The government's proposal to charge people to enter Aotearoa's most popular natural attractions has received mixed reviews.The Department of Conservation (DOC) is asking the public who should pay to enjoy our national parks and conservation areas and how that money should be used.Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton welcomed the idea, if the money funded desperately needed infrastructure.The mayor said central plateau tourism hotspots like Mount Ruapehu were not coping with the number of tourists they had."National parks can't continue on with the damage caused by visitors over the years and without the infrastructure needed to support up to 200,000 tourists a year."We're tremendously stretched as a small community and can't take on the cost."But he said, it was important for locals to continue to have free access to Aoraki."There should definitely be a price for New Zealanders from outside the district and for those who come from overseas."He said the district required more toilets and camping grounds to keep up with demand."We welcome visitors to the area but we don't get the funding required to support them."Stewart Island Flights owner Bill Moffat strongly opposed the plan, arguing it already cost too much for tourists to visit.The island currently has a $10 visitor levy, but Moffat said this could increase to $15 in 2025.Most people travelling to New Zealand must also pay a $100 dollar tourist levy."It's yet another charge being incurred by the visitors," said Moffat."The inbound arrival levy, 50% of that is supposed to contribute to DOC."Adding another levy is like triple dipping."Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Rebecca Ingram said decisions about the proposed charges needed to be made carefully."Tourism businesses think it's important that DOC can invest in the future and deliver the amazing experiences they provide."They also think it's important to consider the fees that are paid by visitors and in particular, take into consideration that the international visitor levy is now $100 and a portion of that goes toward conservation."The group will consult tourism operators before it makes suggestions to the government.Tourists spoken to by RNZ were understanding of the government's position, but some were concerned about added costs.Liyaan was returning to London after a 21 day tour of the North and South Island."As a tourist, it would drive up my costs. But I also understand why it would be imposed."For people on a budget, it might make them think twice about coming to New Zealand."Phaidra from Belgium said if the fees were in place now, she would have to consider how many activities would fit into her budget"It would be quite a lot to pay every time."US traveller, Liam, was happy to pay for the sights."I would have no problem as long as it's going towards preserving the natural places in New Zealand."He was used to paying an entry fee to access parks in the US and suggested New Zealand implement an annual pass for tourists.Some New Zealanders RNZ spoke to were worried about losing free access to treasured places.Jalal was sceptical about where the money would go."It seems like another cash-grab from the government."They should be encouraging people to explore our parks more. An additional fee would be detrimental to encouraging people to get outdoors."Amelia said she would not go to a conservation area if there was a fee."I wouldn't pay it. Not a single dime. New Zealand should be free for everyone to see."Other New Zealanders like Ben were on board with increased funding for conservation efforts."It probably would be fair for the user to pay to maintain the places they visit."Neil was fine with paying as long as the money went back into the area."That way we get nice things like walkways."Consultation on the proposal, which would also make it easier for private businesses to operate on conservation land, closes at the end of February 2025.

Entries will open at the end of the month for Challenge Wānaka’s youth and adaptive events.The Adaptive Challenge will return in 2025, open to anyone over 10 years old with either a physical or intellectual impairment.Meanwhile the Secondary Schools Challenge will once again host the Otago Secondary School Triathlon, featuring U14, U16, and U19 categories.Secondary School teams have the unique opportunity to compete in the Challenge Wānaka Half on Saturday, bringing high-level competition to the school-age athletes.Other youth events include the Mini Challenge, Junior Challenge and the Intermediate Challenge.Mitre 10 MEGA Wānaka and Puzzling World will be sponsoring the youth events again in 2024, Challenge Wānaka trustee and event director Jane Sharman said.“Their continued support allows us to inspire young people, create lasting memories, and nurture the next generation of athletes.”At the core of Challenge Wānaka is a dedication to empowering youth through sport, Jane said.Each year, the Challenge Wānaka Sports Trust subsidises the participation of nearly 2,000 primary and secondary students, promoting healthy lifestyles and imparting values of teamwork, perseverance, and goal-setting.This initiative has seen more than 11,000 young athletes participate since 2013, providing profound benefits to physical fitness, confidence, and community spirit, she said.Wānaka Primary School principal Jason Cowan said Challenge Wānaka is an event “our entire school participates in”.“It is an amazing opportunity for our children to be part of a professionally run event that builds perseverance and supports our kids to ‘be the best they can be,” he said.“The smiles and grimaces from our children as they compete against themselves and their friends, no matter how athletic, creates an incredible atmosphere.”Find more details about each of the youth and adaptive races taking place as part of Challenge Wānaka (February 13-15, 2025), here.PHOTO: Sean Beale

OUT & About Wānaka is excited to welcome visitors to today’s (Saturday November 16) Wānaka Pride Street Party, the pinnacle event of Wānaka Pride Week 2024.The free, family-friendly celebration of inclusivity will include live music, DJs, comedy, dance performances, local food vendors, a craft market and activities for all ages, plus much more.Organisers said highlights will include the Pride fashion show, performances by drag queens on the Love Loud stage throughout the day, the craft and info market featuring handmade creations from Wānaka artisans, and the raffle and auction.Wānaka Pride Week began on Monday (November 11) and OUT & About Wānaka volunteer Catrin Aeron told the Wānaka App it had got off to a “fantastic start”.“We kicked things off with a full house at the Queer Film Fest at Rhyme X Reason [and] every seat filled!” she said. “It was such a lovely, chilled vibe, and the films sparked some really meaningful conversations.” The craft and info market will return for today’s event.“The whole evening had this beautiful, supportive energy that set the tone for the week.”Tuesday’s Living Library event at the Wānaka Library had “another fantastic turnout,” she said.“So many people from our community came to listen to the experiences of five 'books'—members of the rainbow community who shared their personal stories.“We had some laughs, a few touching moments, and plenty of thoughtful questions.”Other events this week have included ‘Queer Quarterly Reads’, a queer-themed book club at The Last Chapter, plus Pride Pledge training sessions designed to support inclusivity and understanding in workplaces and communities; as well as drag bingo, drag karaoke and more.“We’re feeling incredibly grateful to everyone who’s joined us so far,” Catrin said.The Wānaka Pride Street Party will be held at the Lake Wānaka Centre from midday.St John and Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) will be present to ensure a safe, enjoyable day for all, organisers said.Highlights will include performances by drag queens, a craft and info market, a fashion show, and more organisers said.Night-owls can continue on after the pride street party with Pride After Dark, also at the Lake Wānaka Centre (from 7pm), which will feature DJs, burlesque, go-go dancers, drag queens, aerial silks and more.Pride After Dark is a ticketed event. Book here.PHOTOS: Deanna Gerlach

The world’s most exciting freeride mountain bike athletes will be showing off their skills in New Zealand at the inaugural Natural Selection Bike next year. The contest will feature around 30 of the world’s top mountain bike athletes, including a host of Kiwi riders, and it will be contested on Mt Dewar in Queenstown on February 15, 2025.The competition will feature a men’s and women’s division and will combine the three most dynamic disciplines in mountain biking: downhill, slopestyle and freeride. New Zealand’s top freeride mountain bike athlete Robin Goomes, who won the prestigious Red Bull Rampage earlier this month, is thrilled the competition is coming to Aotearoa. “It’s so great that they’re bringing Natural Selection Bike to New Zealand,” Robin said. “There is such a sick mountain bike scene here and everyone’s going to be fizzed to get amongst it.”“There are already so many talented young riders in New Zealand and I think having this on their doorstep is just going to push them to the next level.” Formerly known as Proving Grounds, the competition is now part of the Natural Selection Tour, which is expanding from its snowboarding roots to include mountain biking, surfing, and skiing. The New Zealand event will also feature a ‘Dream Ticket’ qualifier at the world famous Dream Track in central Queenstown on February 8 and 9, which will give local talent the opportunity to compete for four spots at the main event. Natural Selection Bike event director Sophie Luther said the competition will provide a fantastic opportunity for homegrown riders to shine in front of a global audience. "We’re thrilled to give New Zealand based riders the chance to compete at home against the world’s best," she said. "We have such a talented mountain bike community in New Zealand and such passionate and inspiring riders; we can’t wait to showcase them to the world.”Natural Selection Bike is being staged with the backing of the Minister of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), which is supporting the event through the New Zealand Major Events Fund. “Queenstown is a stunning location and a thrill-seekers delight; I couldn’t agree more that it is a ‘dream venue’ for this high-octane global event,” MBIE major events manager Kylie Hawker-Green said. “Events like Natural Selection deliver a broad range of economic and social benefits for New Zealand and the regions they take place in.”The build for Natural Selection Bike Aotearoa is due to begin next month. Tickets are on sale here.PHOTO: Supplied

NASA has confirmed it will return to Wānaka for its Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) campaign in 2025.NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility communications office chief Jeremy Eggers told the Wānaka App the agency has two Wānaka Airport flights planned between March and June.“The missions for this campaign are focused around cutting edge science and expanding the capability of the Super Pressure Balloon systems,” Jeremy said.“With these missions, we continue our work to test and perfect the Super Pressure Balloon technology with the goal of long duration flight (upwards of 100 days) at stable float altitudes in the stratosphere through the day/night cycle.”NASA’s first launch at Wānaka Airport took place in 2015.The NASA team returned for additional launch attempts in 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023, all of which were successful apart from the 2022 launch.During its 2023 visit two SPBs were successfully launched, in April and May.Jeremy said the team was looking forward to returning.“Wanaka is an ideal location for conducting these flights, and we are immensely thankful to all our New Zealand partners for their support,” Jeremy said.Wānaka Airport said it was “delighted to be welcoming them [NASA] back” in a statement on Facebook this morning (Friday November 15).PHOTO: NASA

The Wānaka Showgrounds are getting a spruce up with new fencing, tree planting, and other changes planned.Some of the upgrades were discussed at a recent Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) community services workshop in Wānaka.A QLDC spokesperson told the Wānaka App there are ongoing discussions between the council and the showground’s two main users - the Upper Clutha A&P Society and the Upper Clutha Rugby Club - about “potential improvements to the showgrounds reserve, and corresponding costs”.He said the council is working through options with both groups with a view to determining how the council and others may be able to assist. Meanwhile the council is proposing to install a new fence along the section of Mount Aspiring Road, McDougall Street and around the corner on Brownston Street, all before Christmas. “We also plan to plant cherry trees along Wānaka Mount Aspiring Road in keeping with the rest of that area,” the spokesperson said.Wānaka A&P Show general manager Jane Stalker told the Wānaka App the A&P Society is undertaking some “cosmetic changes”, including painting and recladding of the A&P Society buildings adjacent to the showgrounds. She said the society hopes there will also be an upgrade to the gravel driveway into the showgrounds.PHOTO: Wānaka App

The Rainbow Run in Wānaka on November 22 will officially launch this year’s Summerdaze programme.Summerdaze is a series of fun events organised or supported by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) in the summer months that aims to bring the community together. The 2024/25 edition will include the return of the Rainbow Run, the Summerdaze Picnic & BBQ in the Park series, and the signature Teddy Bears Picnics with ‘Stride, Ride and Slide’.QLDC community partnerships advisor wellbeing Samantha Saccomanno said Summerdaze is all about community connection and wellbeing and enjoying the beauty of our district.“It’s the fifth year of the Summerdaze programme and we’re excited to offer a number of exciting, family-friendly community events ... make sure you get along to have some fun,” she said.The Night ‘n Day Rainbow Run, organised by Sport Central and QLDC, will be held at Eely Point on November 22, starting at 5pm, and Sport Central community sport advisor Jo Knight is excited to have the event back on the calendar.“What better way to say hello to summer than a 5km fun run or walk while being colour-bombed by five different corn starch stations,” she said. “I challenge friends, family and flatmates to get together, dress up in black or white and have a blast.”“The local fire brigade will be on hand to douse participants near the start of the run to make the colours stick better, and we have volunteers and supporters joining QLDC in staffing the stations.”The Summerdaze Picnic & BBQ in the Park will feature free BBQs, a games trailer, sports activities, face painting, a library pop-up tent, and QLDC’s elected members in attendance.The Teddy Bears Picnics will feature much of the same with a greater focus on entertainment for young children and toddlers – including the much-loved Stride, Ride and Slide events. More information on Teddy Bears Picnics will be released in January.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Wānaka gymnasts returned from the recent 2024 XP New Zealand Gymnastic Championships in Palmerston North with some excellent results.Aspiring Gymsports Club coaches were thrilled with all results, club spokesperson Rae Paterson said.What’s more, the Otago team won the ‘Mahi Tahi’ award for team spirit across all codes, chosen by the event and floor managers.Year 9 Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student Charlie Nisbet was the first male to be selected for the Otago team. He achieved four apparatus medals: two silver and two bronze.Sami Reid earned fourth place overall.Sami Reid (MAC, year 7) placed 12th overall (from 43 competitors) in her age category - ninth on floor and fifth on bar.There were also strong local performances in the double mini trampoline event. All four competitors in the 11-12 age category (Keira Lam, Lara Beams, Emma Kambe, and Harper-Rose Reid) made the final, scoring in the top eight in New Zealand, with Lara finishing fourth.Harper-Rose also made the trampoline finals; Emma and Lara finished fifth in synchro; and Holly and Katelyn Key won the gold medal in synchro in the 15-16 age category.All Wānaka gymnasts were awarded the GNZ Gymnastics NZ proficiency badge. All coaches received coaching medals, Rae said.PHOTOS: Supplied

A fire in a power box on the back of a building behind Ardmore Street led to a fire brigade call-out on Wednesday evening (November 13).A Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) spokesperson told the Wānaka App the firefighters extinguished the fire, and there was no damage to the building.FENZ alerted the power company, she said.The transformer was on the back of the Cork Bar building.Fire appliances from Wānaka attended the call out. PHOTO: SuppliedRitual Cafe owner Chris Hadfield said the fire caused “a bit of excitement”, and was as loud as a commercial fireworks display.He said Delta workers remained at the scene and power was restored by 1am.

Central government’s announcement in September this year of new Land Transport Rules (LTR) for setting road speed limits raised expectations that this district’s residential speed limits would return to the national 50km/h standard. Transport minister Simeon Brown said the previous government’s approach to road safety led to untargeted speed limit reductions across the country and New Zealanders rejected the blanket speed limit reductions.The new rules would reverse blanket speed limit reductions on local streets, arterial roads and state highways and road controlling authorities (RCAs), such as Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), had about eight months to make the changes.Locals may be disappointed, however, as QLDC hasn’t said it is dusting off the old speed limits, rather it has directed its legal team to investigate “what the new LTR means for our district”. Apparently, there’s a loophole.A QLDC spokesperson told the Wānaka App last week that new rules directed the reversal of reduced speed limits which came into effect from January 1, 2020; but the QLDC’s blanket speed limits took effect one month before in December 2019. The spokesperson said some roads might retain the current speed limit: “This may be the case as we work to meet the requirements of the new LTR. We’re doing this in line with NZTA’s guidance.” LTR: setting speed limits 2024Under the new rules speed management plans are optional and RCAs must explicitly consider economic factors, including the impact on travel times, and provide a cost benefit disclosure statement for each proposed speed limit. Speed limits around schools have changed; in most cases variable speed limits will apply with slower speeds in effect only during pick up and drop off times outside school gates.And there’s a new binding schedule of road classifications specifying permanent speed limits or ranges of speed limits for each class of road. RCAs must align proposed speed limits with this schedule. If the proposed speed limit doesn’t align, the RCA must complete and provide a cost benefit disclosure statement for each proposed change for consultation purposes.Lower speed limits reflecting unusual circumstances were introduced in some residential areas, such as Kiromoko.For example, the schedule states the standard speed for urban roads is 50km/h. There are exceptions, such as the speed can be lowered to 40k if the urban road has no footpaths; and if it has significant levels of pedestrian and/or cycling activity.  RCAs must get public feedback on speed management plans and consider this feedback before submitting their draft plans for NZTA certification. They must also have recently consulted on proposed speed limits and considered any submissions. What the data showsAs RCA, QLDC staff monitor the road use, recording the number of traffic movements, speeds, road states, and so on.QLDC data provided to Wānaka App taken from several key Wānaka connector roads, such as Anderson Road, Wānaka-Mt Aspiring Road, McDougall Street and Beacon Point Road, at various times throughout this year shows that the majority of road users drive above the 40k speed limit.In the case of the Wānaka-Mt Aspiring Road, on two separate monitoring periods of up to a week, monitors recorded the mean speed in excess of 60km/h and more than 97 percent of drivers were speeding.Anderson Road’s mean speed was much lower at 47km/h but almost 88 percent of drivers were exceeding the 40k limit during a 10 day period in October.Brownston Street was the exception. Over a nine day period in August/September the mean speed was 36.1km/h and fewer than 18 percent were speeding. Later in October, the majority of drivers were speeding but the mean speed was just over 40km/h.Wānaka resident and former city traffic engineer Graham Dickson reviewed the road data for the Wānaka App and acknowledged that despite the 40k speed limits having been in effect for years most drivers were driving faster than the speed limit most of the time. “We’re certainly not getting traffic doing anywhere near 40k,” he said.He suggested the lower speeds recorded on Brownston Street were likely constrained by pedestrian activity, traffic congestion associated with town centre intersections, vehicles parking, and so on.“The 40k speed limit may be having an effect; whether that’s justified or [if] there are any benefits is hard to say,” he said.Graham said as most of the monitoring was taken at points near to intersections (such as Caltex roundabout), the traffic speeds recorded were likely affected by the need for vehicles to carefully negotiate the intersections.Wānaka’s speed limits historyFor many years the district’s speed limits were set by a local Speed Limit Bylaw. The 2009 Bylaw was reviewed in 2018/19 and replaced with the controversial Speed Limits Bylaw 2019.The 2019 Bylaw caused controversy as it introduced blanket speed limit reductions on almost all urban roads, mostly from 50k to 40k, as well as some rural roads.During public consultation of the draft bylaw which proposed the speed reductions, the majority of the more than 350 submitters opposed the blanket speed reductions because there was no evidence presented which confirmed the 50km/h speed limit in this district’s urban/residential areas was inherently dangerous. There was support for limited speed reductions around schools and on some other roads. The 2019 bylaw with reduced speed limits came into effect in December 2019 and, at considerable cost, hundreds of speed limit signs were replaced.Two years later, the 2019 bylaw was revoked when it was replaced by new national rules issued by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s new Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022, but the speed limits were largely unchanged.The 2022 Land Transport Rule has now been superseded by the latest NZTA Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024.Throughout these numerous changes to the rules, local urban roads governed by NZTA remained at 50km/h.What happens nextQLDC has fewer than eight months to get its ducks in a row.With the exception of new speed limits around schools, the LTR directs all RCAs to review and set approved new speed limits by May 1 2025 and have them in force by July 1 2025. RCAs have until July 1 2026 to make variable speed limits around schools effective.The cost will be funded entirely by QLDC. The QLDC spokesperson would not share with the Wānaka App the cost of installing the previous blanket speed limit changes in 2019 and, given that legal assessment of the LTR has only just begun, was unable to estimate the cost of any new speed limit changes. “Council applied for, but did not receive, funding for this work [to comply with the new rules] from NZTA in its most recent application. Hence our ‘local share’ is expected to be 100 percent,” the spokesperson said.

Last Friday (November 8) police facilitated a blessing of the Crown Range site where one person was killed and several others injured, Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts said.Fi said family of the deceased, Joyce Fesico, attended the blessing.The two-vehicle crash between a car and a van that led to Joyce’s death occurred on the alpine road on November 3.On Tuesday (November 12), Hamilton woman Anneli De Los Santos was charged with careless driving causing death in Hamilton District Court.Read more: Woman charged over Crown Range Road deathFi said “seatbelts, cell phones and speed remain a theme” in road policing.On Sunday (November 10) a Wānaka road policing unit issued 14 infringement notices for RIDS (Restraints, Impairment, Distractions and Speed) related offences.“Driving complaints continue in the Cardrona Valley, Lindis Pass [and] Tarras,” Fi said.Other incidents over the past week include the arrest of a 31-year-old woman for assault on a person in a family relationship.“She will appear in court next week,” Fi said.There have also been a couple of burglaries in the Wānaka CBD, Fi said.“In the early morning of 9 November, a liquor store was entered, [and] nothing taken.”“In the early hours of Sunday 10 November it appears that two males attempted to break into a central Wānaka licenced premises.” Police are investigating both incidents, Fi said.Tools were also taken from an address in central Wānaka and tradies are advised to secure their tools.Wānaka staff assisted Haast with the State of Emergency on Saturday November 9.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.PHOTO: Wānaka App

A new charitable trust has been set up to help grassroots organisations in Hāwea access funding for local projects.Some of the funding organisations in the area only accept applications from groups with charitable status, Hāwea Charitable Trust trustee Louise Merrall told the Wānaka App.Many small groups or organisations don’t have the time or manpower to go through the process to become registered as a charity, or while being not-for-profit might not meet the strict criteria required for charities registration, which means they can miss out.The new trust aims to fill this gap and “give groups a mechanism to apply for funding”, Louise said.So far the trust has helped a local group secure funding from the Otago Regional Council Eco Fund for some native planting along the Lake Hāwea foreshore.It is also holding funds for a playground project by a subcommittee of the Hāwea Community Association.The relatively new trust would like to “get the word out there that we are here” and hear from more local groups, Louise said.Anyone who has identified funding they would like to apply for which benefits the community is encouraged to get in touch with the trust.The five-person trust would take a look at the project and make sure it meets the trust’s criteria, which are (broadly) that it is of benefit to the Hāwea community, located within the Hāwea area (anywhere between the lake, Hāwea Flat and Maungawera Valley) and meets the purpose in the trust’s deed.The deed covers initiatives with cultural, ecological and recreational benefits; ones which maintain, enhance or manage the indigenous biodiversity; and those which help maintain Hāwea as a thriving community.“If someone feels like they have a project that might fall within this then get in touch with us,” Louise said.The Hāwea Charitable Trust can be contacted at the following email address: [email protected]: Wānaka App

Locals have been expressing their views on the prospect of a McDonald’s fast food restaurant in Wānaka in a novel way in the lead up to a hearing on the issue.Independent commissioners will have the final say at the end of this month on whether McDonald’s Restaurants NZ can set up a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week restaurant and drive-through at Mt Iron Junction.Meanwhile, some locals have parked a trailer at a lay-by adjacent to Mt Iron roundabout (opposite where the McDonald’s restaurant proposed site) with a sign proclaiming ‘Wānaka welcomes McDonald’s’. Signs at the Mt Iron roundabout at the beginning of the week. PHOTO: SuppliedSoon after, a second trailer appeared, with a larger sign saying: ‘McDs not welcome’. By Tuesday morning, an even larger sign had appeared next to the ‘Wānaka welcomes McDonald’s’ trailer, reading: ‘JOKES we dont’ [sic].During public consultation earlier this year 340 people made submissions opposing a Wānaka McDonald’s and just 21 made submissions in support of it.Another 5,000 or so opposed it in an online petition.Read more: Maccas proposal vetoed by QLDC plannerMore than 100 submitters plan to speak at the upcoming hearing, which will begin on November 25.

Cardrona residents and visitors will have new options for eating, drinking and shopping if a new commercial complex billed for the village is approved.An application for a 1,730m2 commercial precinct has been lodged with Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).The proposal includes restaurants, food kiosks and retail space, as well as small-scale visitor accommodation.There is also a covered 650m2 ‘market place’, spas, a sauna, and outdoor areas.The spas and sauna will be open to the public as well as visitors staying in any of the four self-contained visitor accommodation units. Urban designer Paula Costello said the retail part of the precinct was “likely to include a number of different selling places including café, sports retail or hire (cycle/ski) and other tourist or craft type retail”.It would feature “a series of smaller tenancies both retail and hospitality focussed…useful in terms of enabling the start-up of small businesses, especially in locations such as Cardrona (a small settlement)”, she said.If approved, the precinct would be located on Cardrona Valley Road, just north of the Cardrona Valley General Store and a few hundred metres from the Cardrona Hotel.A handful of major projects for the Cardrona area have been announced in recent years, including Mt Cardrona Station (a development with more than 600 houses, a hotel and golf course), which is under construction.There have also been big plans announced for the Cardrona skifield, including a new base building, an expansion into Soho, and - by a separate company Darby Partners - a valley-to-Soho gondola with guest facilities and accommodation.Developer Carpe Cervisiam is behind the commercial precinct project.QLDC is currently considering Carpe Cervisiam’s resource consent application.IMAGE: Supplied

The Otago Southland and Canterbury West Coast divisions of the Cancer Society have merged to become the Southern Cancer Society.Southern Cancer Society head of cancer services Craig Watson said this will mean equitable access to support services across the regions, maximising of the donor dollar, and a stronger advocacy voice.The newly formed Southern arm has also launched a new online tool to provide greater access and choice to people diagnosed with cancer, as well as their whānau and supporters.Craig Watson said the tool allows families to find the support they need at their convenience.“Our aim is to make our services easily accessible and convenient to everyone who needs support during their cancer journey,” he said.“We think this is a fantastic service for our families, especially those who live in more remote areas who might not have accessed our services so easily.“It will also help those who are unable to drive, are working or have difficulty getting about.”He said signing up to the navigator of your choice was as simple as clicking on the link.Via the link visitors can find available services, choose who they think is the best fit and book an appointment accordingly. Links to Cancer Society and external support groups are also listed in the portal and all educational and informational brochures can be downloaded or read online.This is the first time the Cancer Society has offered online support for communities, Craig said. It was created following feedback from the community to say they would like greater choice over how they access support.Craig said the online portal was complementary to the Cancer Society’s in-person services.“You can still walk into our centres and clinics off the street or pick up the phone,” he said.“Our cancer navigators will happily still come see you in your home too. This is about what works for you.”More than 25,000 Kiwis are diagnosed with cancer each year. The Cancer Society’s mission is to reduce the impact of a cancer diagnosis via one-on-one emotional and practical support in navigating each case, accommodation for those travelling for treatment, transport to and from treatment and appointments, and counselling and peer-to-peer support.The organisation also advocates for better cancer outcomes, provides education on prevention, detection and health literacy, and invests in cancer research.Learn more here.PHOTO: Supplied

Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) annual report reflects a year of change, a refresh of the organisation’s strategic direction, and a focus on supporting community-led environmental initiatives, ORC chair Gretchen Robertson says.She said the ORC Annual Report 2023-2024, released last month, showed that while it had been a busy year, there was more to do.“Our focus was not only on delivering efficient services to the people of Otago, but on supporting community-led environmental initiatives for positive outcomes,” Gretchen said.It had placed “a strong emphasis on delivering a long-term plan which achieves organisational efficiencies, ensuring we give value for ratepayers’ money while continuing to sustain healthy and connected communities.”“We’re proud to highlight ORC’s accomplishments in hazard resilience, significant growth in bus patronage, navigational safety, regional civil defence coordination, environmental science, biosecurity, and regulatory activities,” she said.Gretchen highlighted ORC’s environmental monitoring and regulatory work over the year, where staff completed 1,411 compliance checks, including consent audits, dairy inspections, and forestry site visits, and the pollution hotline handled 1,095 incidents, with 101 formal enforcement actions taken.Despite the positives, a substantial number of targets were missed.The annual report outlined a total 79 targets sought in service provision and while 48 were ‘fully achieved’ and 5 ‘partially achieved’, 25 targets were ‘not achieved’.ORC chief executive Richard Saunders said of the 25 targets not achieved, a number were linked to the deadline for the final delivery of reports, reviews and plans, many of which had since been completed and were pending formal delivery.“Much of the work was completed within the financial year however we did not meet the target as set out in the service levels,” he said. “...these measures are something the community can hold us to account on so we will continue to have a strong focus…on meeting them.”Gretchen said climate change remained a crucial focus area for the ORC for the year ahead.“This year, councillors endorsed the draft Strategic Climate Action Plan, and we’re now looking forward to seeking community input on this important initiative,” she said.Its work on a variety of natural hazards adaptation programmes, as well as climate resilience projects for our flood schemes, are also major focuses.ORC has had less success with its plans for freshwater. Last month, after months of debate between ORC, Otago farmers, and government ministers, the government amended the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill (currently before parliament) to restrict councils’ ability to notify new freshwater rules until the new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) is in place.Read more: Government intervenes on freshwater plansUnder the government’s amendment, ORC now won’t be able to notify a land and water plan until December 2025 or until the new NPS-FM is in place.Find ORC’s full annual report here.PHOTO: Wānaka App

A woman has been charged over a fatal car crash on the Crown Range earlier this month.One person was killed and seven more were injured in the two-vehicle crash between a car and a van on the alpine road on Sunday November 3.Hamilton woman Anneli De Los Santos, 50, has made her initial appearance in court.She appeared in Hamilton District Court yesterday morning (Tuesday November 12), charged with careless driving causing death, Stuff reported.Joyce Fesico, reported to be a close relative of Anneli’s, was killed in the crash.Anneli also faces five other charges of careless driving causing injury to five other victims in the crash.Stuff said she was remanded on bail and without plea.She will appear again in Hamilton District Court on December 4.PHOTO: Suppled

Wānaka Mediterranean Market’s owner, grocery wholesaler Bidfood NZ, has confirmed the business’s wholesale side will close at the end of this month, with the retail side to close by the New Year.Bidfood NZ CEO Phil Struckmann told the Wānaka App he advised the market’s 30 staff of the decision on Friday (November 10).Last week Phil said Bidfood was consulting with Wānaka Mediterranean Market staff on a proposal to close the business of 23 years, and the consultation period would finish on Friday.On Monday (November 11) he told the Wānaka App that Bidfood was “not in a position to change our proposal”.“It hasn’t been an easy decision,” Phil said.“We bought the business in 2006; it’s very much been a part of Bidfood and we don’t take this lightly.”The closure proposal followed “a lengthy and exhaustive analysis”, he said.Phil said he put the proposal to the Wānaka staff members in “good faith” asking them if they had local knowledge which could change the picture, he said.“I personally took on every bit of feedback … but didn’t see anything that would work.”The reason for the closure was that the business was “between a rock and a hard place”, he said.“We’re getting too big for that site but can’t afford to move anywhere else.”He said the lease at 6/22 Ardmore had two years left, and while the landlord indicated the business could get a longer lease Phil said it couldn’t grow on that site.“Relocating is way too expensive.”The retail side of the business will remain open “through December”, Phil said, and after Christmas and New Year it will “clear the stock and close the doors”.Its wholesale operation will close sooner, on December 1, after which Bidfood’s Queenstown branch will provide deliveries to Wānaka.He said the decision to close the retail arm after Christmas was to “give staff the best possible option to find a new job”.He said Bidfood has also offered staff the opportunity to relocate to work in other branches, and for those who can’t “there’s a compensation process to go through”.Bidfood had offered staff compensation “over and above what’s in their contract”, he said.The Wānaka Mediterranean Market has operated in Wānaka since 2001.PHOTO: Wānaka App

A public playground is planned for Hāwea Flat after a collaborative effort by the Hāwea Playground Committee and Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).A QLDC representative confirmed this week that funding for a playground at Long Grass Place has been brought forward from year three of the Long Term Plan to the current financial year.“We’re continuing to work with the committee on final plans and look forward to getting spades in the ground soon,” the representative said.QLDC acknowledged the “amazing mahi” done by the playground committee, a subcommittee of the Hawea Community Association, which was formed a few years ago to help address the shortage of playgrounds in the Hāwea area.Playground committee member Louise Merrall said it was a “big win” to get the Hāwea Flat playground funding brought forward.Given the growth, particularly in the number of young families, in the Hāwea area, it is a “well-placed investment”, she told the Wānaka App.Louise said when the playground committee was formed there was just one public playground in Lake Hāwea, at Peter Fraser Park.“We formed a committee, had concept plans drawn up, held focus groups and posted surveys, all to understand what people wanted,” she said.The committee eventually narrowed down their focus to the Sentinel Park Reserve in Hāwea and Long Grass Place in Hāwea Flat.When Longview’s new playground was installed by the developer only a short distance from Sentinel Park “we didn’t see it as a good use of funds to have two offerings very close to each other”, Louise said, and Long Grass Place became the committee’s main focus.The concept plans for the Long Grass Place playground, which have been passed on to council, feature “traditional playground equipment -- swings, slides, climbing equipment, and that sort of thing”, she said.Louise said the committee still had plans in the works for Sentinel Park Reserve which it hopes to progress.The QLDC representative said the Long Grass Place playground was able to be brought forward after the parks team decided Wānaka’s Warren Street playground, initially earmarked for a $400K upgrade this year, “still had plenty of life in it”.“Hence we’ve been able to prioritise Long Grass Place and defer work at Warren Street – originally planned for this financial year – for another two to three years,” they said. “No additional new playgrounds in the Upper Clutha are planned this year but the parks team will continue its usual inspection, repair and renewal work where needed.”PHOTO: Wānaka App