Unlock the keys to community and environmental resilience with our special guest, Monique Kelly, as she gives us an exclusive preview of the highly anticipated WAO Summit happening from October 29 to November 2.Discover the innovative themes that will shape this year's event, including food resilience, better business, and climate action. Monique also unveils the brand-new "Nature Fest," designed to reconnect communities through music, film, and workshops while supporting local not-for-profits. This episode is not just about learning; it’s about turning discussions into action, especially within the tourism and construction sectors.Join us as we delve into the essential structural changes needed at governmental and business levels to foster sustainable behaviour, using the successful plastic bag ban as a case study. Hear valuable insights from Sustainable Hawke's Bay on how communities can effectively respond to disasters and learn from each other's sustainability models. We also focus on the role of different generations, including youth, in driving positive environmental change.Listen here. 

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) says it is still taking steps to address affordable housing despite an inclusionary zoning proposal being withdrawn.Early this month councillors agreed to withdraw the proposal - which would have required most new residential subdivisions and developments to make a contribution of either land or money for affordable housing - on the recommendation of an independent hearing panel.Housing affordability should instead be tackled by a mix of regulatory and non-regulatory options in a package of targeted measures, the hearing panel said.QLDC planning and development general manager David Wallace said work was already in progress on most of the alternatives the panel had recommended.Those alternatives included providing funding through rates and development contributions, providing more affordable housing through plan provisions (urban intensification) and partnering with other organisations (such as central government).The panel also said the council should directly address the primary cause of the affordable housing issue and lack of rental housing, which it said was the increase of residential visitor accommodation.    David said options around plan provisions, partnerships and residential visitor accommodation have all been identified to support key actions in QLDC’s Joint Housing Action Plan (JHAP) and to improve housing outcomes in the district.These mechanisms remained a work in progress, he said, and their effects upon the district aren’t fully understood yet.Read more: Progress on housing action planThe Urban Intensification Variation (UIV) - which proposes growth ‘out and up’ (increased building height and density) - could also help address planning provisions, if it is approved. A hearings panel has been selected for the proposal and a hearing will take place in 2025.Read more: Urban intensification: Growth ‘up and out’ proposedSome councillors, at the meeting, were less positive than David about the effects of withdrawing the inclusionary housing proposal.Deputy mayor Quentin Smith said it “leaves us on the back foot with no obvious leverage” and councillor Esther Whitehead said it put councillors “between a rock and a hard place”.There was general agreement with councillor Nikki Gladding’s urge to “move on as quickly as possible with other tools [to address affordable housing]”.PHOTO: Wānaka App

A mistake in the submissions form means Otago Regional Council (ORC) is extending the public consultation period for its review of councillor seat allocation.In July the ORC launched public consultation on the proposal to increase the number of councillor seats representing the Dunstan constituency due to population growth.However, the submissions form did not ask for contact details, which are required under the Local Electoral Act.ORC chief executive Richard Saunders said the 120 submissions received will still be counted, but he encouraged those people to resubmit so they can be advised of their rights to attend future hearings.He said the extension to the submission period - now closing September 8 - also gave residents longer to have their say.“Hopefully in extending the consultation period we can build further on the number of submissions on the representation review,” he said.The review asks the public to weigh-in on the breakdown of councillor seat representation across Otago.ORC currently has 12 councillors, elected from four constituencies: Dunstan, Moeraki, Molyneux and Dunedin.It is proposing to reduce the number of seats in Dunedin’s (from six to five) and boost Dunstan’s (from three to four).Read more: Fifth constituency recommended to ORCBecause the Upper Clutha is within the Dunstan constituency, an increase in councillor seats here would mean more local representation.Find more information and make a submission here.PHOTO: ORC

Two new marketing professionals will help Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) strengthen its team and drive the organisation’s destination marketing efforts, the organisation says.With Nadia Ellis and Shannon Kelly joining the team, LWT now has a team of highly talented and very experienced people, LWT head of destination Gizelle Regan said.“These appointments round out the LWT team and we are looking forward to seeing the contributions that both Nadia and Shannon can make to deliver on destination marketing objectives, championing the organisation's plans for the second half of 2024 and beyond.”Nadia has been appointed as the LWT head of marketing on a six-month, part-time contract and Shannon Kelly joins as the new LWT marketing executive.Nadia brings nearly 20 years’ experience shaping New Zealand ski and tourism brands.Her primary focus at LWT will be developing and overseeing destination marketing activities and ensuring messaging aligns with regenerative tourism objectives. Shannon is a professional who brings a keen eye for graphic design, a passion for the Wānaka region and is looking forward to helping drive value based marketing campaigns, LWT said.LWT acting board chair Andrea Kendrick said the appointments and the new shared services model with Destination Queenstown (where the two organisations will retain independent brands but collaborate on some functions) make it an exciting time for LWT.“We now have a very experienced, dedicated team with a wide range of complementary skills that will enable the regional tourism organisation to deliver on key objectives more effectively,” she said.Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) is a regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) responsible for destination marketing and destination management. Read more: Regional tourism organisations join forcesPHOTO: Chris Searl

Members of the public are being asked for information following the vandalising of a range of signs along Ardmore Street during the weekend.Overnight on Saturday (August 10) a number of Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) managed road signs were uprooted and damaged on the lakefront section of Ardmore Street.A QLDC spokesperson told the Wānaka App that council roading contractors were aware of the damage and were working to inspect and reinstate the signs as soon as possible. “We’re not yet able to confirm the exact number of signs affected,” the spokesperson said.Police say damage to road signs is “particularly concerning”.“Any further investigation into the vandalism would begin with council officers raising the matter with NZ Police. We’ll be gathering more information before we consider next steps.”A police spokesperson told the Wānaka App that police were not “immediately aware of any reports relating to wilful damage to road signs” in Wānaka.“Theft or damage to road signs is particularly concerning, given the risk it poses to road users,” the police spokesperson said.“If anyone has any information regarding the damage of road signs in Wānaka, please contact police on 105.”PHOTOS: Wānaka App

The cash-strapped Department of Conservation (DOC) is undertaking a review of its property portfolio in the Central Otago district, which stretches from Makarora to Ranfurly.DOC South Island operations director Aaron Fleming told the Wānaka App the review was taking place “to future-proof our operations for the future”.It includes investigating the feasibility of a new site in Cromwell, he said.Aaron did not specify what the review could mean for DOC offices, including the base in Wānaka.“There is a possibility some roles may be relocated as part of this, however a process would need to be run with our staff before any decisions are made.”DOC manages and maintains assets across Central Otago, as well as undertaking biodiversity, predator control, community work and concessions authorisations.DOC’s briefing to incoming conservation minister Tama Potaka at the beginning of this year advised that the department manages more assets than it can afford to maintain in the long term.DOC proposed a range of funding scenarios to the incoming government for “a more sustainable activity and asset base”, and said the government would need to consider the costs and benefits of growing versus maintaining or reducing conservation assets and services.Read more: DOC dilemma: locals frustrated, tourists ‘laughing at us’PHOTO: Wānaka App

Council staff are working through more than 340 submissions on McDonald’s application to open a restaurant and drive-through on the outskirts of Wānaka.Residents both for and against the divisive proposal had one month to make a public submission on the application before they closed last Friday (August 9).A Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) spokesperson told the Wānaka App there was a fairly long series of steps the council must now go through before any decision is made.For now, QLDC “can’t confirm a specific date on any decision”, he said.It is likely there will be a hearing on the McDonald’s application, the spokesperson said, so the next steps for the council include preparing a report which will summarise “the submissions received, the proposal, an assessment of the effects and the relevant objectives and policies of the district plan”.From there, QLDC will set the hearing date, appoint independent commissioners and hold the hearing.A final decision won’t be made until after post-hearing deliberations by the commissioners.McDonald’s Restaurants NZ’s application proposes a 445m2 restaurant at its 0.3 hectare, rural-zoned site at 237 Wānaka-Luggate Highway (just off the SH6/SH84 roundabout).News of the company’s plan for a Wānaka restaurant, which application documents say would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, became public in November 2023.The plan has attracted significant public attention and thousands of people signed an online petition opposing it.But the number of people who made formal submissions on the application process, at 342, was “high, but not atypical”, the QLDC spokesperson said.Public submissions have shown a wide variety of opinions on the proposal.Go deeper: Maccas: ‘Spoiling the community’, ‘providing opportunities’All submissions are publicly available here.IMAGE: QLDC

Former Te Kura O Tititea Mount Aspiring College student Ellesse Andrews has bagged her third medal of the Paris Olympics - a gold in the women's sprint cycling, her 'bonus' event.It was Ellesses' second gold medal of the Games and New Zealand's 10th.The 24-year-old said she felt like she was "living in a dream" following her gold medal ride, and was "so proud" of what she had achieved.Ellesse faced off against German rider Lea Friedrich in the medal races late Sunday night NZT after twice beating Great Britain's Emma Finucane - the reigning world champion - in the semifinals.Lea and Ellesse were closely matched. The German set a new world record of 10.029 seconds for the 200m flying lap during sprint qualifiers on Friday, while Ellesse was not far behind, with 10.108 seconds.The gold medal race was a best-of-three format. Ellesse took the lead in the first race and never relinquished it, slicing home to beat Lea by 0.095 seconds.She then started her second medal race sitting behind Lea, but raised the pace with two laps to go and blasted past the German for the win.Going into the sprints, Ellesse already held two medals from the Paris Games - a silver in the women's team sprint relay and a gold in the women's keirin.Getting through to the gold medal race was a huge result for Ellesse. Speaking earlier in the week, her coach and father Jon said the sprint was considered her "work-on" event for the Olympics."Ellesse is a really determined athlete, so she'll want to do well in the sprints. She's not quite as strong in the sprints," he said."She's still learning a lot in that space, and she loves the kierin. Like she actually loves the chaos of the kierin, which is kind of crazy because if you got two riders on the track, it's a lot simpler in terms of execution, but Ellesse finds that harder."Andrews celebrates her win alongside team-mate Ally Wollaston, left, who won bronze in the women's omnium. PHOTO: AFP/Emmanuel DunandEllesse said it had been a "massive week" at the Olympics."I'm just so proud of how I've managed to carry myself to the end of the competition."She said Lea was an "amazing" opponent."I'm just telling myself, 'It's just one more race and leave it out on the track'. I wanted to finish that race knowing I had absolutely emptied the tank, which I did."Ellesse has been sprinting since she was 19, and riding a track bike since she was 13 or 14."It's been a 10-year dream to be here and not one that I always thought was possible."In your younger years, you never know where you're going to end up in your career - but I really started chasing that, probably around 16 years old, and here we are today."She said it was a "real surprise" to end up in the medal race for the sprints, as it was not her strongest discipline."I do enjoy this event, but it is really tough. It is over three days and then having raced the keirin beforehand, a few little restless nights of sleep it is really tough to come out and perform mentally and physically."She said she "never would have expected" to win three medals - two of them gold - in Paris."It's very overwhelming, but I'm very proud to have walked away with such results."Shortly after Ellesse won gold, fellow cyclist Ally Wollaston claimed the bronze in the women's omnium - the final event of the Paris Games.

An organisation advocating for local sports groups has asked Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) to bring forward funding for sports fields on Ballantyne Road.Three years ago QLDC signalled that 20-or-so hectares of public land at 101 Ballantyne Road would become a multi-use green space which could accommodate a range of sports.However, under the draft LTP there is no funding for the project until the 2029/2030 financial year. That funding would go towards remediation works at the site (former oxidation ponds) and more funding to develop the sports hub would come in the three years following.Sport Otago says local sports groups cannot wait that long.The 20-hectare site off Ballantyne Road earmarked for a sports hub.“It is imperative that finances be made available now for this work to commence as soon as possible,” Sport Otago said in its submission on the draft LTP.Local groups have been calling for more sports fields to address field shortages in Wānaka for some time - particularly for football, rugby, cricket, and hockey.Last year QLDC sport and recreation manager Simmon Battrick said a shortage of sports fields was “one of our biggest issues…particularly in the Upper Clutha.”In its submission Sport Otago said new fields at the Ballantyne Road site should be “quality sand fields” so they can handle high usage given the “high demand”.“The lack of ancillary facilities…must also be addressed. Changing rooms, referee and medical rooms, and toilet facilities are important to a functioning sports community.” The draft LTP features a significantly scaled-back capital expenditure programme because of a high rates increase proposal (an average 15.6 percent rates increase), the result of high inflation and interest rates, government compliance costs and other things outside the control of the council, QLDC says.Despite this, the council has presented an option to bring forward investment in community and sporting facilities that included some new sports fields for Wānaka (as well as potential sports fields at 516 Ladies Mile, near Queenstown, and clean energy upgrades at aquatic facilities) which could change the balance.Submissions on the draft LTP closed on July 28 and the council is now considering the more than 900 submissions it received, a QLDC spokesperson told the Wānaka App.“These covered a huge range of topics including Wānaka sports fields in general and the Ballantyne Road site in particular.”The final LTP - including the council’s decision on Wānaka sports fields funding allocations - will be made public after it is presented to councillors for adoption on September 19.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Students and teachers from four local primary schools took to the stage at the Lake Wānaka Centre last week (August 7-8) for the Upper Clutha Children’s Music Festival.The usually biannual festival was last staged in 2018, prior to the Covid-19 pandemicStudents from Wānaka Primary School, Te Kura O Take Kārara, Holy Family School, and Hāwea Flat School performed a range of songs, conducted by Wānaka Primary School principal Wendy Bamford.The songs were organised into three brackets, with the overall theme ‘we are superheroes’, and every child wore a cape and mask.Wendy conducting the students.It was Wendy’s last time holding the conductor’s baton, as she plans to retire at the end of this year.She told the Wānaka App she made sure she “really enjoyed this one”, which she did because “the children and teachers I worked with from the four Upper Clutha primary schools were amazing”.Wendy said the lead teachers from each school work with her to select songs around a theme and these are taught in school for a term.  “All of the schools work first with their own choirs and then I join the choirs together for three to four massed choir practices and then we stage it.”More than 100 local children took part, with many teachers from each school helping. The band comprised children from all four schools, led by local music teachers Pete Stevenson and Helen Carter.“We had two brilliant evenings with a full house on both nights,” Holy Family School teacher Janis Sandri told the Wānaka App.Janis said it was a special event with it being Wendy’s last music festival.“She has been the driving force behind the event and past events,” Janis added.The Rotary Club of Wānaka provided funding for the tiered scaffolding used on stage.PHOTOS: Janis Sandri

Former prime minister and Snow Farm patron Helen Clark is set to officially open the Nordic ski area’s recently completed base building later this month. The occasion marks a significant milestone for Snow Farm – the only public, not-for-profit, charitable ski facility in the region – and follows a record-breaking July, with the ski area hosting thousands of skiers over the school holiday period.   Snow Farm general manager Sam Lee says the new 180sqm base building is a welcome addition, and he is looking forward to celebrating the ski area’s latest achievement with Helen. The former PM, an avid cross-country skier, also opened the Snow Farm’s Musterer’s Hut in 2022.    Sam said a huge number of people have contributed to the new base building, which is a ‘central hub’ for Snow Farm operations containing space for rentals, ticketing guest services, a small food and beverage operation and a staffroom.  Construction took place between last December and mid-June.Construction of the base building began in December 2023 and was signed off on June 20, 2024.The overall project cost $750,000 and represents an amalgamation of donations from Otago Community Trust, Central Lakes Trust and private donors.  “It has been a collaborative effort with the community over the past two years to raise the funds needed to build this new facility, with many people pitching in,” Sam said.  “The opening ceremony allows us to take a moment to acknowledge the generous contributions and celebrate the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to make this possible.”  The new base building is stage one of a five-year project for Snow Farm.   “With the initial building infrastructure now in place, we look forward to collaborating with council to provide additional amenities such as publicly accessible toilets – a vital community asset for the summer months when Snow Farm is closed – and when the Waiorau Reserve huts and trails are still accessible to hikers,” Sam said.“Beyond that, we plan to extend the existing base building, to include educational spaces for the growing number of schools from around the South Island, which are travelling to Snow Farm for on-snow lessons and experiences.”  The formal opening will take place on Sunday August 25 at 12pm. Kai Tahu kaumatua Darren Rewi from Queenstown will begin the official proceedings with a mihi whakatau and karakia to bless the new building.  PHOTOS: Snow Farm

Challenge Wānaka has announced new courses for its middle-distance Wānaka Half race next year which will “maximise spectator opportunities”, organisers say.Starting at Pembroke Park, bikers will head towards Glendhu Bay on the Wānaka-Mt Aspiring Road, turning around at Parkins Bay and returning to town. The race will be completed in three laps - a total of 90 kilometres.Meanwhile the run course will feature a two-lap route from Pembroke Park along the lakefront to Eely Point and Bremner Bay and out to Beacon Point before returning to central Wānaka.“We believe the new bike and run courses for the 2025 Challenge Wanaka Half will enhance the event by maximising spectator opportunities while minimising costs and traffic impact in the wider Wānaka area,” Challenge Wānaka event director Jane Sharman said. “These thoughtfully designed routes aim to provide exciting and accessible viewing experiences for fans, allowing athletes to fully immerse themselves in the breathtaking scenery and minimal disruption to local traffic and residents.”She said the approach “reflects our commitment to delivering an event that benefits both participants and the community”.If Queenstown Lakes District Council approves the route, the bike course will be closed to general public traffic from 7.00am until 12.30pm on race day (February 15). Next year the triathlon festival will return to Pembroke Park in 2025 after four years at Glendhu Bay.The festival's schedule will run from February 13-15, with events for everyone from preschoolers through to elite athletes, culminating in the Challenge Wānaka Half.Entries for the 2025 Challenge Wānaka are open now.PHOTO: Lennon Bright Photography

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has appointed a new general manager of assurance, finance and risk.Katherine Harbrow will start in the role on August 12, succeeding long-standing council manager Stewart Burns who is retiring after nearly 28 years’ service.QLDC chief executive Mike Theelen said there will be a comprehensive handover period of two to three months to ensure a smooth and informed transition. “Congratulations and a warm welcome to Katherine,” Mike said. “She’s an exceptional leader with proven local government experience who’ll be a great addition to our executive leadership team and council as a whole.”Katherine is a chartered accountant and holds an MBA from the University of Canterbury. She is joining QLDC from Te Pūkenga where she was the financial reporting and operations Director. Her previous roles include chief financial officer and director operations at Environment Canterbury, and finance business partner at Christchurch City Council. Katherine said she’s looking forward to building on her existing connections to the district. “I was born in Invercargill, had holidays in Frankton and Arrowtown, and met, got engaged and married my husband in Queenstown,” she said.“I have 28 years’ experience of leading teams and 11 years in local government. This has included leading or supporting four Long Term Plans, enhancing financial data accessibility, and working with the same core IT system used at QLDC.” Mike Theelen paid tribute to Stewart, who will retire later this year.Stewart Burns“On behalf of everyone at council, I’d also like to say a huge thank you to Stew,” he said. The knowledge he has built up over nearly three decades here is unparalleled, and his sage guidance has steered us through both calm and, at times, choppy waters.”  “While he’ll be a tough act to follow, I’m delighted that he’s staying on until later this year to share his wisdom and give Katherine the best possible foundation on which to build her own approach.” PHOTOS: Supplied

Former Te Kura O Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student Ellesse Andrews has left the field in her wake to win gold in the women's keirin at the Paris Olympics.The 24-year-old dominated the six-woman final, proving untouchable over the closing lap as she added to the silver medal she won in the same event at the previous Games in Tokyo.She told Sky Sport she was honoured to become just the second New Zealand Olympic cycling gold medallist after Sarah Ulmer, who won the women's individual pursuit at the 2004 Athens Games."It will take a long time to process and a long time to sink in. Sarah Ulmer is an amazing bike rider, she's an amazing person so to be beside her is incredible," Andrews said."I think it's surreal. I tend to take a while to let things soak in, so right now it's just surreal."I'm very sore, I'm very hot and I'm very puffed."Ellesse Andrews celebrates her gold medal victory in the women's keirin. PHOTO: Sebastien Bozon/AFPAfter advancing through the semi-finals, Ellesse stayed as calm as possible in the lead-up to the final and on the start line."I like to try to not get myself too overwhelmed, or too over-worked, before the race."I was just thinking about the simple things and for me it was just another round - and I just needed to qualify, hopefully first this time!"And I managed to cross the line first."Ellesse hit the front on the penultimate lap and, despite the challengers lining up behind her, she could not be caught, winning by 0.062 seconds from Dutch rider Hetty van de Wouw. Great Britain's Emma Finucane took bronze.Andrews said her plan to hold the lead going into the final lap worked."On a track like this, it's great to be in number one coming into the bell."I remember seeing Finucane right on my hip, coming into the bell, and I knew I just needed to accelerate and keep going."She said having her father Jon Andrews - a former New Zealand track cycling representative - as her coach made victory all the more sweet."I think that's special. Most of the time your parents are on the other side of the fence, so to have one trackside, on this side of the fence with me, is pretty unusual I'd say for the sport, but very special."It was a second medal of the Games for Ellesse, who was part of the silver-medal winning team sprint on the opening night of track cycling competition in Versailles.It adds to a career tally that includes a world championship gold in Glasgow last year, along with a trio of golds on the track at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

The Wao Summit 2024 will offer attendees five days of inspiring workshops, masterclasses and kōrero, as well as a community festival.Taking place from October 29-November 2 in both Wānaka and Queenstown, this year’s summit will centre around the theme of ‘Better Together’, Wao Aotearoa director Monique Kelly said.“Better Together means we’re stepping up as a collective and putting resilience front and centre of the action, whether it be for climate, biodiversity, community, food or waste reduction.”The programme will ‘deep dive’ into topics including food resilience and food security, youth-focussed action, local biodiversity champions and the role businesses and the building industry can play in a regenerative future.Sessions will take place at a range of locations around the Upper Clutha. PHOTO: SuppliedSpeaking at the Wao Summit 2024 launch event at Rhyme X Reason on July 30, Monique said the summit is “first and foremost set up to cross-pollinate ideas”.“We're the kind of fire underneath people's bottoms, if you like, to get [people and businesses] going...” she said.“And we do this by bringing into the community experts, speakers, [and] people who maybe have a little bit more knowledge, to add to [questions around] how do we design, how do we build, and how do we navigate.”Like previous summits, the Wao Summit 2024 will feature “a lot of big picture thinking and workshops”, Monique said. PHOTO: SuppliedThere will be 44 individual sessions across the five-day summit.Events range from ‘Shifting Tides’, a lecture from Emeritus Professor Dr. Paul Spoonley on the change of demographics in New Zealand and the impact climate will have on where we live, to a ‘Climate Solutions Cafe’ designed to encourage open conversations about climate change.There’s also ‘The Better Building Day’, with a full day programme for building industry professionals focusing on innovative approaches to sustainable construction and design, and ‘Building Community Resilience’, a workshop where locals can learn from the Sustainable Hawke's Bay team about their experiences and actions following Cyclone Gabrielle.  Families may be interested in the ‘Festival of Nature’ - free for kids - which will feature live music, storytelling, films, interactive workshops and informative stands. View the full Wao Summit 2024 programme and book early bird tickets here.

Fish population densities in Otago's three largest lakes are relatively stable, new acoustic survey analysis suggests.Otago Fish & Game has completed analysis for acoustic surveys of lakes Wānaka, Hāwea, and Wakatipu, which rank in the top 10 most-fished lakes in the country.“Monitoring sports fish populations in big lakes is never easy,” Fish & Game officer Jayde Couper said. “These are big open spaces where fish can be widely dispersed.”Jayde said the latest acoustic monitoring used a highly sensitive ‘echo sounder’, following methods established by previous surveys led by NIWA in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2023.This graphic illustrates fish densities at each lake over time. (The survey is not designed to compare lakes, which would require randomised surveying.) IMAGE: Otago Fish & GameIn the latest analysis, Lakes Hāwea and Wakatipu showed a small decrease from last year's fish density count, while Lake Wānaka increased on a low count last year.A Fish & Game boat navigated precisely determined routes at various sections of the lakes to scan for fish at between three and 30 metres of depth.“While it's not possible to survey the entirety of each lake, previous studies have shown the areas that hold the most fish and by repeating these areas over time, we can get a picture of how lake populations are trending,” Jayde said."Fish were found mostly near the lake bottom, similar to that observed last year. That makes sense because it’s generally where the food is.”Fish densities were relatively stable across the five surveys covering 17 years.According to the most recent national angling survey, the three big lakes make up more than 30 percent of angling in the Otago region.A follow-up survey is planned for this summer to determine annual fluctuations and to build the long-term dataset to support management of the fishery.This was the first survey conducted by Fish & Game staff and it followed extensive training by expert scientists at NIWA, Jayde said.

Wānaka’s after-hours health service will be located at the Enliven Care Centre on Cardrona Valley Road, it was announced this afternoon (Thursday August 8).Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora and Central Otago Health Services Limited (COHSL) said the service will include two clinic rooms in a “secure facility” with accessible car parking.“The location is an ideal choice with other clinical staff in close proximity in the event of an emergency,” the joint statement said.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.“Recruitment for the clinical nurse specialist roles is going well, and we are on track for a September opening date,” COHSL chief executive Hayley Anderson said today.Remote telehealth support will be provided by the Dunstan Hospital overnight senior doctor, she said. During his announcement in June Dr Shane Reti acknowledged the after hours service was “a starting point”.A more “focused discussion” on infrastructure for this area would not happen until early 2025, he said. Health New Zealand Te Waipounamu system integration group manager Cathy O’Malley said she was “pleased to see planning on this important service progressing well”.“This interim solution will assist with accessible urgent care while we work to define the broader models of care to be provided in the long-term, across the region,” she said. Community-led advocacy group Health Action Wānaka has said it is encouraged by the announcement of the “stop gap” after hours service but says it will continue to advocate for a “sustainable after-hours service, such as a publicly funded emergency department”.Further details on the nurse-led after hours service, including the opening date, fee structure and operating model will be shared in the coming weeks, the statement said.See also: Health services to wait for infrastructure & investment planPHOTO: Supplied

Readership of the Wānaka App hit an all-time high in July (2024) setting a new benchmark for reader engagement with the Upper Clutha’s local news and information publisher.The number of unique readers in the month was the second highest recorded in the App’s eight-year history at 34,269, and their engagement was the highest ever recorded with 169,600 reader sessions and more than one million page views.“Readership was extraordinarily high in July driven by news, road reports and snow reports,” Wānaka App managing director Tony O’Regan said.“The number of reader sessions surpassed anything we’d seen before with around 5,500 per day, and it is the first time we’ve recorded more than one million page views in a month.”Tony said readership of the Wānaka App continues to grow, recording seven percent growth in readership, 16 percent growth in reader sessions and 12 percent growth in page views over the past 12 months.“A lot of credit goes to our editorial team of Sue Wards, Maddy Harker and Diana Cocks, along with our podcast host Brent Harbour,” Tony said.“They consistently deliver accurate, balanced, and timely local news and people really appreciate that.“The growth is really encouraging and we will continue to innovate to provide a quality local news service for the community.”The Wānaka App is a locally owned media business publishing local news and information to a mobile app, website, podcast, and weekly newsletter.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Fallout has continued over the placement of a new crossing and traffic lights on Ardmore Street, between the Ballantyne Road/SH84 intersection and the Caltex roundabout.The traffic lights are being installed to provide a safe crossing for school students as part of the Schools to Pools route connecting schools to the Wānaka Recreation Centre at Three Parks.Some locals raised concerns in June that the lights and traffic crossing - which are about 60m from the busy roundabout - are too close, questioning their practicality and safety. Now Queenstown Lakes District councillor Barry Bruce has spoken out about the location for the crossing.“I am immensely frustrated the crossing and lights have been installed without any consultation or sign off from elected members,” he told the Wānaka App. Elected representatives Barry Bruce and Quentin Smith. PHOTOS: Supplied, Wānaka App“Restricting right turning traffic into Ballantyne Road is problematic during peak periods and the potential for emergency vehicle thoroughfare delays does not seem to have been adequately addressed before this construction proceeded.”While Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) yesterday stated the council consulted with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) engineers and the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) on the new crossing and its location, Barry emphatically denied that.Barry added that he had met with a number of affected parties who were not consulted and received minimal communication regarding the roading changes.His preference is to reconsider other crossing alternatives with a view to removing the traffic lights, he said.Retired Auckland city traffic engineer Graham Dickson told the Wānaka App he was surprised the design was approved by QLDC and NZTA.He pointed out that the centre-to-centre distance between the roundabout and the Ballantyne Road intersection is only 90m, while the between-the-intersection limits is only around 60m, “which will lead to queue lengths of about two cars before the adjoining intersection are blocked with resultant congestion”. Graham was also concerned that there will be three different types of intersection control: signals, a T intersection, and a roundabout. “Roundabouts work with continuous flows, signals give tight platoons. These can be incompatible,” he said.NZTA, QLDC anticipated ‘negative impacts’Documents and correspondence obtained by the Wānaka App via a Local Government Official Information Act (LGOIMA) request shows that QLDC and NZTA debated the pros and cons of the chosen site.A feasibility report prepared by Stantec NZ for QLDC in June 2023 concluded that representatives from NZTA and QLDC agreed that “although there were likely to be some negative impacts on road user delays, the safety benefits to active travel path users of a [mid-block] signalised crossing would outweigh those impacts”. “The inclusion of a raised safety platform with the signals was considered desirable to help reduce speeds in the vicinity of the crossing and would be in line with Road to Zero recommended treatments,” the report said.“The workshop did then further discuss the position of the crossing point and it was agreed that two locations should be investigated further and a final assessment presented for agreement.” No further report was provided as part of the LGOIMA request.A Stantec transportation team leader advised NZTA in January this year that: “Yes there will be negative impacts with potential queuing through the roundabout but the chosen option is considered the best at this point in time, although not the ideal layout.”“The visibility from Ballantyne Rd intersection is good and speeds should be slow but there are still some risks there too. A safety system audit is also being completed so will cover any other major safety concerns with the design.”Council respondsDeputy mayor Quentin Smith told the Wānaka App this week the council was implementing a much-requested active transport network, which is being delivered “according [to] design guidelines and by qualified transport engineers”.In a statement put out by QLDC yesterday (Wednesday August 7), QLDC property and infrastructure general manager Tony Avery said the crossing point over SH84 was a critical part of creating a safe connection children could use to move between local schools and the Wānaka Recreation Centre. “These new traffic lights will provide children with a designated place to safely cross this busy State Highway, but we acknowledge they may create minor delays for vehicles at peak times around town,” he said. “I’d encourage all drivers to take a bit of extra care once these new pedestrian crossing lights are activated, especially at times when children are heading to and from school and while we all get used to this change near Wānaka’s town centre.”Crews are expected to test the signals next Monday (August 12), before they’re activated the following Monday around midday.Read more: Concerns raised about new traffic lights near roundabout