Increased access to healthcare services in the Upper Clutha may be a case of “jam tomorrow, but never today”, as Lewis Carroll once described a promise which cannot be fulfilled.The “proof of the pudding” of promised health care services is something locals can look forward to next year - perhaps, a senior Health NZ Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) manager told locals at a meeting in Wānaka on Tuesday (November 25).The meeting was for officials to share information about the current and future health needs of Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, along with an overview of health service planning currently underway. Despite there being 70 or so registrations for the event, only about 40 people turned up to the Lake Wānaka Centre to hear from the panel.Read more: Clinical services update coming to WānakaRachel Haggerty (HNZ director of funding hospitals, planning funding and outcomes) outlined the approach HNZ had taken to its clinical services review for the Central Lakes region, which includes Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes.“There’s no doubt that this area has grown faster than we have invested in it,” she said.HNZ is working from population modelling which suggests the Upper Clutha will have a population of 25,290 people by 2043, she said.HNZ proposes planning for more localised care, shifting care (such as IV treatment for some cancers) closer to home and into communities, and using digital technology to deliver care“Redefining the role” of hospitals is also part of the picture.HNZ’s Rachel Haggerty said progress on clinical planning in New Zealand has been “too slow”. “We can reduce 30,000 trips per year for personal health care” by delivering more ambulatory (outpatient) care locally, Rachel said.She said HNZ would like to bring specialist visits back to this area, improve access to obstetric care, and expand mental health services.After Rachel’s presentation people were invited to ask questions, and a resident of more than 20 years expressed her frustration.“We’ve got no outcomes, we’ve no actual decisions. I know you used a heap of words,” she said.Rachel acknowledged that progress on clinical planning in general has been “too slow”, and that locals may not believe in outcomes until they see them. “There’s been a lot of work done on growing services here… Next year will be the proof in the pudding.”She said the review represented a rare opportunity to “build a health service” for the area, at the invitation of a health minister who wants to see progress made.She said the HNZ would deliver its findings to minister of health Simeon Brown next month, giving him the opportunity to consider over the summer.Panel member and WellSouth CEO Andrew Swansons-Dobbs, who said the primary care network has been working closely with HNZ during the review, also told the audience he was “looking forward to the pudding next year as well”.Health advocacy group Health Action Wānaka (HAW) told the Wānaka App after the meeting the group was pleased to see HNZ has taken “a data-driven approach”. “Their focus on local provision of ambulatory care, an increase in maternity and mental health and addiction support services, and their prioritising of services for older and frail people and also urgent care, are all promising signs,” a HAW spokesperson said.The potential for public investment in new health infrastructure and the role of existing health infrastructure was not mentioned, and HNZ did not provide information about their recommended solutions, she noted.“So, it's hard to say at this stage how much access to healthcare will increase for residents of the Upper Clutha. It's in the hands of the minister of health who will decide what investment of public funds will be allocated to our community and the broader region.”IMAGES: Supplied

The Wānaka Golf Club (WGC) has struck a deal with a Wānaka developer which will compensate it for the loss of a strategic shelterbelt.Trees along the 17th and 18th hole boundary of the golf course will be removed, following a protracted negotiation between the club and local developer Allan Dippie.The decision follows six years of board consideration and negotiations with Allan’s company Three Parks Properties Limited (TPPL), after Allan asked for removal of the trees, which block sun and views from his residential area under development.The agreement will see approximately 650 wilding conifers removed from the 750-metre boundary line.In return, TPPL will cover all costs for removal, landscaping redesign, rabbit-proof fencing, replanting two trees for every one removed, including re-landscaping and maintaining the new boundary plantings, plus irrigation, the WGC said.As part of the deal, TPPL will also fund an improved driveway for greenkeeper access, and commit to a three-year sponsorship package for the club. The Wānaka App understands the club was concerned about ball strike risk with the tree removal, and the deal includes landscaping to mitigate this risk.A covenant will be registered against adjacent land (which will include new retirement village Metlifecare), permanently waiving any rights to lodge complaints about golf balls entering their properties within a 50-metre setback from the club boundary.WGC board chair Terry Carr said the decision to remove the trees “ensures the club’s future viability and removes a potential significant financial burden if we were required to remove the trees ourselves”.The club will lodge a resource consent application to remove the trees.PHOTO: Wānaka Golf Club

Four Square Wānaka’s local owners Sophie and James Brears are celebrating their first year in business, and they say the past 12 months have been all about investing back into the store and the community they call home.Sophie, James and their two children Henry and Georgie outside Wānaka Four Square soon after taking over the business in 2024.The couple, whose children attend local schools, took over the shop last November and have since poured their time, energy and every spare dollar into improving the shopping experience.“We’re here working in the store every day - it's very much a labour of love, so it’s really important to us that our customers can see and feel the positive changes,” Sophie said.James serving customers at the new 'staffed' checkout.Over the past year the pair have upgraded the staffed checkout area, added self-checkouts, and installed new refrigeration to allow for an expanded product range. That includes a growing selection of Wānaka produced goods such as B.Effect beer and kombucha, Pure Icecream, Wānaka Chocolate, Venus Coffee and Red Bridge strawberries.They’ve also refreshed the food-to-go section with improved hot food and salad options, introduced locally made sushi from Sushi-Mii, and Fresh Fusion ice cream will be scooped on site throughout summer.Supporting local is a priority for Sophie and James, who continue to back groups including Wānaka Primary School, Mount Aspiring College, junior hockey, netball, rugby, the Merino Muster and Ben Suncin’s Brain Trust.Ben Suncin collecting for the Brain Injury Association in store earlier this year.Looking ahead, they plan to repaint the store’s interior and exterior (while keeping its familiar façade) and increase their involvement in local events.A photo of the Jolly family standing outside the now Wānaka Four Square when it was the General Merchants Store in 1927 is proudly displayed in the store.To mark the one-year milestone, a birthday celebration will be held on Friday, November 28. The first 100 paying customers will receive free mini doughnuts from White Rabbit and a coffee. A community BBQ will run from 3pm to 5pm, and shoppers who spend more than $30 (excludes alcohol, tobacco and Lotto) will go in the draw to win a hamper. In-store specials, including $1 deals, will run throughout the day.Come in and say hi to Sophie and James and help them celebrate their first year in business.70 Ardmore Street, WānakaOpenMonday - Friday 7.30 am till 9 pmSaturday and Sunday 8 ma till 9 pmPHOTO: Wānaka App & Supplied.

Predator Free Wānaka (PFW) says the government’s announcement that feral cats will be included in its Predator Free 2050 target species list is a positive step - but cautions that practical change will depend on “clear legislation”.On Friday (November 21) conservation minister Tama Potaka said the government would deliver on its campaign promise to add feral cats to the list, following a surge in public pressure and on the back of decisive public input on a predator management strategy.Feral cats are one of the most ferocious predators in the New Zealand ecosystem, feeding on rabbits, birds and birds’ eggs, rats, hares, bats, lizards, mice, wētā and other insects.They are an "increasingly significant issue” locally, Southern Lakes Sanctuary community engagement coordinator Katie Dunlop told the Wānaka App.PFW is one of the local conservation groups which forms the Southern Lakes Sanctuary consortium, and the group’s more than 130 volunteers focus on controlling rats, stoats, possums, hedgehogs and other introduced predators across more than 800 traps and 28 traplines.Predator Free Wānaka volunteers undertaking predator control work. PHOTO: Predator Free Wānaka This work has helped increase sightings of tūī, korimako (bellbird), and kererū, and improved nesting success in monitored areas - but feral cats are outside its remit, despite them being a “growing threat”.“While we do not trap feral cats ourselves, we frequently hear observations from local landowners and volunteers about cat predation on native wildlife,” Katie said.One local rural landowner had caught 20 feral cats in the last year.Inconsistent rules around domestic cat ownership, roaming, and de-sexing are among the factors that make coordinated community action difficult, Katie said.The increased awareness of the damage caused by feral cats “has helped raise awareness but it has not yet created practical change for our day-to-day operations”, she said.“Clear legislation would be needed before a community group like PFW could start to help tackle the feral cat issue.”Still, she said the government announcement was “an important step, as it signals stronger national direction and general public support”. “In practice, it could lead to more consistent rules, better tools, and improved support for protecting our taonga species.”During his announcement last week, the conservation minister said the Department of Conservation’s consultation on the Predator Free Strategy received close to 3,400 submissions, with over 90 percent backing improved feral cat management.The full Predator Free 2050 strategy will be released in March 2026, he said.Learn more about PFW, and how to get involved in their work, here.

Wānaka’s alpine community is in mourning following the death of local mountain guide Thomas Vialletet and his client on Aoraki Mt Cook on Monday evening (November 24).Thomas, an IFMGA-qualified mountain guide, and his client died following a fall near the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook at approximately 11.50pm on Monday, the NZ Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA) reported. The pair were part of a team of four, including two guides and their two clients, who were completing a grand traverse of Aoraki/Mount Cook.The other two members of the party were successfully brought down unharmed from the summit ridge.NZMGA president Anna Keeling said Thomas was a respected and valued member of the NZMGA. “[He was] an integral part of our guiding community,” she said. “NZMGA’s focus is now on those most affected, and our priority is supporting the family, including [his] partner and children, as well as our wider guiding community during this extremely difficult time.”Thomas was the co-owner of Wānaka-based guiding company Summit Explorers with his wife Danielle. The pair have two young children.Aoraki Mt Cook PHOTO: Wānaka AppWhile some national media reported that Wānaka Search and Rescue’s (SAR) Alpine Cliff Rescue team was involved in the rescue, Wānaka SAR chair Raewyn Calhaem confirmed that was not the case.“There was a misunderstanding and I believe that the helicopter came into Wānaka to collect a member of the Aoraki ACR team,” she said.“Although not part of SAR, Thomas was well known and respected with the guiding and mountaineering community in Wānaka. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.”Mountain Safety Council (MSC) chief executive Mike Daisley said this time of year is the busy mountaineering season, with many climbers heading into the mountains.“Recent fine weather has drawn many mountaineers to the high alpine, with multiple guided and recreational teams summiting Aoraki/Mount Cook over the past week,” he said.“Current conditions on the mountain are considered ideal for mountaineering, with firm overnight snow conditions and well-filled glaciers following early spring snowstorms.”In December 2024, three climbers, including two guides from the United States and Canada, died while climbing Aoraki/Mt Cook. Their bodies were never recovered.“These mountaineering fatalities are a reminder of the high-consequence environment of our alpine mountains, especially our highest peak,” Mike said. “Mountaineering has very little margin for error. Even the most qualified professionals cannot eliminate all risk.”NZMGA says a formal investigation into the incident will take place in due course.“There will be an opportunity for the NZMGA to understand and share more about what happened in this tragic accident,” Anna said.Both MSC and NZMGA offered their sincere condolences to the families of the deceased, and the wider alpine and guiding community.A givealittle page has been created to support Thomas' partner, Danielle, and their two young children.

There are three new faces on the Central Lakes Trust (CLT) board following its recent election.Lake Hāwea resident Dave Currie, CNZM, Dr Chris Phoon, and Neil Gillespie have been newly elected to the board.They join re-elected trustees Kathy Dedo - who is also the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) deputy chair - and Trudi Webb.The CLT also has three appointed trustees: Linda Robertson, Kathy Grant, and Simon Flood.“We’re excited to welcome our new trustees to the board,” CLT chair Linda Robertson said.“Their fresh perspectives, combined with the experience of our re-elected and appointed trustees, will strengthen our ability to deliver on CLT’s mission.”CLT operates as a charitable trust that offers financial support for charitable initiatives with the goal of improving the lives of local residents and creating lasting positive impacts in the region.Each month it distributes grants to a range of community organisations and not-for-profits.Kathy, who said she felt incredibly privileged to be re-elected, said the mission was to “enhance assets and enrich lives”. “This means making wise investment decisions to maintain and grow our portfolio - this takes more of our time than granting does,” she told the Wānaka App. “This in turn enables us to support community groups and projects that enrich lives throughout the region.”Linda said the new board was a “fantastic team committed to supporting vibrant, resilient communities across our funding region".All three of the new trustees bring extensive leadership and governance expertise to the table, she said. Dave Currie has held prominent roles including Chef de Mission for New Zealand Olympic and Paralympic Teams, executive director of the Halberg Trust, and manager of the Black Caps. Dr Chris Phoon contributes significant governance experience through his involvement on national and international surgical committees and he is a founding member of the Mahu Whenua Traverse.Neil Gillespie, an Otago Regional Council councillor, has a wealth of local government knowledge with over 27 years’ experience on community boards and council, Linda said.The voter return percentage for the election was 20.45 percent.PHOTOS: Supplied

A two-day science and community event focused on the future of Otago’s deep alpine lakes - the Alpine Lakes Forum 2025 - begins in Wānaka today (Wednesday November 26).Hosted by WAI Wānaka in partnership with Kāi Tahu, the University of Otago, and Otago Regional Council, the event brings together more than 25 expert speakers - from mana whenua to researchers and policy makers to community leaders.Otago’s alpine lakes are among the most pristine freshwater systems in the world, but their health cannot be taken for granted, WAI Wānaka CEO Cat Dillon said.Their ecosystems face interconnected pressures – from land-use change and nutrient inputs to climate variability and biodiversity decline.“Bridging the gap between research and action is key to protecting Aotearoa’s freshwater,” Cat said. “Real change happens when we work together – turning knowledge into action for healthy waterways.”Today’s programme, ‘Freshwater Futures’, focuses on regional science, monitoring insights and community engagement. Highlights will include research updates from leading scientists associate professor Marc Schallenberg, Dr David Plew, Aidin Jabbari and Dr Phil Novis, as well as insights into Kāi Tahu’s freshwater claim from Gabrielle Huria, and a collaborative panel event.Tomorrow (Thursday November 26) the agenda shifts with ‘Researchers’ Perspectives’, focusing on academic research and deeper scientific inquiry. Highlights will include a keynote by emeritus professor Dame Carolyn Burns, paradigm-challenging discussions led by Professor David Hamilton and a showcase of cutting-edge research from the University of Otago. The forum concludes with a collaborative session ‘Weaving Knowledge Systems Together’, closing reflections by freshwater sciences professor Ross Thompson, and a student poster showcase celebrating the next generation of freshwater researchers.Find the full lineup and buy tickets here.PHOTO: Deanna Gerlach

New legislation allowing people to build granny flats of up to 70 square metres in their backyards without a building consent is now in place, and is expected to come into effect early next year.The building consent exemption for granny flats will be given effect by the Building and Construction (Small Standalone Dwellings) Bill and associated regulations, via a change to the Resource Management Act (RMA).The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) building team is preparing for changes to accommodate the legislation, a council spokesperson told the Wānaka App.Building and construction minister Chris Penk said the exemption is expected to deliver roughly 13,000 more granny flats over the next decade, meaning more work for builders without local councils managing unnecessary consenting burdens for simple building work. “Local councils will be freed up to focus their attention on more complex building work where the need for an inspection and thorough consenting processes is much greater,” he said. Chris said people will only be eligible for a building consent exemption “if their granny flats are simple in design, meet the Building Code and building work is carried out by authorised building professionals”.Homeowners will also need to notify their local council before they begin building and once the granny flat is completed.“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity,” a Wānaka resident told the Wānaka App.She said she and her husband are hoping to use the exemption to help their wider family into housing.“We have some of the highest rentals in the OECD. And a 20 percent housing deposit is going to be $300,000 plus. That’s an awful lot of money to cough up, especially if you’re starting a family at the same time and are going down to one income for a time.“What a beautiful solution it would be to have people living with their families and getting support from their families first and foremost, and not stressing about huge mortgages that they can’t afford.”The QLDC spokesperson said the building services team is preparing “for some process changes to accommodate these new Project Information Memoranda (PIM) applications relating to proposed ‘granny flat’ exemptions”. “We won’t know until early next year exactly when these will come into force, but we’re abreast of the proposed changes and working to fully understand the assessment test and requirements so we can guide our district’s construction community effectively,” the spokesperson said.Any building work on a granny flat that is either in progress now or starts before the exemption comes into effect will continue to require a building consent.Find the government’s specific design requirements for a granny flat here.IMAGE: Stock Image

A 34-year-old Taiwanese tourist, who ploughed head on into a Queenstown family in the Kawarau Gorge just before midday on Sunday November 15, seriously injuring a Queenstown woman, was driving for the first time on New Zealand’s open roads, police said.Otago Lakes Road Policing Sergeant Bruce Martin said while investigations are continuing, speed was not a factor in the crash, which appeared to have been caused by driver inattention.The visiting driver was charged with careless driving causing injury and ordered to pay $8,400 reparation, including $2,000 for emotional harm, and disqualified from driving for six months when he appeared in the Queenstown District Court on Monday, November 17, Bruce said.The Toyota Prado he was driving, with three passengers on board, crossed the centreline on a corner with a 55km/hr speed advisory and hit the family’s Ford Ranger ute, which was towing a trailer, head on, he said. “The local man driving the Ranger, which was heading towards Cromwell from Queenstown, took evasive action but had nowhere to go and crashed into a steep, rocky bank,” Bruce said. The injured woman was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital by the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter with serious injuries, including multiple fractures, where she underwent surgery and is expected to take a number of months to recover. Another patient was taken to Lakes District Hospital by road with moderate injuries.A St John Ambulance spokesperson said a patient was treated for serious injuries before being airlifted to Dunedin, and a further six patients were assessed at the scene, all of whom suffered minor injuries. One ambulance, an operations manager and the rescue helicopter responded.PHOTO: Supplied

A shake-up to local government is imminent, as the government works to introduce its Resource Management Act replacement to Parliament by Christmas.On Sunday (November 23), Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told National party members there would be a "very serious shake-up coming" to local government alongside the upcoming RMA reforms."Watch this space," he said.Luxon later told media there would be "major reform coming" and the government wanted to "radically simplify" local government, but he would leave the details to RMA reform minister Chris Bishop and local government minister Simon Watts."I'm just signalling very strongly that, and it's not a surprise in my conversations I've had with local government leaders as well, that this is a country that has so many layers of management and government that actually it's stopping us from getting things done," Luxon said."It's hard and difficult decisions, but I'm sorry, we have to keep changing the way we run the country to make it simpler and easier to get things done."Earlier this year, regional development minister and New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones told a forum there was "less and less of a justifiable purpose" for keeping regional government once the RMA reforms went through.In July, Bishop told councils to halt work on district plans until the new RMA legislation took effect.Watts has also been tasked with bringing policy options for rates caps to Cabinet by the end of the year.PHOTO: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) elected representatives will consider a wide range of items at the first full council meeting of the new term this Thursday (November 27).New mayor John Glover and councillors - a mix of new and returning faces - will make decisions on issues like freedom camping, navigation safety, and traffic and parking.A big ticket item on the agenda is the 2025/2026 capital works reforecast, the first of the financial year.QLDC staff are proposing a $35.9M (20 percent) decrease to capital cost budgets, achieved mainly through updated timing, budget reprioritisation including cost savings, and by maximising external funding. Councillors will also weigh in on the chief executive recruitment process.The current chief executive Mike Theelen is due to depart the role in February 2026 and councillors are being asked to approve the next steps in the process for his replacement.Another item on the agenda is the new traffic and parking bylaw.The process to create the new bylaw began in April and it has been through a long consultation process; a new bylaw must be adopted before the end of the year.A Wānaka-specific issue on Thursday’s agenda is about an easement over part of the Wānaka Golf Course Recreation Reserve.Councillors will decide whether or not to accept the hearing panel’s recommendations over a complicated right-of-way dispute at the edge of the golf course.Because it is the first full council meeting of the new term, councillors will also be assigned a range of community organisation and committee appointments for the term.The new elected members were sworn in in a ceremony last month. The full council meeting will take place at 1pm at the Council Chambers in Queenstown.PHOTO: Supplied

It’s the last week of November and permission has been granted for Christmas preparations to move into gear around the district.First up this week is the lighting of the Christmas Tree at the Dinsosaur Park on Friday (November 28) from 6-8pm.It will be a fun family evening, where people are invited to bring picnic blankets and wear festive attire. It features a show of local talent, including school groups and the famous Singing Santa.The Wānaka Fete is next up on Saturday (November 29, 10am-4pm) at the A&P Showgrounds, offering a day of shopping from artisanal producers. Santa’s Grotto - the annual magical Christmas wonderland - will be open at the Wānaka Community Hub from Saturday. Check the Christmas section in the Wānaka App for opening times.Lake Hāwea is also offering its annual Christmas Wonderland, which will be open from Wednesday December 3 through until Sunday December 14. Tickets are required, and the display is also open to groups on request.This is also the season for markets, which start this week with Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College’s (MAC) annual year 8 sustainable market this Thursday (November 27, from 4pm-6pm), above the MAC library.Budding young entrepreneurs will launch products and services they developed during their ‘Mind Your Own Business’ social science unit, with 50 percent of all profits donated to Wānaka Search and Rescue.Next week the Aspiring Village Christmas Market will take place (Friday December 5, from 10am-1.30pm).Wānaka’s Christmas Tree will be lit up from this Friday. PHOTO: SuppliedThe market is an opportunity for locals to stock up for Christmas with art, books, ceramics, plants, Christmas cakes, food, gifts and more. Food for Love is holding a Christmas bake sale of homemade treats on Saturday December 6 at New World Wānaka, from 9am. Every Christmas cake, cookie, gingerbread house, slice, cake and treat is made by Food for Love’s volunteers to help raise funds for the charity. Anyone keen to donate home baking can email [email protected] for more information.The Gather Market will take place on Sunday December 7 from 10am-4pm at the Lake Hāwea Camp, offering the opportunity to support small-scale local businesses and shop consciously for Christmas.Also on Sunday December 7 is the Hāwea Christmas in the Park from 4pm-8pm at Peter Fraser Park.There will be fun for the kids, carol singing, wine tasting, and a visit from Santa.Find the details of festive season events - including ways to give back - in the Christmas section of the Wānaka App.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has accepted Santana Minerals Ltd’s application for the development of the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project under the Fast-track Approvals Act (FTA).EPA acceptance confirms that Santana’s submission meets all lodgement requirements under the FTA, allowing the application to proceed into the assessment phase. Santana Minerals CEO Damian Spring said the acceptance is a significant step forward for the project.“We are very pleased the EPA has accepted our FTA application for processing,” he said.“This is a major procedural milestone for the project and demonstrates the strength of the work completed to date. We look forward to constructive engagement with the EPA, and other agencies as the assessment progresses.” The proposal focuses on the ‘Rise and Shine’ deposit, which has been described as the largest gold discovery in New Zealand in over four decades. Santana said the project would deliver a major boost to Central Otago’s economy - adding an average of $360M in GDP each year and supporting around 350 high-paid local jobs, with many more created through flow-on effects. “Over its life, the project is expected to generate $5.8 billion in economic value and $1.8 billion in government revenue, strengthening household incomes, local businesses, and regional prosperity across Otago,” the company claims.A visual simulation of the view from State Highway 6 of the proposed Bendigo-Ophir mine during its operation phase. IMAGE: Santana Minerals/Boffa Miskel reportLocal lobby group Sustainable Tarras is strongly opposed to the company’s plans.The group’s concerns include “the size and scale of the mine right in the heart of an Outstanding Natural Landscape, the massive tailings dam which will hold 10,000 Olympic swimming pools of toxic waste, and the extensive use and storage of large quantities of cyanide solution just upstream of the Clutha/Mata Au River,” chair Suze Keith has said.The application will now be considered to determine the makeup of an expert panel. Once a panel is convened, its decision is expected to take approximately six months. “Meantime, we remain focussed on detailed planning to place orders for long-lead items and the early works programme,” Damian said. A statement from the Santana Board said subject to a positive outcome from the FTA process, “construction of the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project is expected to commence in mid-2026”.The full application is available on the Fast-track website and here.

There are currently no plans in place to clean up Wānaka’s driftwood-strewn lakefront, following last month’s heavy rain.Lake Wānaka peaked at close to its first flood alert level 279.2 metres above sea level (masl) on Friday October 24.The high lake level combined with heavy winds deposited driftwood along the foreshore and damaged sections of recently rebuilt lakeside track.“The clean-up of high-profile areas of the Wānaka lakefront closest to town will be considered further once we’ve confirmed the best and most cost-effective way to dispose of the driftwood collected,” a Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) spokesperson told the Wānaka App. The council spokesperson said the QLDC parks team has also been onsite to assess recent damage on the trail between the Wānaka Tree and Edgewater Resort.“While there’s sufficient access for the public to use the track safely, we’re planning to carry out remedial work early in the New Year,” he said.A walker navigates a section of eroded track between the Wānaka Tree and Edgewater Resort on Saturday. Earlier this year QLDC widened and reinstated sections of the Waterfall Creek Track alongside Lake Wānaka, which was washed out in November 2024. The work included large stones being manoeuvered into place on the township side of the bridge before Edgewater. The council has confirmed it is working on a temporary solution to have the Lake Wānaka jetty open this summer after it was damaged by last month’s storms.Read more: Temporary solution planned to replace damaged jettyPHOTOS: Wānaka App

The Upper Clutha Wilding Tree Group (UCWTG) is celebrating what it calls a “landmark 2024–2025 year”, highlighting major progress in its fight against invasive conifers.UCWTG chair Rob Phillips said the group made significant on-the-ground progress, formally became a charitable trust, and completed a new 10-year strategy to steer its next phase of work.He said the group’s progress was driven by collaboration.“Our partnerships with the Otago Regional Council [ORC], Queenstown Lakes District Council [QLDC] and landowners have allowed us to undertake large-scale control operations in several high priority sites as well as working with volunteers in seven community working bees to a total of 200 hours.”Formed in 2022, the volunteer-led group focuses on controlling the fast-spreading, environmentally damaging plant in the Upper Clutha. Over the past year it carried out extensive field operations across sites including Hunter Valley, Dingleburn and Glen Dene stations, The Neck, Dinner Creek, and The Camp at Lake Hāwea, as well as Mt Aspiring, Hillend, Motatapu stations, and Stevenson’s Peninsula.UCWTG also completed helicopter surveys over Stevenson’s Peninsula, areas of Wānaka and Lake Hāwea, and the lower Cardrona and Motatapu valleys.Read more: Group makes headway in battle against wilding treesIn total, the group funded control of 7,302 wilding conifers across 689 hectares, supported by more than $195,000 in funding from ORC, QLDC, Love Wānaka, the Wanaka A&P Show, and the Wakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Group.UCWTG’s efforts in 2024–2025 led to the removal of over 7,000 wilding trees across nearly 700 hectares.The year also saw volunteers trained in more advanced control methods, building the group’s capacity for larger operations.UCWTG says there is still major work ahead, with emerging challenges including the spread of other invasive species such as Chilean mayten.However, the group reports it is in a strong financial position, with stable funding secured through to June 2027.“As we look to the 2025–2026 year, we will focus on executing our 10-year strategy, aiming for a wilding-free Upper Clutha,” Rob said.“Our goals include controlling existing infestations, enhancing community awareness and strengthening partnerships.”The group is holding a public meeting on Tuesday December 2 at the Wānaka Presbyterian Church, Tenby St, at 7.30pm.PHOTOS: UCWTG

Red Frogs NZ is launching a school safety pilot in Central Otago this December, ahead of its 10th annual New Year’s response in Queenstown and Wānaka.The non-profit, which works alongside Queenstown Lakes District Council, police and St John, is known for its on-the-ground volunteer presence during New Year’s celebrations – particularly in youth hotspots like Wānaka and Queenstown.Each summer, thousands of teenagers – many underage and unsupervised – travel from across the South Island to mark the New Year in the Lakes District.While many enjoy the festivities safely, a significant number experience alcohol or drug-related harm.Last year, an incident involving around 300 teens took place at Wānaka’s Dinosaur Park on January 2. It occurred after the coordinated safety response had ended, and agencies have since signalled plans to boost their presence in Wānaka this New Year.Read more: Multiple assaults at Dinosaur ParkRed Frogs has supported more than 100,000 young people since its first Queenstown Lakes response. More than 1,200 individuals have received direct care – including being walked home, having emergency services contacted, or being monitored until sober.This summer, more than 60 Red Frogs volunteers from New Zealand and Australia will be based out of the Lake Wānaka Centre and the Queenstown Memorial Hall.Red Frogs NZ media spokesperson Shannon Thomson said the organisation has received new funding from Health NZ’s Alcohol Harm Prevention Community Action Fund. The funding will support the development of a school-based safety programme to be piloted in Central Otago, and then rolled out from South Canterbury south in 2026.“This is about helping communities prepare, especially parents, so they understand the local environment and how to best support teen safety over New Year,” Shannon said.PHOTO: Supplied

The government is backing community housing providers to deliver “more social homes for less cost”, a move a local provider says is “big news for the community housing sector”.The introduction of a new loan guarantee scheme will give community housing providers better access to debt financing at a lower cost and on more flexible terms from banks.Under the scheme, the Crown will guarantee 80 percent of loans provided to eligible community housing providers by participating banks.Long-running local community housing provider Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) said this means it can refinance existing debt and fund new developments at rates that reflect stable government contracts rather than commercial risk profiles.“In the past, community housing providers faced commercial lending costs that hamper growth,” QLCHT announced this week. “This new scheme changes that equation.”QLCHT has more than 1,500 households on its waiting list.“Cheaper finance means more homes built faster,” QLCHT said. “Every percentage point saved on interest rates translates to more families housed.”“The government's new policy to support community providers recognises what we've known for years: local organisations understand local needs best.”The scheme can support up to $900M in both new lending and the refinancing of up to 50 per cent of community housing providers’ existing lending, housing minister Chris Bishop said.“It can support up to $80M in scheme loans for each community housing provider.”He said the ambition for the social housing system is a level playing field between community housing providers and Kāinga Ora. “The underlying ownership of a house – whether public or private – should be irrelevant,” he said. “What matters is the provision of warm, dry homes to those who need them, along with social support if required.”PHOTO: QLCHT

It is kārearea/NZ Falcon nesting season again, and a local group is asking for sightings of the birds to be reported.The Kārearea Project, led by Cardrona-Treble Cone, is now in its seventh year of research to understand and protect kārearea in Central Otago. Kārearea are about halfway through their nesting season, and the project is following multiple nesting pairs - but it is seeking more to help understand the local population better.Despite being an endemic species, with a high threat classification and low population density, kārearea are poorly studied, project member Tom Reeves said.“Our aim is to estimate the breeding population size and territory size, quantify nest survival rates and causes of nest failures, estimate adult survival rates, and identify management actions that benefit the conservation of this endemic raptor,” he said. “To do this effectively we need to monitor as many pairs and nests as possible.” Tom said the group is interested in any kārearea sightings, especially of pairs, nests or nesting behavior (territorial swooping, pairs returning to a similar spot again and again, fledglings).“We are also interested in any information on threats or fatalities of kārearea (predation, window strike, persecution, vehicle strike, electrocution).”  Tom said the group is interested in reports from across the district. If people observe any of these behaviours they should make a note of location (GPS/map screenshot/detailed description) and what the birds are doing and report the sighting here, email [email protected], or call on 0220203647. “Any photos are a great help too,” he said.People are advised not to approach any suspected falcon nest as this could cause nest failure or injury to themselves or the birds.

Four writers will be taking it outside this month as part of the Three Lakes Cultural Trust’s Creative Spaces project, and they are inviting locals to pick up their pens and join in.Wānaka's Laura Williamson, Queenstown's Bethany Rogers, and former Wānaka residents Liz Breslin and Annabel Wilson will be presenting 'Field Notes' on Sunday November 30 in and around the Wānaka Scout Den and Eely Point.The four will present a reading from their recent works, followed by a walking workshop, in which participants will take a short easy walk with several stops, each designed to inspire creative flow in a different way."Everyone will get the chance to start a new piece of writing, or to work on something they've already started, through a series of site-specific prompts," Laura said.Annabel said the workshop will involve a "wayfinding approach", whereby walking becomes a writer's tool, bringing together body and mind."We hope you’ll come away with some fresh ideas and connections. And there will be a chance for some kōrero and sharing of our kupu at the end."Participants should bring a pen, notebook, comfortable shoes and a desire to get inspired, Laura said.Running from November 1–30, the Creative Spaces Project is a collaboration between Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Three Lakes Cultural Trust, pairing local creativity with unexpected spaces and places across the Queenstown Lakes District. Field Notes Wānaka is supported by the Upper Clutha Community Arts Council.PHOTO: Wānaka App