will build on insights gained from previous studies and town centre plans but will also address increasing competition from Three Parks and recent growth and community development, Howie said.He said some of the key challenges identified included Wānaka’s increasing population and accommodating “consultation fatigue” which might discourage some local feedback. Steering group member Amanda Dorset told the WCB the group wanted input from the wider community as the plan developed.“We want to invite more community representatives to be part of the steering group. It’s important to get people on board who have… been in this community a long time and who understand the character of the town... to make it a truly representative group…,” she said.As well as the WCB’s endorsement for the project, the group was also seeking the WCB’s help to make connections with various stakeholders, to provide feedback and review the developing plans.Following this week’s launch the group hopes to meet with the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Otago Regional Council, Waka Kotahi and mana whenua.The group plans public presentations of a draft masterplan via open days and web based feedback posts in July. Meetings and events are also being planned with the sector groups such as the schools and businesses. Plans will be refined and represented to the public again in September. It is anticipated that the final masterplan report, including proposed development costs and a two-stage timeline, will be presented to the WCB early in 2023 for adoption.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

After canvassing its 1,600 Otago and Southland members, Business South has made a submission on the government’s proposed New Zealand Income Insurance Scheme. The scheme would offer financial support to workers who are made redundant through no fault of their own, or who lose their jobs due to health conditions or disabilities, providing them with 80 percent of their income for up to seven months.  While Business South welcomes a number of aspects of the proposal, chief executive Mike Collins said there are some concerning implications for business as it currently stands – particularly for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) who make up 97 percent of the country’s business landscape. “There should be exemptions for businesses that already have appropriate redundancy provisions in place to support employees,” Mike said. “Employers should be able to opt-out of the scheme where they can demonstrate an existing scheme is operating well.”  Business South is also opposed to including health conditions and disabilities in the scope of the scheme, which would double its cost. Mike said the scheme is poorly timed, given the sustained cost pressures on businesses.  “It is unfair to levy employers at a time when costs are rising and businesses are still recovering from the impacts of Covid-19. “Our members cannot see the benefit of introducing this now – it could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for many. We consider a more appropriate time would be in two to five years from now.”  He said Business South believes the scheme would be better funded by reprioritising existing government spending and/or a reduction in corporate tax. Workers would also be required to contribute to the scheme through a levy, and Mike said this would have a significant and disproportionate financial impact on low-income workers. A worker on minimum wage would be required to contribute approximately $12 per week.   However, Business South acknowledges there is merit in a scheme that invests in people’s skills.  “The country would benefit from a highly productive workforce that has well-matched skills to job opportunities. The scheme proposes support for retraining and allowing time to match people to the right jobs – this means individuals will not be forced to take a job that underutilises their skills and provides lower pay merely to survive.” Regionally, an income insurance scheme has the potential to soften the blow for a region where a large employer winds down their operations quite abruptly, Mike said, adding it could also help to address some potential risks of the future.  “There are a number of possible disruptions to traditional work and jobs – such things as an increasingly digital and high-tech economy, moves towards a low carbon economy, and the upheaval caused by global shocks or pandemics,” Mike said.   “However, it is important that any income insurance scheme is fair to both employers and employees and doesn’t burden them with unsustainable costs.”  PHOTO: Supplied

Ignite Wānaka Chamber of Commerce board member Jo Learnmonth has taken over as the organisation’s chair following the departure of Andrew Howard.Andrew, who had served as chair of Ignite Wānaka since January 2021, chose to step down due to personal circumstances, and Jo was voted on as chair last week at the monthly board meeting.“The Wānaka business community has endured a difficult two years with the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant economic crisis that we continue to navigate,” Jo said.“This year will remain challenging for our local businesses. The chamber board is determined to support businesses in the Upper Clutha and advocate on their behalf to help enable the sustainable success of our local economy.”Jo currently works as the operations manager for Wānaka Airport and she has extensive work experience in both public and private enterprise, specialising in business performance at SME (small-medium enterprise) level, as well as with start-ups and corporate project management.  She thanked Andrew for his “leadership and dedication” in serving the Wānaka business community over the past 15 months.Andrew said he had made the decision to step down as chair because, due to other commitments, he has not been able to dedicate the time and energy to the role that is required.“I am still really excited about being a part of this great team and working to support Jo. I have no doubt she is the right person at the right time for us.”The change in board leadership follows the recent resignation of Ignite Wānaka general manager Naomi Lindsay, who is leaving to pursue her own business ventures. See also: ‘Ignite Wānaka general manager resigns’. The board is currently seeking expressions of interest for the role of general manager. The Ignite Wānaka Chamber of Commerce board members are: Jo Learmonth (chair), Celia Crosbie (vice chair), Claire Dooney, Laura Hedley, Andrew ‘Howie’ Howard, John Mezger and Bronwyn McCarthy. Queenstown Lakes District Councillor and deputy mayor Calum MacLeod is an ex-officio member.PHOTO: Ignite Wanaka

A government decision to allow 275 experienced ski workers into the country has been welcomed by local ski field operators.Cardrona and Treble Cone experiences general manager Laura Hedley says the decision will result in the return of staff who have not been able to enter the country due to Covid.“A lot of these staff have been long-time returners to Cardrona and Treble Cone who have not been able to enter the country for the past couple of seasons,” Laura said.“It will be great to have their expertise back in the team to add to the current workforce so we can meet demand and open at full capacity.”The roles include snow sports instructors, ski patrol and safety specialists, snow grooming and snowmaking machinery operators, and ski lift and snow sport technicians.Laura said Cardrona and Treble Cone will require approximately 80 international staff in these roles.Tourism minister Stuart Nash announced the decision on Tuesday (April 12) evening, saying the exception to usual border rules will help the ski industry recruit much-needed talent.“Winter is traditionally the quietest time for international visitors but it is peak excitement on the mountains as snow tourism comes to life,” he said.“Kiwis fill the majority of ski field and snow sports roles. However there are not enough locals with the required skills, certification or experience to meet seasonal short-term needs.”Laura said the industry is working together to ensure all New Zealand resorts have the ability to fill their critical roles. Two hundred and seventy five staff is an estimate based on previous staffing levels.“With a good snowfall, we will hopefully all be able to enjoy a long winter season and with these international staff joining us again, we will be ready to deliver some amazing experiences for our guests,” she said.Tourism New Zealand is promoting New Zealand as a winter destination through a marketing campaign called See You at the Bottom.In 2019 approximately 160,000 Australians visited in winter, spending $211M, around 40 percent of all spending by international tourists As part of the class exception to the immigration rules, the ski sector has agreed to pay at least the median wage of $27 an hour for these roles. This is in line with the requirements of the new Accredited Employer Work Visa which comes into effect on July 4.PHOTO: Tourism New Zealand