Commissioners have now been appointed for a hearing on the controversial Urban Intensification Variation (UIV).The panel will include Jane Taylor (chair), Ian Munro, and councillor Lyal Cocks, with the hearing expected to take place in 2025, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) said.The UIV proposes growth ‘out and up’ - increased building height and density - in locations around the district, including parts of Wānaka and Hāwea. The divisive proposal attracted more than 1,200 submissions during the initial feedback process.Read more: Strong opposition to urban intensification variationUnder the proposal, the regulations for Lower Density Suburban Residential (LDSR) zones would change to allow for building height up to 8m in most cases, and in Medium Density Residential (MDR) zones heights of 11m (+ 1m for pitched roofs).It would also allow for heights in the Wānaka CBD of 16.5m (up from 12m).The UIV is an outcome of the previous government’s 2020 national policy statement on urban development (NPS-UD), which directs councils around the country to remove some planning rules and plan for growth.The new government’s ‘Going for Growth’ housing plan proposal isn’t expected to have an impact on the UIV process, a spokesperson from the QLDC planning team said.“The intensification requirements for Tier 2 councils [which include Queenstown Lakes] remain the same, so there are no implications for the UIV,” the spokesperson said.The proposals under ‘Going for Growth’, which the National Party says will fix New Zealand’s housing crisis, include freeing up land for development, removing planning barriers, improving infrastructure funding and financing, and providing incentives for supporting growth.The QLDC spokesperson said consultation on the details of the proposals won’t happen until next year, but they have the potential to affect “future workstreams like District Plan work and/or QLDC’s Future Development Strategy/Spatial Plan work”.A date for the UIV hearing will be set in due course.Find detailed information on the proposed UIV and how it would work: Urban intensification: Growth ‘up and out’ proposedPHOTO: Supplied

The daytime closure of the Luggate Red Bridge will be extended by one week, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says.Work on the bridge, which includes maintenance and traffic signals, began in June and it was expected to include two weeks of daytime closures (9am-5pm) on weekdays during the school holidays.With more timber running boards on the bridge deck of the 100-year-old bridge needing to be replaced than originally estimated, the closures will now extend an additional week to July 26, NZTA Lower South Island system manager Robert Choveaux said.School buses and emergency vehicles will still be accommodated at short notice, NZTA said.The detour route for light vehicles.Road users who usually cross the bridge weekday daytime hours will need to continue to either take the detour routes listed below or travel outside of the closure times until after July 26.Light vehicles (cars and vans) can travel via Kane and Camphill Roads through Hāwea Flat. It will add 25-30 minutes to the journey. (Camphill Road Bridge on the detour route isn’t approved for HPMV or 50Max.) HPMV, 50MAX vehicles and HPMV Higher Mass permit holders can travel via Kane, Cemetery, Domain Roads and Capell Ave - SH6 via Albert Town to SH84. Overweight permit holders need to refer to their permit and confirm an alternate route according to their permit type or travel outside of the closure times.Aspiring Highways maintenance team maintains the state highways in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes District for NZTA. “We thank the travelling public and freight operators for their patience and understanding,” Robert said.The Luggate Red Bridge is a key link between Tarras, Cromwell, and Wānaka.PHOTO: Supplied

The Upper Clutha premier rugby team (the Rams) ran in nine tries in a one-sided semi-final clash against Maniototo in Wānaka on Saturday (July 13), securing a place in the final of the Central Otago Premier Rugby Competition with an emphatic 58-8 win.The Rams entertained a large crowd at the Upper Clutha Rugby Club displaying its exciting brand of running rugby in a high-quality performance.“I thought we played really well,” Rams’ head coach Alex Dickson said.“We want to play quick ruck speed, we can use our speed in our backs, that’s our game.”Alex said the death of Upper Clutha Rugby Club life member Colin Clark provided extra motivation leading into the match as did media reports the team had peaked too early.A minute's silence to remember Upper Clutha Rugby Club founding member Colin Clark preceded the match.The match was a foregone conclusion by half time with the Rams leading 25-3 and Maniototo receiving a red card to leave the side a man down for the second half.To Maniototo's credit they played with a fierce commitment, contributing to an entertaining match, but they met a side playing at its best.Rams’ No. 8 Jake Burtenshaw carried strongly as did lock Andrew Horne. The mobile Horne had an outstanding match and will be a critical ball carrier in this week's final.In the backs none were better than second-five Oliver Stirling, making a number of tackle busts and defending strongly. Left wing Tomas Jarman was elusive and bagged a hat-trick of tries.This week’s grand final (Saturday July 20) will see defending champions Alexandra play the Rams after they upset Wakatipu 24-21 in Queenstown. The match will be a repeat of last year’s grand final which the Rams lost 32-24.Rams’ supporters will be hoping its side can go one better this year.The final will be played at the Upper Clutha Rugby Club in Wānaka, 2.30pm kick off. Rams' Points: Tomas Jarman (3), Oliver Stirling (2), Eseroma Viba, Ben Mckeich, Milan Martinovich, Jake Burtenshaw.Conversions: Brady Kingan (5).Penalty: Brady Kingan.PHOTOS: Steve McArthur

A local organisation is planning to build a musical playground in Wānaka. Wānaka Musicians Society chair Janet Dolan said the playground “will consist of specially designed outdoor musical instruments which can be played individually or together”.Musical playgrounds, which are popular overseas, are generally located in public spaces like parks and are designed to encourage greater involvement in music-making and musical experiences in young people.Janet said some musical playgrounds are designed to cater specifically to very young children but it “depends on the instruments you put in”.The society hopes to create a musical playground which will appeal to a wide range of ages.The Wānaka Musicians Society has been operating for more than 30 years and it is behind the annual Stars in Your Eyes event.Money raised from Stars in Your Eyes will help to fund the project, Janet said.“We have already allocated $20,000 from our savings and we hope to commit a further $20,000 from this year’s show profits,” she said.As for the location of the musical playground, Janet said the society is open to ideas. “We don’t have a space in mind. Someone had suggested Lismore Park, another Eely Point.“It really just depends on what fits in with the community plan…as long as it’s accessible for the community.”She said the size and range of instruments in the playground would depend on the space allocated for it.Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) chair Simon Telfer and member Chris Hadfield have agreed to work with the society to help identify a suitable location.PHOTO: Supplied

The Connecting Communities Fund was “inspiring, moving and meaningful”, an independent report has found.The fund supported 556 not-for-profit groups across Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago between November 2021 and its final round this May.Each of the eight funding rounds provided successful applicants with up to $1,000 to go towards community-led wellbeing activities which encouraged people to connect, look after themselves and each other, and have fun.They included a huge range of local events and initiatives from Community Link’s WanaSoup to youth-led weekly pickleball sessions, ‘Make it M!NT’ upcycling workshops for people with intellectual disabilities to a pride flag mural at Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College, among many others.“The highly visible initiative…extended the reach of mental wellbeing activities across the communities,” report author Dr Delwyn Goodrick said.Delwyn, a psychologist who has been working as an academic and evaluation practitioner for the past 25 years, praised Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group, which delivered Connecting Communities.“Being rural and heavily reliant on tourism, Southern Lakes communities were hit particularly hard by Covid-19 and Te Hau Toka’s work has been important in supporting recovery,” he said.“Community ownership and participation have been key and the programme has demonstrated the power of collective action. Health promotion initiatives were undertaken with, and by the community, to strengthen mental wellbeing. Actions were informed by evidence. “The range of initiatives and groups supported ensured that mental wellbeing messages reached far and wide across communities.”Connecting Communities was supported by the government’s Tourism Communities: Support, Recovery and Re-set Plan until funding ended in May.Te Hau Toka chair Adell Cox welcomed the report and said she was “humbled by what’s been collectively achieved”. “It shows that building community capacity and resilience by giving people the tools, education and support to look after themselves – and others – is critically important in helping them recover from adversity.”She said the lessons learned would help shape future programmes to respond to emergencies or unanticipated events.A total of $504,000 was allocated across the duration of the Connecting Communities Fund.PHOTO: Supplied

Four senior netball players from Te Kura o Tititea Mt Aspiring College (MAC) are on their way to the Netball NZ U18 National Championships in Dunedin this weekend - the culmination of years of training and commitment.MAC year 13 players Sophie Walsh, Millie East and Coco Bentley and year 12 player Ella Asberg are members of the Central Lakes Under 18 representative team that will be attending the tournament, along with three players from Dunstan High School, three from Cromwell College, and two from Wakatipu High School.“The girls have been building towards this for the last few years in their senior A environment,” Central Lakes Under 18 co-coach Megan Anderson told the Wānaka App.The national tournament is “the perfect environment” to showcase Central Otago talent, she added.The dedicated team has formed “strong bonds”, says co-coach Megan Anderson.The under 18 environment is “where the Silver Ferns are selected”, she said, and there will be people there who are involved in the National Netball League (for players over 18). Megan said there will also be selectors at the tournament looking for players for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team.At the most recent tournament in Eastern Southland the Central Lakes team won all its games.“From the dedication and intensity at practices and pre-national tournaments the girls are coming together really well,” Megan said. “There are some strong bonds forming.”MAC players Sophie Walsh (GA) shooting for goal, Ella Asberg (WA), and Millie East (Centre).“I’m pretty happy with how we’re tracking.”She said there are challenges for rural teams, not the least being bringing together players from such a wide region.“The biggest challenge is helping to form those connections within the team so that it’s seamless on court… But they’ve all been dedicated to making that work.”This is the second year the Central Lakes team has been selected from across the Upper Clutha, Central Otago, and Wakatipu.Megan said being selected to the team was an achievement, and the new, wider region means strong teams are being put forward for tournaments.The Netball NZ U18 National Championships will take place from July 15-17 at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin.PHOTOS: Prue Walsh

Southern Police are urging drivers setting out on their daily commute to drive with caution on this frosty morning.With temperatures below freezing, multiple roads are reported to be icy, with patches of black ice.There is also a mixture of clear skies and thick fog across the district, and motorists should take the weather into account and drive to the conditions.The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) issued a road ice warning for the Hāwea area earlier this (July 12) morning.Police said the important thing is to slow down and be on the lookout for ice, fog or excess grit on the roads.If a patch of road looks wet, assume it’s black ice; let your car slow down on its own, and brake gently before you get to a curve.There is also freezing fog around Alexandra through to Cromwell, Upper Clutha and Tarras.This is when tiny, supercooled liquid water droplets in fog freeze instantly on exposed surfaces when surface temperatures are at or below freezing.Please drive with caution and do not take unnecessary risks.

Community board members have encouraged council staff to stick with the status quo for most rules governing the use of local lakes and rivers. Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) staff shared progress on a review of the Navigation Safety Bylaw 2018  - which will go out to the public for feedback once completed - at yesterday’s (Thursday July 11) Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) meeting.Potential changes such as reducing the number of ski lanes on Lake Wānaka and adding vessel identification requirements got the thumbs down from the board members.There was mixed support for the possibility of new vessel passage lanes under the Albert Town bridge to reduce the risk of a collision between vessels and bridge jumpers.QLDC staff are revisiting the bylaw because it must be reviewed every five years.“I don’t think there are significant problems with the existing bylaw,” deputy mayor Quentin Smith said. “I don’t think we need to be making big changes.”There was some discussion about amending life jacket rules which Quentin noted could “open a can of worms”.So could removing ski lanes at Roy’s Bay and Eely Point, which councillor Cody Tucker said would get “a lot of pushback”.Cody also opposed the possibility of giving the harbourmaster discretion over approving events on the water.QLDC staff will take the WUCCB’s input into consideration as they continue the bylaw review process.The council intends to present a draft bylaw to councillors in mid-September.PHOTO: James Brewer

A mentoring programme designed to strengthen good governance in the community sector is returning for a third year and Upper Clutha organisations are being encouraged to take part.The Leadership in Governance Mentoring Programme matches a mentee with a mentor who has strong not-for-profit governance experience to learn from them for six months.This year all mentees and mentors will be supported by programme coordinator Fiona Reeve from ‘Huddl’, which is an initiative to strengthen community groups.“Volunteer South have done an amazing job of delivering the governance mentoring programme for the last two years and I’m looking forward to continuing to support mentors and mentees in their governance journey with this year’s cohort,” Fiona said.The programme is being offered across Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago, and Wānaka organisations and individuals can again take advantage of the programme as mentors or mentees.“In previous years we have had strong involvement from the Wānaka community with many Wānaka based mentors and mentees,” Fiona told the Wānaka App.“This has included mentors with extensive governance experience from organisations such as WAI Wānaka, Wānaka Water Project, Business Wānaka Ltd, WHIPIT and a board member from the Wānaka Chamber of Commerce. “Last year we had mentees from Cat Rescue Wānaka, Wānaka Search and Rescue, Food for Love Wānaka, WAO, Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust, [and] Generation Zero.”Fiona said the programme, which is being delivered in partnership with the Mentoring Foundation of New Zealand, offers an opportunity for mentees and mentors to access a mentoring model that provides ongoing support and advice to help leaders in their personal development.“It’s also a fantastic way to foster connections with other leaders in the sector,” she said.The programme will start in August and run through until April 2025. Registrations are open until July 24, after which applicants will be shortlisted and interviewed, with the final cohort to be confirmed for an orientation at the end of August.For more information or to register contact Fiona Reeve on [email protected]: Supplied

‘Hurricane Hāwea’ might have sent many anglers scurrying for shore last fishing season but it hardly put a dent in hourly catch rates.Anglers on Lake Hāwea were often beleaguered by strong wind conditions during the 2023-24 fishing season, Otago Fish & Game officer Ben Sowry said.“The high mountains are notorious for tunnelling the wind down this lake, earning it the nickname Hurricane Hāwea,” Ben said.Fish & Game interviewed anglers on the lake for the second season of a three-year survey period.Lake Hāwea anglers caught on average one fish for three hours of angling, an almost identical effort to the previous season’s catch rate.“Usually, the main catches have been from boats trolling lures, but with the rough conditions, more anglers were casting from the shore this season,” Ben said.“It’s interesting to see that the hourly catch rate is almost the same, despite the swing towards land-based fishing.”Spin anglers fishing from shore caught just as many fish by percentage compared with boat trollers.Lake Hāwea, which is open to fishing all year, has the highest catch rate of the three biggest southern lakes in Otago.Rangers encountered no anglers on 16 out of 36 randomised survey days, often due to high winds, Ben said.Spin fishing (38.3 percent) was more popular than the previous season but boat trolling (47.5 percent) still remained the most popular fishing method overall. Fly fishing comprised 14.2 percent of the angling effort.Rainbow trout were the main catch, followed by brown trout and then salmon. Salmon catches were highest during November 2023, compared with December having the highest salmon numbers in 2022.“Hāwea is a great option for those wanting to catch a fish for the table. The brown and rainbow trout, as well as the abundant land-locked chinook salmon, make amazing table fare when caught from this crystal-clear water,” Ben said.The Neck and the western shoreline alongside State Highway 6 were the most popular angling areas where fish were commonly caught. Some angling effort was focussed off the Timaru and Dingle Burn stream mouths when weather conditions allowed.

The new chair of Wānaka Search and Rescue (SAR) says the outgoing chair has left the organisation well prepared for the future.Raewyn Calhaem has stepped into the chair role this week, replacing Bill Day, who spent around five years as chair, first until the end of 2022, and more recently coming back at short notice after his successor Aaron Nicholson had to leave due to illness.“Bill was a visionary, an ideas man and a safe pair of hands,” Raewyn told the Wānaka App.“He has left the group in an exceptional position.”Raewyn said she was also happy to report that Aaron was now back on board, serving as the incident management team coordinator on the SAR committee. Wānaka SAR members, pictured during a training exercise, are “exceptionally skilled”, Raewyn said. PHOTO: Geoff MarksWānaka SAR is one of the busiest SARs in the country and it is entirely volunteer-run.Its specialist teams - comprising bush, river, marine and alpine - undertake search and rescue operations in Mt Aspiring National Park and the Wānaka Lakes area.There are approximately 90 Wānaka SAR members and 70 active members at any given time.Raewyn has five years experience on the Wānaka SAR committee and she said the members were “exceptionally skilled” at what they do.In the past 12 months search and rescue call-out numbers reached pre-Covid levels again for the first time, she said.Wānaka SAR members’ efforts were highlighted at the annual AGM and awards event on Tuesday night (July 9).Raewyn said SAR members are recognised with awards in five year increments and on Tuesday “there were a number of people who received awards for 20 years of service”.“That shows what a great group it is and how good the culture is.” She also thanked Wānaka Police for the “fantastic teamwork” between the two.Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts attended the AGM, which celebrated the “great work” Wānaka SAR does in the community.“To all the members who received certificates last night, a big thank you from Police for your efforts and contributions spanning many years,” she said.Fi gave a special mention to Wānaka Police Senior Constable Phil Vink, who was presented with a 10-year appreciation certificate for his services to Wānaka SAR.She also thanked both Bill and Raewyn.“Thank you Bill for all that you do. You are an infectiously positive man who is so well thought of by the group,” she said. “We are very much looking forward to working with the new chair Raewyn Calhaem and continuing our great relationship.”Learn more about Wānaka SAR here.PHOTOS: Supplied

Wānaka police have had a busy week, which included responding to a fatal accident on Anderson Road on Saturday afternoon (July 6).  Police are still appealing to anyone who might have witnessed the crash, in which a 25-year-old tourist from Japan was killed, or who might have dashcam footage. If you can help, please get in touch on 105 or online and reference file number 240706/6871Read more: ‘Heavy reminder about road safety’: Police respond to fatal accidentTwo children went missing in this first week of school holidays.Police were called to Hāwea on Friday night (July 5) to help locate a young male who ran away from home, Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts said.“Concerns for his safety were front of mind, freezing temperatures, locating him quickly was a priority for the team,” she said. The Wānaka SAR dog team was deployed to assist in locating him, and Fi thanked search dog Lochy, “who has been a great asset to our local LandSAR team”.“It’s really good to have Lochy and Dave [Krehic] adding capability to our response,” she said.Read more: Wilderness rescue dog Lochy lends a pawOn Monday afternoon police responded to a missing 12-year-old, a visitor to the area, on Mt Iron.Both children were found safe and well.Family harmA Hāwea man was arrested on five breaches of a protection order, and is on bail to appear in the Queenstown District Court in August.Thief detained at Auckland AirportA French tourist who had been visiting Wānaka is being investigated for 14 counts of theft by a person in a special relationship and one count of shoplifting.Thanks to the retail crime intelligence platform Auror, the man was apprehended as he tried to leave the country in Auckland. “He has now settled his debt,” Fi said, adding that the apprehension was thanks to “really good work by the team”.Operation Hannah coming to skifieldsPolice will be at local skifields over the coming months making sure vehicles and drivers are safe to be on the roads.Operation Hannah is a multi-site operation targeting vehicles in and around ski fields including passenger services vehicles, the Impairment Prevention Team, and the Commercial Vehicle Unit. Eleven-year-old Hannah Francis was killed when a bus carrying 31 passengers crashed near Tūroa ski field in 2018. NZ Police were given permission from the Francis and Bruton families to undertake this operation in Hannah’s name.“Our local team will focus on improving both vehicle safety and work-related road safety through road safety prevention, compliance and education,” Fi said.“We want everyone to be able to experience and enjoy New Zealand’s great outdoors, more importantly, we want everyone travelling on our roads to do so safely.”Road policingThere were lots of reports of black ice across the area on Saturday (July 6) which resulted in three vehicle crashes on Maungawera Hill SH6 between Albert Town and Wānaka. “In a separate incident a vehicle rollover was responded to on Kane Road Hāwea,” Fi said.She said there have been many vehicle related incidents over the last week, and advised people to be aware of the extra hazards on the road (including sunstrike, ice, rain, and snow) at this time of year.“Be cautious,” she said.“It is even more important to watch your speed and drive to the conditions. Carry chains all winter and know when and how to fit them. Especially if you’re driving over the Crown Range Road - you will need them.”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.

Forty-five people took part in M!NT Charitable Trust’s first ever winter ball on Saturday (July 6).The long-running local charity supports individuals with intellectual disabilities and the ball was inspired by similar events in other parts of New Zealand, M!NT programme manager Charlotte Jackson said.“The aim of the event was to provide an opportunity for individuals with intellectual disabilities to experience a fun, formal evening, as well as to forge new social connections and strengthen existing ones,” she said.Social events can often be overwhelming for individuals with intellectual disabilities, she said.Emma Pearce and Scott WelchTo manage this, attendees were familiarised with the space in advance, expectations were set, and attendees were provided with noise cancelling headphones and a quiet space if required. “This allowed attendees to feel confident, whether it was through meeting new people, dressing up for the evening or hitting the dance floor,” Charlotte said.Attendees ranged in age from eight to 60, and - as well as 30 M!NT members - attendees came from community groups in Alexandra, Arrowtown and Invercargill.Morgan JamesThe ball featured a local DJ, a photo booth and catering from Edgewater Hotel, which hosted the event, plus a team of 20-or-so local volunteers who supported the attendees throughout the evening. “It was heartwarming to see the support and dedication from the volunteers to make new initiatives like this happen,” Charlotte said. Charlotte said M!NT hopes to make the winter ball an annual event and plans to invite groups from other parts of New Zealand to join in the future.She thanked Edgewater Hotel and Te Hau Toka Connecting Communities for funding support, plus support workers and volunteers “who went above and beyond to make the night unforgettable”.PHOTOS: MINT Charitable Trust

Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts has responded to the fatal accident on Anderson Road on Saturday afternoon (July 6).Fi confirmed that the incident involved a car and a cyclist, rather than two vehicles (which police mistakenly reported on Saturday evening).A 25-year-old male tourist from Japan died at the scene.“Police are in the early phases of the investigation and we will be able to release further details when we are in a position to do so,” Fi said.“I’d personally like to acknowledge the civilian first responders who stopped to help and provide assistance and our emergency partners FENZ and St John for their efforts in the response.Senior Sergeant Fiona Roberts: Drivers should expect the unexpected. “Sadly, this is a heavy reminder to us all about road safety.”She said there are many things people can do as drivers and cyclists to keep safe on the roads. “We don’t need a tragic incident like this to underscore road safety. “You can prevent harm and injury by wearing a helmet, wearing protective and/or bright clothing. Use lights so you can be seen, lights improve your ability to see hazards and objects on the road including ice and debris at this time of year.”Fi said she thinks wearing earbuds is “unhelpful and clearly [doesn’t] improve your ability to hear a vehicle”.“Give yourself a chance,” she said.Fi also reminded drivers to “expect the unexpected”. “One of the most important things you can do to be a safer driver is to look well ahead of you when you’re driving, so you can pick up potentially dangerous situations before it’s too late. Never presume you know what a cyclist will do. Read the body language and act accordingly.“Slow down.”Police are appealing to anyone who might have witnessed Saturday’s crash, or who might have dashcam footage. If you can help, please get in touch on 105 or online using reference file number 240706/6871.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

The success of this year’s Warbirds Over Wānaka International Airshow has been recognised by the New Zealand Events Association (NZEA).Warbirds Over Wānaka has been named as a finalist in two categories for the NZEA’s annual awards.This year’s airshow was the first in six years after 2020 and 2022 were cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions. The event was a huge success with the Saturday and Sunday selling out, Warbirds over Wānaka event manager Andrena Davis said.  She said the display aircraft lineup was also one of the best in years and Central Otago turned on perfect weather.Andrena said she was “rapt” Warbirds was named as a finalist for the awards. “Winning two awards for our last airshow in 2018 was very special at the time. But to back that up with another two finalist nominations this time around is amazing,” she said.“This success is really for all those who make the airshow happen – from the aircraft owners, pilots and engineers to all our exhibitors, our organising team on the ground and the 270 amazing volunteers who helped us deliver this world-class event.”The winner of the award will be announced at a gala dinner in Palmerston North later in August.Andrena says the success of this year’s event has meant the organisation is in a strong position to already be planning for the next airshow at Easter 2026.  Tickets for the next airshow will go on sale on July 3, 2025.

The much anticipated annual Rotary Club of Wānaka book & jigsaw sale, which will feature thousands of second hand books, will take place this weekend for three days (from Friday July 12 to Sunday July 14).The book sale has traditionally attracted hundreds of people to the Lake Wānaka Centre in search of a great read at a bargain price. Rotary Club of Wānaka president Alan Richardson said the public response to donating books and jigsaws over the past few weeks has been wonderful.“We have had thousands of books and a lot of jigsaws dropped off at Mitre 10 MEGA,” Alan said.“The Rotary team are busy sorting them and preparing for the sale.”The books have been categorised to make browsing easy and are priced from $2. Some newer books and special interest books are a little more expensive.“It’s a big job to categorise and price but well worth it when we see the response and the funds we can raise for the community,” Alan said.All funds raised will go to help the Rotary Club of Wānaka support worthwhile projects and causes.The book sale will take place over three days at the Lake Wānaka Centre from July 12-14. Opening hours are 10am-4.30pm each day.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Locals will be able to have their say on McDonalds’ controversial bid for a Wānaka restaurant from this Friday (July 12). Plans for a Wānaka McDonald’s restaurant operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, were made public in November last year, to a divided reception from locals.On Friday the McDonald’s resource consent application will be publicly notified, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) confirmed today (Tuesday July 9).This means members of the public will have the opportunity to share their views on the proposal formally by making a submission with the council.More than 1,500 people signed the ‘Stop Wānaka McDonald’s’ petition within days of the company’s plans becoming public last year, and signatories have now increased to more than 5,500.The company submitted a resource consent application for a 445m2 restaurant and drive-through on Wānaka’s outskirts in November last year.Aspiring Law director Janice Hughes said a petition does not have any impact on a resource consent application, but it “might encourage people to put in a submission”.Petition creator Sarah Morrison told the Wānaka App she planned to make a public submission and encourage other signatories to do the same.She said McDonald’s goes against “all of our core community values”.“Wānaka tends to pride itself on being a health and wellness-centred place… Having fast food restaurants in town directly contradicts that,” she said. In its application McDonald’s Restaurants (NZ) Ltd said the proposed 445m2 restaurant and drive-through, which would be located just off the SH6/SH84 roundabout, would “give rise to significant positive effects”.They included “the development of a high-quality, architecturally-designed commercial building, which will be visually integrated within the environment” and “support for the local economy by enabling employment and increased spending in the area”.The company has volunteered that its application be publicly notified, QLDC said.All applicants will have to meet the information requirements of the Resource Management Act for lodging an application.More information on the application and details on how to make a submission will be available here from Friday.PHOTOS: Supplied

A project to understand optimal tourism visitation in the Queenstown Lakes region has launched.A team of researchers from Griffith University has been appointed to lead the project, which will seek to create an optimal visitation model to assist scenario planning and decision-making within the district, the Destination Southern Lakes (DSL) board has announced DSL (which is responsible for governance of the district’s destination management plan) has called the project a “world first”.DSL chair Murray Strong said understanding optimal visitation is “ground-breaking work”.“At present, there are no comprehensive models that can guide and establish variables in relation to the social, cultural, environmental and economic limits of visitation levels,” he said.Murray Strong says tourism visitation in the district needs to take into account residential growth, community sentiment, and other factors. PHOTO: Supplied“Queenstown Lakes is a high growth district with an economy that is dominated by tourism. With a small resident population and high visitor numbers, understanding the implications of visitation is essential for making good decisions and achieving positive outcomes to meet the needs of the community.”“Visitation in the district needs to be analysed in conjunction with residential growth, community sentiment, worker experience, visitor experience, seasonal changes, environmental degradation/regeneration and cultural context,” he said.Queenstown Lakes District Council has managed the procurement process on behalf of DSL, and it will be part of the steering group overseeing the project alongside Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism.Work on the project begins this month.While the model is being developed specifically for the Queenstown Lakes district, DSL hopes it will produce a prototype that can be shared with other destinations across New Zealand, and around the world, to support regenerative tourism ambition.Read more: Lessons from Queenstown’s sister city

Otago Regional Council (ORC) is asking community members to weigh in on a proposal to increase the number of councillors representing the Dunstan constituency to reflect population growth.The Dunstan constituency covers Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago, two of the fastest-growing parts of the region.ORC has 12 councillors, elected from four constituencies: Dunstan, Moeraki, Molyneux and Dunedin.Dunedin currently has the highest number of councillors with six, followed by Dunstan (three), Molyneux (two), and Moeraki (one).Otago Regional Council councillors.After launching an online survey earlier this year, the ORC is set to open submissions on its proposal to reduce Dunedin’s seats to five and boost Dunstan’s to four.Go deeper: Extra councillor proposed for growing districtA statement from the ORC noted the “significant growth” in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, which now has a population of close to 79,000 people.The allocation of councillor seats is being considered as part of a representation review, which the council must undertake every six years.In a representation review a council must review how communities are represented, considering the make-up of the council, looking at things like the number of constituencies (electoral areas) and their boundaries and the number of elected members (councillors) representing each constituency.Submissions on the representation proposal will open on July 10, and the public are invited to submit on the proposal and make any other suggestions they have about councillor numbers or ward boundaries.Find more information here.PHOTOS: Supplied