Planning continues towards the opening of Wānaka’s new after hours medical care, Central Otago Health Services Ltd (COHSL) has confirmed.The new service, which COHSL is calling Wānaka’s ‘Overnight Acute Care Service’, will be located at the Aspiring Enliven Care Centre on Cardrona Valley Road alongside the Wānaka Lakes Health Centre.Staff recruitment and roster development is on track, COHSL chief executive Hayley Anderson said on Friday (September 6).“A staff induction day onsite is planned, and staff will also spend time at Dunstan Hospital to work with the local team and familiarise themselves with processes,” Hayley said.The purchase of equipment for the new service and fit out of the space is also underway, as is planning for the space to be blessed prior to opening, she added.Hayley said COHSL would announce the opening date soon.Locals have been waiting for more information on the service since Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti announced in late June that a nurse-led after-hours service would run for a year from September.It will be run in a collaboration between Health New Zealand and COHSL.The new service will include two clinic rooms in a secure facility with accessible car parking, in close proximity to other clinical staff in the event of an emergency.The nurse-led service will be available from 11pm to 8.30am Monday – Friday, and 11pm – 9am Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, with remote telehealth support provided by a Dunstan Hospital overnight senior doctor.PHOTOS: Supplied

An underpass will connect golfers to either side of the Glendhu Golf Course - but only if members of the public travelling by foot or bike can use it too.Wānaka-Mt Aspiring Road runs roughly through the centre of the 100-hectare-or-so golf course site.At last month’s meeting council staff asked the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) to green-light the underpass to be used by course members, by granting a licence to occupy road reserve, but WUCCB member John Wellington pushed back.Not including pedestrian use of the underpass “...goes against the whole principle of the decision the Environment Court made”, John said.John was referencing a 2012 decision by judge Jon Jackson, which formed part of the protracted more than 17 year battle to get the golf course (also billed to include a clubhouse, visitor accommodation and 42 residences) off the ground.In his decision, the judge upheld Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) original land-use consent after appellees agreed to provide extra ‘environmental compensation’ via habitat protection, planting plans, public access including walking and cycling tracks, and more.At last month’s meeting John questioned a QLDC staffer about why the Environment Court ruling had not been taken into account.The WUCCB resolved to grant the licence to occupy, subject to chair’s approval that the intent of the Environment Court decision around walking and biking use of the underpass was upheld.The final Environment Court decision on the golf course came four years after QLDC initially approved the proposal and seven years after the golf course development was first announced - in a collaboration by Glendhu Station owners and Darby Partners - in 2005.Consents required to commence construction were granted in September 2022 and the first players are expected to tee off at the new course in 2025.Darby Partners say the 18-hole championship course is being designed and constructed to championship standards.PHOTO: Supplied

The Wānaka Primary School Board gives notification that the school has 60 available places, across all year levels, and invites applications from parents for out-of-zone enrolments, for next year, 2025.All out-of-zone enrolments are subject to enrolment scheme legislation.If the number of out-of-zone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot.The out-of-zone enrolment application deadline is the 27th September, 2024.Information on the out-of-zone application process, together with the enrolment form and an out-of-zone ballot application form (both of which are required to be submitted) are available on our school website.If a ballot is required this will be held on 11th October, 2024.Brendan Hearle Board Chair.

Anyone who attended Winter Pride is being warned to watch out for symptoms of mpox because suspected cases of the virus attended the events.The Winter Pride event took place in Queenstown in the last week of August.Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora said on Saturday while no further cases have been found, it knew of "a number of people across the country… who have been in contact with people now known to have mpox".The Burnett Foundation (formerly NZ Aids Foundation and Ending HIV) said it was asking people to help contain the outbreak.Chief executive Joe Rich said anyone that was at Winter Pride with fever-like symptoms, lesions or spots in the genital area should refrain from sexual contact and get into a sexual health clinic to get tested.Rich said anyone who attended the events but was not symptomatic did not need to worry unless symptoms developed, or they have been notified by somebody as a contact."In New Zealand, gay, bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are at the greatest risk. That's where we've seen previous outbreaks spreading and the ones that are circulating in Australia are the same."Health NZ said people who have sex with MSM are also most affected globally by mpox, and this could include people of any gender or sexual identity, whether they are transgender or cisgender, including non-binary people."If you think you may have been exposed to mpox or if you develop symptoms, especially a rash, you should stay home and seek medical advice," Dr Matt Reid, Medical Officer of Health, said."You can contact your nearest sexual health clinic, your GP, or Healthline free on 0800 611 116, which offers interpreter services."Rich said people could protect themselves with vaccination, available from sexual health clinics. Vaccinations were free for people who meet the high-risk criteria, though Rich said the number of locations the vaccine was currently available were very limited."And we unfortunately are aware that there are waiting lists at some sexual health clinics, and so we urge Te Whatu Ora to adequately resource those sexual health clinics so that they have the staff capacity to administer."Te Whatu Ora said all the cases in New Zealand were the 'clade II' variety of mpox, the most common worldwide and not generally considered as dangerous as clade I.SymptomsHealth NZ said most people with mpox developed a rash or other skin change known as lesions. Lesions are spots, bumps, blisters or sores, usually around the face, hands, feet, mouth, throat, genitals and anus.The sores usually go through stages - they appear flat, they become solid and raised or bumpy, they fill with fluid, crust over and eventually flake off. The lesions were often painful and itchy, and could take a few weeks to heal.Pain, bleeding or discomfort in the anus was a possibility.Some people also experienced flu-like symptoms early on, including:swollen lymph nodesfevermuscle achestiredness.Health NZ said you could have a rash without other symptoms, or you could only have one lesion instead of many.Who is eligible for a vaccine?Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM)Trans and non-binary people who have sex with MSMAnyone who is a close contact of someone who has been infected with mpox.More information about mpox can be found here.

More information is now available on Quartz Development Group’s plans to turn the Lake Hāwea Hotel site into residential sections.Early this week the company shared its plans to demolish the existing hotel and create a small subdivision in its place.A new hotel will be built further along Capell Ave, Quartz Development Group managing director Matt Laming said, as part of a precinct with visitor accommodation, private residences, hospitality, retail and entertainment.A resource consent application lodged with QLDC this week shows plans for a 20-lot development.Sections range in size from 600m2 to 810m2 and lots 5-19 will have a consent notice restricting further development beyond a single residential unit, the application (completed by Williams & Co for Quartz Development Group) said. Lots 1-4, which are each 800m2 or larger, “could be subdivided further in the future”.An aerial photo of the Lake Hāwea Hotel site, which overlooks the lake. IMAGE: QLDCA series of retaining walls will provide level lots and maximise views and “the scale of the development will be complementary to the existing and future Hāwea township character”.Matt presented the plans for the redevelopment of the existing hotel site and the development of the new commercial precinct to members of the public at the hotel last Sunday (September 1).Read more: Major changes for Lake Hāwea’s hospitality sceneHe assured them the company would ensure “continuity of hospitality” in Lake Hāwea, while development of the projects are underway.“Our intention is to create vibrant, social spaces and amenities for the growing population here – and if we need to we will establish temporary facilities next to the Hāwea Store and Kitchen to make sure people still have a space to eat and drink socially.”Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is currently vetting the application for the residential lots.Further consent applications will follow for the removal of the hotel and construction of the new precinct.

Wānaka Primary School (WPS) is offering out-of-zone enrolments for 2025 after school zoning changes have led to a shrinking roll, empty classrooms, and staff redundancies.A “very restricted geographical zone” was designated for WPS by the Ministry of Education when Te Kura O Take Karara opened in 2020, WPS principal Wendy Bamford told the Wānaka App.WPS was at full capacity with more than 770 students when zoning was first introduced.The school currently expects to start 2025 with just 420 students, Wendy said.Meanwhile, school rolls have grown at Hāwea Flat School (HFS) and Te Kura O Take Karara.“The [WPS] board feel it is time to offer out-of-zone places to fully utilise our facilities and to retain our amazing staff, after the last five years of the board having to make staff cuts due to the roll reductions through lower enrolments through zoning,” Wendy said.2020 enrolment zonesHFS was the only Upper Clutha school with an enrolment zone until zoning was introduced for WPS and Take Karara in 2020.The WPS zone was assigned for students living within the boundaries formed between Ardmore Street and the Wānaka-Luggate Highway north along the shores of Lake Wānaka and the Clutha River outlet, excluding Albert Town. All other new primary school students not located within either the WPS or the HFS zones were assigned to Take Karara (with the zone covering central, south and west Wānaka, Albert Town, and Cardrona).An exception is Holy Family Catholic School Wānaka, which gives first priority to Catholic students from across the Upper Clutha.Time pressure to offer out-of-zone enrolments“Over the last four years we could only take children living in 'our zone' until [Take Karara] grew in roll number,” Wendy told the Wānaka App.She said the decision to invite out-of-zone enrolments for 2025 was made by the WPS board.Although the Ministry of Education has signalled zoning changes may be coming, the school was required by legislation to make a decision and advertise about out-of-zone enrolments before September 15, Wendy said.Zoning changes in the worksIn July and August the Ministry of Education consulted with the boards of Take Karara and WPS about amending the existing enrolment schemes.“The Ministry is proposing to amend the Wānaka Primary School home zone to rebalance the home zones between the primary schools in Wānaka,” Ministry of Education south acting leader Andrea Williams told the Wānaka App.“It is proposed [the] Albert Town area is removed from Te Kura o Take Kārara zone and becomes part of the Wānaka Primary School home zone.” She said the proposal included ‘transitional arrangements’ to reduce the impact of the enrolment scheme changes for families living in Albert Town who already have a child enrolled at Te Kura o Take Karara.Andrena said the ministry was currently reviewing feedback on the proposal.It expects to inform the community on any changes in term three and the changes would come into effect from term one next year.Anyone who would like to apply for out-of-zone enrolment at WPS has until September 27 to do so.PHOTO: Wānaka App 

83 Sir Tim Wallis Drive.

Global leaders in mountain biking will converge on Wānaka for the Destination Mountain Biking Forum New Zealand in early November.Previously held at the renowned Maydena Bike Park in Tasmania, this year’s event will take place at Bike Glendhu and the Glendhu Station Woolshed, and will bring together industry leaders, innovators and mountain biking enthusiasts from around the world.“This event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Aotearoa’s vibrant biking community and the epic natural beauty of Wānaka,” Bike Glendhu operations manager Kelsi Mackay said.The three-day conference will feature an line-up of keynote speakers, including some of the most influential voices in the global mountain biking community as well as a forum which will include a series of practical workshops led by industry experts. The sessions will offer attendees the chance to dive deeper into specific topics, gaining valuable insights and skills to take back to their own communities or businesses, Kelsi said. Conference attendees can expect insightful discussions on the latest trends, challenges and stories from the mountain biking industry, as well as networking opportunities that will help shape the future of the sport.“We’re incredibly excited to bring the Destination Mountain Biking Forum to New Zealand for the first time,” Kelsi said. “We look forward to welcoming participants from across the globe to experience everything Bike Glendhu has to offer.”The Destination Mountain Biking Forum to New Zealand will take place from November 5-7.Anyone with a vested interest in seeing New Zealand’s mountain bike industry thrive - including MTB brands, non-profits, bike club, trail associations, bike parks and members of the public - is encouraged to attend.Early bird conference passes are now on sale.PHOTO: Supplied

An initiative to support community and non-profit organisations has launched a community needs assessment survey.Huddl is encouraging community groups and charities in Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago to take part in the survey.“Our goal is to give community groups the right tools they need to be successful and achieve more,” Huddl programme coordinator Fiona Reeve said.“Through this survey we want to understand the challenges, barriers and highlight opportunities for us to build a solution that supports the needs of the community.”Huddl is governed by members from Alexandra Community House, Central Lakes Trust, Central Otago District Council, Cromwell and Districts Community Trust, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Sport Central, Volunteer South, and the Whakatipu Hub.The steering committee was formed in 2021 after identifying common challenges among community groups."Collectively we were seeing organisations face similar issues and we wanted to identify and remove some of these challenges to help ensure community groups are sustainable,” Huddl steering committee chair Scott Sinclair said.“So, we brought together a group of people from across the community sector to see how we can best support the nonprofit sector and make life easier for them.”Huddl plans to launch an ‘online knowledge hub’ to provide tools and resources to upskill and support community groups, plus provide access to training, mentor programmes and facilitate networking and connections across the sector to ensure skills are shared. The community needs assessment survey, which will help inform this, is now open for all community groups and nonprofits and it closes Friday September 27. “The data received through this survey will directly influence the resources and training we provide,” Fiona said.Take part in the community assessment survey here.PHOTO: Supplied

Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) ‘Welcoming Week’ begins today (Friday September 6) with a calendar of events designed to bring people together and encourage a sense of belonging and connection. Wānaka’s Welcoming Week events (which run until September 17) include a culinary workshop, photography exhibition, film screening, community planting session, a ‘squash and potluck’ get-together, and more.The events have been organised by QLDC in collaboration with local community groups and organisations, QLDC welcoming communities coordinator Silvia Dancose said.Each of them “aim to foster mutual understanding, stronger connections, and affirm the importance of building welcoming and inclusive communities for everyone in the district”.This is the first time QLDC has celebrated Welcoming Week, which was first observed in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2022. The annual campaign celebrates how communities across New Zealand are working to become more welcoming places for everyone, including migrants. QLDC’s second welcoming communities coordinator, Hemi Cordell, said local Welcoming Week events are a great chance to meet new people and learn about new cultures.“We know our beautiful landscape attracts people from around the world to live in the Queenstown Lakes, so we want to make sure everyone in our community is included and valued for who they are and the unique talents they bring,” he said. As well as the Wānaka events, there are a range of activities, from adult learn-to-swim classes to community drawing classes, over in Queenstown.This year’s Welcoming Week will run until September 17.Find more information on Welcoming Week and how to get involved here.Listen to The Outlet Podcast: Embracing diversity - Silvia and Hemi on Queenstown Lakes' welcoming week and inclusive community buildingPHOTO: QLDC

Wānaka AFC’s premier men's team scored a 6-2 win over Green Island on Saturday (August 31), securing its best-ever finish in the Southern Premier League and a chance at promotion to the Southern League competition.The team finished the 18-round Southern Premier League in second place behind league winners Mosgiel, who have declined to contest promotion to the Southern League, handing that opportunity to the Wānaka club.“It's a super ambitious project,” Wānaka AFC director of football Ben Sippola said.Ben said promotion to the Southern League - “the highest level of amateur football in New Zealand” - would require the club to bolster its resources.“The club will need significant financial backing to make something like this promotion go forward.”“But the opportunity is really incredible to have a boutique, almost semi-professional football team in Central Otago, [is] something for the Wānaka community to really get behind.”To gain promotion to the Southern League, Wānaka AFC will need to beat the winner of FC Nelson v Waimak United, and the playoff match will be hosted at a neutral venue in just over two weeks.Ben said the team will continue its training programme leading up to the promotion playoff and keep match-fit with internal matches utilising the club’s youth players.“We'll make sure that the players are first and foremost, healthy fresh, and that we build some fitness over the next three weeks, and that we also continue to build the incredible team camaraderie that we've been able to and culture that we've been able to cultivate over a long season,” Ben said.Wānaka AFC said they will inform supporters as soon as they know the venue for the playoff match and hope to provide supporter buses.PHOTO: Steve McArthur

A Wānaka-based woman once celebrated for turning $50 into a multimillion-dollar business empire is now facing angry investors upset at how recent financial problems have been handled.Anna Ross founded the cosmetic brand Kester Black, which says it makes "natural nail care" and takes a "holistic approach to beauty".In 2021, it was reported that the business had made more than $1.16 million in revenue in the past 12 months.That same year, the Australian-registered arm of the business, Kester Black Pty Ltd, raised more than A$2 million from investors via equity crowdfunding platform Birchal. At that point, the company was valued at A$22 million.However, the company entered voluntary administration on July 9. Hamilton Murphy was appointed administrator.The New Zealand business was put into liquidation the following month, with Waterstone Insolvency appointed. Kester Black Pty was the sole shareholder.Read more: Local business aims globalOne investor, Tahnee Lucas, said they had been told investors would not get any of their money back."I invested close to NZ$3000 so will get nothing for that."Hamilton Murphy would not confirm this but said interested parties would be sent more information soon.Lucas said she had not been able to join a shareholders' call because the Zoom meeting was capped at 100 participants.The business and assets of Kester Black Pty Ltd were sold at the end of July to New New New Pty Ltd, a company owned by Fergus Sully, whom media have previously referred to as Ross's "business and life partner".The sale was for just over A$146,220. A 10 percent deposit was required, and then the remainder was to be paid in 12 monthly instalments.The minutes of a creditors' meeting in mid-August show the deed of company arrangement would give priority creditors a full return of what they were owed, and unsecured creditors about 29c in the dollar.In New Zealand, New New New Holdings is listed on the Companies Office with Ross as the director.The New Zealand Companies Office lists Sully as the sole director of the Kester Black business.The administrator's report said Kester Black Pty Ltd had reported trading losses over the financial years prior to the administration. It had not been able to keep up with its tax liabilities and owed the Australian Tax Office A$62,125.Trading appears to have continued as usual, with nothing in the company's frequent social media advertisements to indicate any behind-the-scenes change - except for "angry" reactions and comments that appear to have been deleted.Lucas said investors were given the idea that it was an "ethical, conscious company"."But the fellow investors I have managed to speak to feel the way there was no communication from the company and the business has been sold to a new company with her husband as the director and kept trading is anything but ethical. Investors are upset and feel it's all been smoke and mirrors as we were sent communications about how the business was doing well throughout the period of our investment with positively geared company updates."There are concerns that the funds raised for the company may have been used for product development, with the new entity now reaping the benefits without any consideration for the original shareholders. It feels as though the company has evaded accountability, and despite accepting the risk of investing, the lack of transparency and communication is troubling."Another investor said they had received positive updates for about three years but now the "rug has been firmly pulled out"."No gratitude, no acknowledgement, no apology."Anna Ross said she was not in a position to comment but would be in touch when she had information to share.The Financial Markets Authority warns that equity crowfunding is risky and while investments might do well, people could also lose all their money.

“Disappointment” is the initial response from Queenstown Lakes District mayor Glyn Lewers to the government’s decision to triple the amount of the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka announced the increase on Tuesday (September 3), saying the move from $35 to $100 will ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand. Queenstown Lakes District Council’s submission to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in June said the distribution of funds from the IVL lacked “the rigour, the scale, and the targeting” to address the real impacts of tourism.Read more: Council underwhelmed by effectiveness of international visitor levy“We haven’t seen a track record of spending that levy in places that really need it,” Glyn said.Glyn Lewers: “The whole tourism structure needs a bit of a shake up.” PHOTO: Supplied He told the Wānaka App the decision to increase the levy provided “no further clarity” on how the money should be spent, with it remaining “opaque in how it’s dished out”, he said.Glyn said he expected the government will once again make accessing IVL funds a competitive process, repeating “the same mistakes”.Glyn said one in three international visitors come through the Queenstown Lakes district; the district provides 20 percent of visitor nights, second only to Auckland; and Queenstown is the third largest airport by international visitors, but IVL spending here “doesn’t stack up”.“The system behind it is flawed. There’s no clarity of purpose,” he said.The tourism industry is disappointed in the decision to increase the IVL, he said, adding that feedback he has had from tourism operators suggests they are also concerned with the direction of Tourism NZ (TNZ. a Crown entity tasked with promoting New Zealand), citing that international marketing “is not hitting the mark”, and “stakeholder engagement has been absolutely lacking”.“You’ll see more from Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism telling our stories overseas,” he added.“Fundamentally the whole tourism structure needs a bit of a shake up. From what I can see we haven’t moved on from the early 90s.”Glyn said QLDC has been talking to central government about these issues and will continue to do so.Lake Wānaka Tourism was approached for comment.The change in the IVL takes place from October 1. 

A handful of thefts that occurred overnight on Monday (September 2) are a reminder that residents shouldn’t be complacent, Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts says.Several cars in and around the Kirimoko subdivision were targeted during the “really wet” night, with the thieves stealing a range of tools.“Tools are concealable, removable, available, valuable, enjoyable and disposable,” Fi said. “Thieves take opportunities - my strongest advice is to remove the opportunity.”She said tradies can make tools unattractive to steal by “engraving, recording, securing and reporting”.“The tools are likely to be heading north; they are readily sold or traded through second-hand dealers, online marketplaces or traditional criminal receivers.”She also said the incidents served as a reminder about “locking up stuff in general”.“[If you have property stolen] the first thing the insurance company will ask you is ‘was it locked?’” she said, and valuables that are not secured are not likely to be eligible for a payout.Fi said Wānaka Police are encouraging anyone who witnessed anything suspicious around the time of the thefts to get in touch. Over the past week Wānaka Police have also dealt with incidents such as family harm, drink driving and online scams.Scams are popping up “every week,” Fi said. Pictured is a scam letter sent to the Wānaka Police Station. Two men were arrested for family harm incidents: in the first the man was arrested and charged with assault on a person in a family relationship; in the second a man was arrested and charged with two counts of wilful damage.Fraud and scams, often online on Facebook Marketplace or via Tiktok Telegrams, are ongoing.She said Wānaka Police received a scam of its own recently, with a letter sent to the police station purportedly from police commissioner Andrew Coster, making accusations of sex crimes.The Impairment Prevention Team (IOT) was in Wānaka on Friday night (August 30) and two people were breath-tested who were over the legal limit for driving.Another driver was caught driving without a license for the second time in two weeks.The driver had been stopped by police in mid-August while driving a vehicle without a current license and advised not to drive until he obtained a license, Fi said.He tried to avoid last Friday’s checkpoint but he was apprehended.“He was located, his vehicle impounded, and he has a date in court,” Fi said.Operation Hannah - a targeted operation to prevent harm on roads around the South Island and on ski fields - is back in the area this week.“We will continue to have a presence at our ski field access roads to encourage drivers to adhere to the conditions,” Fi said.Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.

A new sustainability and development officer is now part of the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) team.The long-running local trust provides affordable housing for low-to-middle income earners in the district and while it already builds “well above code”, there is room for further improvement, QLCHT chief executive Julie Scott said. “We are looking to introduce more passive elements into our new builds and enhance the performance of the homes to make them more affordable for our occupants to live in.”Architectural designer Arthur Lee, who has filled the new role, “will help us realise this goal while also helping us improve sustainability from a holistic organisational perspective”.New QLCHT sustainability and development officer Arthur Lee. PHOTO: SuppliedArthur has devoted his career to sustainable building since completing his higher education in Wellington and Denmark. “My specialised areas include Passive House design, Homestar, whole of life carbon assessment, and prefabrication construction,” Arthur said.He said he was “thrilled” to be joining QLCHT, where he will also drive sustainability initiatives within QLCHT’s internal processes.QLCHT is a not-for-profit social enterprise established by Queenstown Lakes District Council in 2007 to recognise the affordability issue and act on it; now the trust is an independent entity operating throughout the district.Read more: Hundreds of households waiting for Trust homesPHOTO: Supplied

The future of Sticky Forest remains undecided despite a recent decision by the Environment Court to give the future owners of the land the option to develop approximately 18 hectares for residential use.There are still a few hurdles to clear before the land is transferred to the future owners.From there, it will be up to them to leave the forest intact, develop the land or sell it. “It will be for the intended owners to determine how they use the land within the scope of the District Plan, including the zoning of the land, and any other overlays on the land under the District Plan,” Department of Justice chief executive Lil Anderson told the Wānaka App.The Crown will hold the land until it is transferred to the future owners. While Sticky Forest remains in Crown ownership, it will not prohibit people from using it recreationally, but Lil noted “there is no legal right to public use”.Who are the future owners of Sticky Forest?The Māori Land Court has identified more than 2,000 successors to the 50 original beneficiaries to land.Court officers are working to identify successors to Irihapeti Toria, the last of the 50 original beneficiaries to be considered by the court. This research will be completed in 2025.The group representing the future owners of Sticky Forest is “cautious to not raise expectations” about community use of Sticky Forest. PHOTO: Wānaka App Once the Māori Land Court is satisfied with the list, the successors will need to determine how to receive and hold the land. Once they have made those decisions, the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations will be authorised to transfer the land.Read more: ‘Ngāi Tahu have always been here’: 200 years of tribal historyThe Crown is bound contractually and by statute to transfer Sticky Forest to the Hāwea/Wānaka SILNA successors under the 1998 Ngāi Tahu settlement. What is SILNA?In the late 1800s, the Crown agreed to make land available to Māori in the South Island, recognising that land purchases in the 1800s had left Ngai Tahu as a tribe, and as individuals, without sufficient land to sustain themselves. Sections of land were assigned to specified individuals and legislation was passed by Parliament, the South Island Landless Natives Act 1906 (‘SILNA’), to effect the land transfer.  Included in the SILNA scheme was land at The Neck (between Lakes Wānaka and Hāwea) which was allocated to 50 people. However, the SILNA was repealed in 1909 leaving some allocated blocks of land untransferred to the intended beneficiaries. The Neck was one such block; it was subject to a long-term pastoral lease to private leaseholders.In settling with Ngāi Tahu, the Crown accepted that its failure to complete the transfer of the Neck was a breach of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. It also accepted its obligation to complete the SILNA transactions.Sticky Forest was identified as a substitute block of land and made available for the successors under the Ngāi Tahu Deed of Settlement. The Environment Court decisionSome of the individual Hāwea/Wānaka SILNA successors identified by the Māori Land Court (Michael Beresford, Theo Bunker, and Lorraine Rouse) sought the rezoning of part of the land in Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) 2018 proposed district plan. (Both Mike and Theo have died since Mike originally filed the appeal).When the initial application was declined by QLDC, an appeal was filed with the Environment Court. On July 31, 2024, the Court upheld the appeal in favour of the appellants who sought rezoning of approximately 18 hectares of the land for residential use.  The Attorney-General joined the appeal for the public interest given the land had been committed in the Ngāi Tahu Treaty settlement and is yet to transfer. Te Arawhiti (who administer the land in question for the Crown) instructed the Crown Law Office in the proceedings.Crown Law said not advocating for the rights of the successors to use their redress as they see fit “would be a failure to actively protect the rights of the intended owners to this land”.In some parts of New Zealand where forestry land has been transferred to Māori for redress, local bike clubs have secured access rights agreements with the landholding iwi. PHOTO: SuppliedNone of the parties to the Environment Court proceedings appealed the outcome by the deadline of August 21, meaning the future owners will now have the option of developing the rezoned area.Read more:Sticky Forest gets green light for residential developmentCouncil accepts Sticky Forest decisionHow will the successors hold this substitute land? That is for them to decide through a Māori Land Court voting process, in accordance with the Māori Assembled Owners Regulations 1995. This might be 12 months away, the Department of Justice said. The Hāwea/Wānaka SILNA Group (which was formed in 2024 to represent the successors) will develop a proposal about how to receive the land, which they will present to the successors.The successors are not limited to a particular type of ownership: They may choose to take the land as Māori freehold land subject to Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993; or as general land; or they may sell the land after they have received it from the Crown. Decision-making about any possible disposal by the new owners will be subject to the way in which the land is held. For example, if the future owners choose to take the land as Māori freehold land (rather than general land), decisions to sell the land would be subject to limitations on disposal under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993.  What about community use of Sticky Forest?Bike Wānaka has advocated for ongoing use of Sticky Forest by mountain bikers. The area is also used by locals for dog walking.The adjoining owner on the eastern boundary, Northlake, has agreed to provide access over their land (provided for by the Northlake Private Plan Change 54 which is now operational in the district plan). The Hāwea/Wānaka SILNA Group has indicated they are open to forming a relationship with Bike Wānaka, the Department of Justice said. “However, they are cautious to not raise expectations, as the group will not be the entity to receive and hold the land for the successors, and future aspirations of the successors for the land are at this time unknown.”The land is not subject to any easements or similar that make public use a legal right, and the Crown must transfer the land in the same state and condition as it was committed in the 1997 Ngāi Tahu deed of settlement.In other parts of New Zealand where forestry land has transferred as redress, local bike clubs have secured access rights agreements with the landholding iwi through post-transfer negotiations. This includes the forestry land in Nelson transferred to Ngāti Koata and the Whakarewarewa forest in Rotorua. Where such use agreements have not been secured with landowners, landowners have asserted their landowner rights. For example, the Wellington City Council has closed a number of unauthorised mountain bike tracks and restored the damaged areas to their natural state in Thorndon (Te Ahumairangi Hill), Mount Victoria, Huntleigh Park, and Aro Valley.

The local food bank is increasing its hours to help it meet ever-increasing demand.Community Link food bank coordinator Yvonne Walker said use of the service had increased by 56 percent over the course of the winter.“To continue to meet the demand we’ve increased the hours of the food bank on a Friday and are now open from 9am to 3pm just so we can help the growing number of families each week who come to the community hub for help,” Yvonne said.More than 1,300 people have accessed the food bank so far this year.“These are people that are teaching your children, that are caring for your parents, that are in the construction industry,” Community Link manager Kate Murray said.“These are families with two parents working and earning decent incomes that are struggling to get by, and even with the increased hours we are scratching the surface of the need.”With the high cost of living in Wānaka, a lack of affordable housing, increasing rental rates and property prices, Community Link does not see any sign of demand for the food bank decreasing, Kate said.The increase in demand is also putting pressure on the existing food bank premises. If demand continues Community Link may need to look at expanding its operation further and expanding its storage facility, Kate said.Kate said the food bank’s fridge and shelves are filled with grocery items, produce and meals which are generously donated by local residents, community gardens and community groups.Registered charities Food for Love and KiwiHarvest also help keep the food bank’s shelves stocked.The Community Link Food Bank is located at the Wānaka Community Hub, 34 McDougall Street.To receive a food parcel, contact the Community Link team or drop in to the hub. The food bank hours are: Monday 1pm-4pm; Tuesday 8am-9am and 5pm-6pm; Wednesday 10am-2pm; and Friday 9am-3pm.PHOTO: Supplied

The Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) has given its thumbs up for an air quality and meteorological monitoring station to be installed on reserve land on Upton Street.The station will monitor levels of particulate matter - tiny particles that are a harmful pollutant - and, once operational, the data from the station will be publicly available.The new station will be the eighth in a network of stations around the region which help Otago Regional Council (ORC) monitor air quality across Otago.Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) parks property planner Matt Judd told the WUCCB that ORC had been searching for a suitable site in Wānaka “for quite some time”.“[The site has been] identified by their air quality scientist as an ideal location.”ORC began upgrading and expanding its monitoring sites in the region late last year in response to changing monitoring guidelines from Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA).ORC air quality scientist Sarah Harrison said increased air quality monitoring and data collection will make the regional council better equipped to address air pollution.WUCCB chair Simon Telfer said there was a “community benefit” in the monitoring station.“The longitude study of air quality is really important,” he said. “I’m happy we play our part.”The station will be located at the corners of Upton and Stone streets; it will include a four-to-six metre tall mast and it will be fenced.ORC requested a 10-year lease with two rights of renewal of five years to allow it to gather data over an extended period.The WUCCB has approved the intention to notify a lease and selected three members to form a hearing panel, who will hear any submissions and make a recommendation to council on the lease.PHOTO: Supplied

Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts has put out a warning to tradies and others to lock their vehicles and premises.At least three thefts from unsecured vehicles have been reported in the Kirimoko/Aubrey Road area today (Tuesday September 3), Fi told the Wānaka App.She said there has also been an increase in people reporting things missing.“A lot of things have been taken from insecure premises or vehicles,” she said.“There are some light fingered people out there.”Fi said prevention is the best way to avoid being targeted by thieves.“We need to lock things up,” she advised.Call 111 if you need an emergency response from police; or call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Supplied