Wānaka resident Sarah Veasey is training hard with three months to go until she represents New Zealand at the Obstacle Course Running World Championships in Costa Rica. Obstacle course running combines speed and strategy, with competitors racing through a series of obstacles which can be anything from monkey bars to mud pits and rope climbs to balance beams.Sarah got her first taste of obstacle course running with the Alpha Challenge in Wānaka in 2021.“The first time I did it it was very much for fun to see what it was about,” she said. “After doing the Spartan event in Australia that really hooked me.”She has been regularly competing in obstacle course running events ever since and in March she found out she had qualified for the world champs, where she will compete against racers from around 140 other countries.She is thinking of competing in all three of the races on offer: a 100m (with 12 obstacles), a 3km (with 20 obstacles) and a 15km (with 50 obstacles).Sarah said training has involved lots of gym sessions and running, and trying to mimic obstacles by doing things like “getting out on the monkey bars and climbing on ropes”.Obstacle course running is a “relatively new event” so there aren’t many training facilities around and Sarah is one of only a couple of South Islanders selected for the world champs.Another byproduct of the sport being newer and lesser known than others is there is no funding to travel to the world champs, so as well as training Sarah has been planning fundraiser events to help her get there.The first of those fundraisers will take place tonight (Thursday May 9) at Ground Up brewery with a quiz night starting at 7pm, and some sausage sizzles and other fundraising events will follow.Sarah said she’s “very excited” as the world champs get closer and closer.The event will take place in San Jose, a central volcanic mountain region of Costa Rica, and she will be away for around eight days.It will be Sarah’s first time representing New Zealand and her first long-haul overseas trip, and she’s excited to meet the other Kiwis and people from around the world at the competition.“Something I like [about obstacle course racing] is even though you race on your own, you always meet people out on the course and everyone is really supportive,” she said.Support Sarah by heading along to tonight’s quiz night (email [email protected] to book), keeping an eye out for her future fundraiser events, or making a donation to her Givealittle page (which comes with the bonus of putting donors in the draw for a Devold jumper or a new BBQ).Sarah thanked Keighley Redshaw for organising tonight’s quiz and the sponsors (Sidekick Wānaka, GroundUp, Morven Design & Build, Beanies Accounting, Devold, Thieving Kea, Kinisi Running, Inside Tattoo, The Next Chapter, Mt Outdoors, Health 2000, Paradiso Cinema, Realm, Three Chairs Hair Salon, Cheapskates, Moana Road, Wastebusters, Amigos, Big Fig, Naturally Pawsome and Murray Walker) for their support.PHOTO: Supplied

Property investment company Roa has today (Wednesday May 8) announced its plan for a $300M hospital in Wānaka’s Three Parks, and says it has sought Fast-track Approval. Roa said in a statement to media it plans to build a “state-of-the-art integrated regional hospital” in Wānaka “to help meet the future health needs of its rapidly growing population”.Plans for the $300M privately funded project comprise a five-level hospital with four operating theatres, imaging services, a 24-hour emergency department and more than 70 inpatient, emergency, and post anaesthetic care beds.  Roa said the hospital will be at the heart of a broader “health precinct” which would include four offices for allied medical services such as consulting and treatment rooms, on-site parking, and ground level retail and hospitality opening out onto public pedestrian spaces.The site of the planned healthcare precinct.“Roa will engage a high-quality private healthcare operator to manage the hospital and already has strong interest from established operators in New Zealand, Australia and the United States,” the statement said.“There is similar strong interest in the commercial office space from specialist medical tenants interested in moving into Central Otago.”Queenstown Lakes District deputy mayor Quentin Smith told the Wānaka App he welcomed the investment in health care.“We will keep advocating for public services to come alongside it,” he said, citing services such as much-needed after hours emergency care (which is currently operated by local GPs only until 11pm). Access to health services in the Upper Clutha was the subject of a packed public meeting in Wānaka in March, hosted by the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board.Read more: Community sends resounding message to health officialsThe hospital resource consent application process has been submitted to Queenstown Lakes District Council, but Roa said it anticipated this could take up to three years, prompting the business to apply for the project to be a named project in Schedule 2 of the government’s new Fast-track Approvals Bill.Roa CEO Mike Saegers said an efficient consenting scheme was critical. Go deeper: Roa to apply for fast-track approval“Construction of the hospital could commence within 15 months of consent being received, with a target opening date of 18-24 months after that,” Roa CEO Mike Saegers said.“Delay in consenting translates directly through to delay in the doors opening on this much needed beneficial community health asset.” Architects Warren and Mahoney designed plans for the hospital and surrounding health precinct, to be located on Sir Tim Wallis Drive. IMAGES: Supplied

A need for safer pedestrian access to Wānaka’s Community Hub and the medical centre was raised last week by Wānaka social worker Heather Clay.During the public forum at last week’s (May 2) Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) meeting, Heather requested council establish safer pedestrian crossing points on busy arterial roads near the Community Hub and the Wānaka Lakes Health Centre. Heather Clay is Wānaka Community Hub’s in-house social worker employed by Community Networks Wānaka.“The Community Hub is the one-stop community welfare point in this town and it is very hard for largely older people who live [locally] to cross the road,” she told the elected members and council staff.Heather Clay PHOTO: Wānaka Community Networks Link Upper CluthaShe said many of these residents had disabilities (such as cognitive decline and sensory impairment) and others used wheelchairs or other mobility devices, which made crossing roads challenging, especially Cardrona Valley Road, McDougall Street and Brownston Street.The area around the Hub was “older person central” and included many residents who could not drive, she told the Wānaka App.She said council had done well to establish a lot of pedestrian friendly “island” crossings (providing a safe refuge in the centre of the road) but these crossings did not require cars to stop.Heather said what was needed was crossings, such as formal pedestrian (zebra) crossings with central safe refuges or traffic lights, which give the pedestrian priority over traffic, such as the pedestrian activated lights on Ballantyne Road and the zebra crossing on upper Ardmore Street.  She said improved road crossings in Wānaka for elderly or impaired people had already been brought to council’s attention, but not necessarily on these specific roads, and she’d received feedback from council staff that funding for such measures was in the council’s 10-year plan.“That might not be soon enough from a human rights point of view,” she told the councillors at public forum.Yesterday (Tuesday May 7), Heather told Wānaka App she hadn’t heard from the council since the public forum.QLDC media liaison Sam White said “there is no defined process for following up on a public forum presentation (not all speakers request further action) [but] presentations are noted and included in the meeting minutes”.Councillor Lyal Cocks said he would raise Heather’s concerns with the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board.

Wānaka’s name was officially changed three years ago with a stroke of the pen, but it’s taking a lot longer to update the name on local signage. The macron in Wānaka was officially notified by the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) in August 2021. The macron (or tohutō) indicates the ‘a’ should be spoken as a long vowel.The change also meant official documents were now required to use ‘Wānaka’.Last winter the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board passed a resolution to expedite the adding of a macron on the ‘Welcome to Wanaka’ signs on SH84 and Cardrona Valley Road.The welcome signs were developed and are maintained by local service groups.Rotary Club of Wānaka president Marie Fitchett told the Wānaka App the club was “eager to see the signs updated to the correct spelling and is taking steps to make this happen”. “The original design of the signs is proving to be timeless and they make a wonderful entrance to Wānaka,” she said.The club will discuss the addition of macrons at its directors’ meeting later this month, she added.Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) property and infrastructure general manager Tony Avery said the council roading team has instructed contractors to add the macron only to new signs, and only change existing signs when they need to be replaced.“I am comfortable with this approach to continue,” Tony said.The macron made the town’s name consistent with the name of its lake, Lake Wānaka, the macron for which was approved in mid 2019 by the NZGB in collaboration with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.Wānaka town was earlier known as Oanaka, and was named Pembroke by early colonial settlers until 1940.Wānaka is believed to be named from the South Island form of wānanga, meaning sacred knowledge or a place of learning.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Year 12 student Izzy Foskett will perform the lead role of ‘Elle’ in Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College’s (MAC) production of ‘Legally Blonde JR.’ opening Thursday May 16 at the Lake Wānaka Centre. Izzy said the production showcased MAC’s many talented, hardworking students who had put in lots of time and effort to make the show come together. “I can't wait to perform the show for an audience,” Izzy said. “I am a little nervous, but being part of the musical has really helped me to grow my confidence on stage, and I'm so excited to see all the hard work of everyone involved pay off on opening night.” Izzy said she had really enjoyed learning all the songs and dances for the musical. “The show is very upbeat and high energy so the songs are really fun to perform. “The biggest highlight for me has been meeting and making friends with so many other people who love musical theatre. “The whole cast and crew are amazing and super talented, so you definitely don’t want to miss the show.”The musical is a fun, comedic show that follows Elle Wood's journey from Malibu party girl to ‘serious’ Harvard law graduate, while not compromising who she is and what she stands for. The musical, one of many co-curricular learning experiences offered at MAC, brings together 87 ākonga (students) from across the school. MAC will present ‘Legally Blonde JR.’ from Thursday May 16 to Saturday May 18 at 7.30pm at the Lake Wānaka Centre and at a matinee performance on Saturday at 2.30pm. Tickets ($30 per adult, $20 per student, and a family ticket - two adults and two children - $80) are on sale here.MAC’s production of ‘Legally Blonde JR’ (book by Heather Hach, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin) is generously sponsored by Fyfe Karamaena Law. ‘Legally Blonde JR.’ is based on the book by Amanda Brown and the hit Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon. PHOTO: Supplied

Concerns about housing costs at Hāwea subdivision Longview, which was created under special housing affordability legislation, are being “taken seriously”, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) says.The Longview development was approved under the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas (HASHA) Act 2013, which exists to enhance housing affordability in high-cost areas. “To date, the developer has been compliant with the majority of the obligations from the deed,” QLDC strategic housing officer Emily Irwin said, including offering five and 10 percent deposit requirements for buyers, and “most significantly” delivering 46 community housing contributions (with 12 more to come) to the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) - worth approximately $22M.The 34ha site was classified as an SHA in December 2018, with a deed setting out affordable housing components including fixed price house and land packages, land resale conditions and restrictions on visitor accommodation.The Longview Special Housing Area was approved in 2018.Lake Hāwea resident and Hāwea Community Association (HCA) member Louise Merrall wrote an open letter to councillors and members of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board last week, saying the Longview developer, Universal Developments owner Lane Hocking, had not shown “any intent” to comply with a requirement to offer house and land packages within set price brackets, and that council staff had not taken proactive action to ensure compliance with the deed.She claimed “developer’s delays” contributed significantly to the increase in costs.“This SHA was developed under the auspices of increased affordability – concerns were raised at the time over the genuine nature of this and hindsight shows that this has not been achieved,” she said, adding that she wants councillors to “stand up for those in our community that we know are desperately struggling to afford a home, by seeking to ensure that the agreed terms of this development are met”.Emily said she would report to the council’s Planning and Strategy Committee today (Tuesday May 7) on deed compliance.She said earlier this year it was identified that the developer had not been advertising house/land packages for sale at the specified prices as required. The updated deed requires the developer to advertise packages starting at $499,000.Louise said “most, if not all” packages advertised were “over $800,000 with the majority being in the $900k-$1.2M range”.Lane informed QLDC that “even the updated prices are unrealistic given the high inflation seen in the construction sector over the previous few years”, Emily said. Lane said wastewater system Project Pure, which was originally scheduled for completion in 2020/2021 but is now planned from this coming financial year, is creating ongoing costs.Lane told QLDC he is supplying a large volume of properties at “very affordable rates for the area”, for example $850,000 for a three bedroom, two bathroom 400m2 section, Emily said.She said the council has “now begun a process to establish the facts”, including seeking advice from Longview builders, inflation data from StatsNZ, an independent review by a quantity surveyor to assess the extent of cost increases outside the developers’ and the builders’ control, a legal review to determine options such as negotiating any changes to the deed, and “levers for enforcement”.Emily said the deed anticipates that prices will need to be updated with inflation, and that this has already occurred. She said council staff intends to take a paper to councillors about the situation, recommending “an appropriate response.” Go deeper: Disappointment with ‘affordable’ section pricesPHOTOS: Wānaka App

Getting one’s drivers’ licence is more than a rite of passage for teenagers; in rural areas it can mean they are able to get an after-school job, get to school, and participate in sports. Concerns about difficulties getting licences, making an appointment for testing and undergoing practical assessments in Wānaka was even raised at a recent breakfast meeting (April 29) with local MP Miles Anderson.In Wānaka, these services are provided by the Automobile Association’s mobile unit which operates sporadically each month from the Wānaka Hotel.Last month, it operated only four days; there are five days scheduled for this month; and, to date, only three days are scheduled for June.When it’s open, mobile unit staff provide a variety of services, from learners’ theory tests, overseas driver licence conversions, and international driver permits, to renewing licences, paying for road user charges and arranging vehicle licensing and registration.Qualified driving instructor Lyal Cocks says for the services they offer, the hours they operate in Wānaka are inadequate.“A mobile unit manned a few days each month is not good enough. The AA staff are doing their best but there is so much demand when they come here it creates tension as they’re trying to process so much in such a short time,” he said.Lyal has been a driving instructor in Wānaka for more than 25 years and regularly hears from parents and teens how difficult it is to get an appointment to sit licences or have driver enquiries sorted.Wānaka is no longer a rural town, he said. It has one of the largest high schools in the region with hundreds of teenagers trying to take their licence every year. “These teenagers are already stressed about taking the test, their parents are stressed too, and it’s not good for anyone.”Wānaka also has a growing population of residents from overseas who’ve grown up relying on public transport and never needed a drivers’ licence before moving to the Upper Clutha, he said.Wānaka needs its own AA agency and it also needs to have the practical driver assessments for restricted and full licences done here, he said.Many of his students have had to wait months in line to take their practical tests, sometimes as far away as Gore, Invercargill and Oamaru.Lyal said if a small town like Balclutha can have an AA agency why can’t Wānaka? A testing officer used to come to Wānaka at least once a month to conduct practical tests but that stopped years ago, he said.The AA is contracted by New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to provide driver licence services at AA Licensing Agents around New Zealand. The nearest AA agency to Wānaka is in Frankton. It’s open five days a week (Monday-Friday) from 8:45-4:30pm with a half hour closed for lunch and, according to the AA’s website, provides much the same services as Wānaka’s AA mobile unit.AA government contract national manager Sheelah Ranson said establishing an AA Agency in Wānaka requires an appropriate local business, with business value aligned to AA service, prepared to deliver these services for their community. “Opening an agency requires a significant time and financial commitment from both AA and the agency partners,” Sheelah said.“It is important that investment is where the need is, that we find the right partners, in the right location and that they have the staffing levels and knowledge they need to provide the services each community needs.”If the criteria are met then there’s an initial three month AA training programme undertaken prior to the local business being able to operate as an AA Agency. PHOTO: Wānaka App

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has not identified any exotic disease as a cause of the death of more than 80 birds in Lake Wānaka last month.MPI is leading an investigation into the deaths of 85 dead paradise shelducks and a mallard duck found on the margin of Lake Wānaka and in a nearby paddock on Tuesday April 23.“Testing to date in our labs has been focussed on identifying possible exotic diseases. None have been found,” an MPI spokesperson told the Wānaka App today (Monday May 6).“The next step is to determine what substances might have been involved, ie toxicology testing. We are in the process of finding labs with available capacity to do that testing.”Read more: Unexplained bird deaths on Lake WānakaA Wānaka woman who collected about 20 dead birds from Dublin Bay told the Wānaka App she was told by an MPI vet that three birds which she had given him to test had died from “poisoning with organophosphates”.Organophosphates are an active ingredient in insecticides. Fish & Game communications officer Bruce Quirey told the Wānaka App he trusted MPI would “do their job to investigate whether the application of an insecticide is related to the incident”.“Fish & Game is keenly interested to know the outcome and whether poisoning by an insecticide, such as diazinon, is confirmed as the cause of death,” he said.New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority has put in place a timeframe for three organophosphate pesticides to be phased out: fenamiphos and methamidophos are to be phased out by July 2024; and diazinon must be phased out by July 2028.

Wānaka business owners who operate outdoor dining areas on public land are going to pay more to use the public space.A review of Queenstown Lakes District’s Outdoor Dining on Public Space policy (formerly known as the Tables and Chairs policy) was discussed at last week’s (May 2) full council meeting in Wānaka and an increase in rental fees and licences was approved.There was lengthy debate during the meeting as councillors sought to clarify points in the new policy.Queenstown councillor Lisa Guy said she was ‘struggling with this policy” which was more regulative than before and “overly restrictive”.“We will have to enforce rules that will disadvantage some businesses,” she said, indicating the restrictions on umbrellas, gas heaters and minimum three metre wide pedestrian pathway.The new policy will enforce 3m-wide pedestrian thoroughfare beside the dining furniture. For instance, under the new policy umbrellas had to be a certain minimum height and widely used corporate sponsorship on the umbrellas would no longer be acceptable; and the policy only referred to outdoor gas heaters when there were other heating options available.“Why do we [the council] need to be so prescriptive in these measures? I feel like we’re almost punishing our business,” Lisa said.QLDC property and infrastructure general manager Tony Avery said there was a concern that the previous pedestrian focus was being lost to business desires and it was a question of what was most appropriate.“We have to draw a line and this [policy] makes it fairer for all,” QLDC senior property advisor Aaron Burt said. The draft Outdoor Dining 2024 policy included a number of revisions of the previous policy, including a change from one-year licences to rent the public space to a three year term, refining the description of acceptable furniture and highlighting the likelihood of these outdoor areas becoming smokefree and vapefree.Although the policy acknowledges that outdoor dining has a significant public benefit - providing vibrant town centres and safer environments with extra lighting and night activity - it also stated there is significant commercial benefit to a business which is able to extend its footprint with outdoor dining.As a result, the rental payable for outdoor dining areas, last set five years ago, has increased to align with current market rentals. In Wānaka that fee is currently $100/m2 for lakefront dining and $70/m2 for all other Wānaka areas. The new rental fee increases to $225/m2 and $125/m2 respectively. An independent valuation assessment was conducted, the council said, and the valuation is based on 30 percent of the indoor rental of adjoining properties.The rentals in Queenstown, particularly areas where businesses have benefitted from recent upgrades to the public thoroughfare, will be considerably higher at $600/m2 for lakefront reserve, for instance. As well as the annual commercial rental fee to occupy public land, the business must also pay an additional fee to cover the administrative costs associated with the licence to rent public land.The licence, now renewed every three years, will also cost more as the council seeks to recover more of its staff costs expended administering and enforcing the licences. A new licence application will increase from $250 to $450; an amended application from $100 to $250; and a renewed licence which was free will now cost $250.Wānaka councillor Lyal Cocks questioned how flexible the staff discretion on enforcing the rules might be, noting that, in some cases, some footpaths in Wānaka weren’t wide enough to enforce a 3m-wide pedestrian thoroughfare and maintain well-established outdoor dining.He also questioned why the annual rental fee didn’t align with the three year licence to occupy, thereby providing certainty for businesses that the rental fees would remain the same over a three year period rather than being reviewed annually.Currently, the QLDC issues about 50 licences to rent outdoor spaces for dining annually, generating a revenue of about $160,000.Despite the opposition of three councillors (Niki Gladding, Lisa Guy and Matt Wong) the new policy was approved by the remaining elected members and enacted on May 2, 2024.PHOTOS: Wānaka App

Otago Regional Council (ORC) has reminded people that air quality often degrades during winter due to increased domestic heating emissions, cold calm weather, and the occurrence of inversion layers.Given the frequency of home heating emissions in our air quality data, ORC runs an annual Burn Dry, Breathe Easy campaign to highlight better ways to manage home heating emissions, including ensuring that wood is dry before burning, and not burning rubbish in domestic appliances. “Woodsmoke pollution can be reduced when residents burn only dry wood and keep their fire hot and not smouldering,” ORC air scientist Sarah Harrison said.“Further woodsmoke reductions could potentially be made through thermally efficient homes with good insulation. “Everyone has responsibilities whether at home or as landowners, industry, or businesses to play their part in improving air quality,” she said. ORC said it hoped the campaign would encourage residents to think about the health of their families and community and use wood burners responsibly, or consider the installation of ultra-low emission burners or heat pumps.Several air quality reports recently presented to ORC outline the current state of the environment when it comes to air quality.The Annual Air Quality Report 2023 outlined monitoring efforts over the past year and compared data gathered against the current National Environmental Standards for Air Quality (NESAQ) limit.The annual report noted improvements being made to the State of the Environment monitoring network to include monitoring for PM2.5 particles which are smaller and can be harmful to health. Last winter Otago recorded only 17 exceedances of the NESAQ for PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres) during the winter months in 2023. In Otago, the main source of PM is home heating emissions in winter. Long term exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) contribute to the risks of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.Recent research provides evidence that air pollution is dangerous at lower concentrations than previously thought and supports the lowering of existing guidelines.Significant reductions in emissions are required to meet the NESAQ for PM10 in many Otago towns.PM2.5 was monitored in Wānaka, Arrowtown, Central Dunedin, Clyde, Cromwell, and Milton, with Arrowtown, followed by Milton, having the highest annual and winter average concentrations.ORC’s State of the Environment monitoring network is currently being upgraded to include PM2.5 monitoring.  ORC also ran a number of spatial studies last year in Hāwea, Luggate, Ranfurly, Kingston, Oamaru, and South Dunedin, using temporary sensors to understand more about the spatial variation of particulate matter.Sarah said the information from these studies can be used to help identify potential future locations for further monitoring.PHOTO: Wānaka App

Colin Monteath has been named the recipient of the Nankervis/Bamford NZ Mountain Book of the Year 2024 for his book Erebus The Ice Dragon: A Portrait of an Antarctic Volcano. The $2,000 grand prize is awarded in the NZ Mountain Book Competition as part of the long-running NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival. The Nankervis/Bamford prize is awarded to the book that brings the mountain experience into the hearts and minds of the reader.Accomplished photographer and writer Colin Monteath has 32 seasons in Antarctica under his belt and made the first descent into the inner crater of Erebus. The book weaves together history, science, art and adventure, supported by images Colin has taken over his lifetime of working in the region.Colin will be speaking at the NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival in Wānaka on Monday June 24. The Heritage Award goes to Desmond Bovey for his book Tongariro National Park: An Artist's Field Guide. The judges described Desmond’s book as “magical, detailed and pretty, with immense value as a guide and companion for mountain walkers and nature artists”. Victoria Bruce took out the Narrative Award for her book Adventures with Emilie: Taking on Te Araroa Trail in 138 Life-changing Days. Victoria took on the ‘Long Path’ with her seven-year-old daughter and her book is an honest story of complex post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and how her outdoor challenges helped her to face her past and forge a new direction in life. Victoria will also be a guest speaker during the festival in Wānaka.  "Reading through this year's Mountain Book Festival entries was a pleasure, narrowing down a list of finalists was hard yakka,” head judge Laura Williamson said.“Every book stood out in its own way. In the end, the winners stood out even more, each approaching our wild places and the people who explore them in new and profound ways.”The NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival will run in Wānaka from June 21 to 25, in Queenstown June 27 to 28, and films will be available to watch online in NZ and Australia throughout July. The festival’s literary events include guest speakers, author readings, book signings and book launches. The full festival programme will be launched on May 21.

Brothels might be permitted to operate over a much larger area in the centre of Wānaka if the proposal for a new draft Brothel Control Bylaw goes ahead.A review of the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) Brothel Control Bylaw 2017 is underway and setting new parameters to permit brothels was raised at a full council meeting on Thursday (May 2).Public feedback received last year at the start of the review process challenged the current bylaw as being too restrictive.NZ Health Te Whatu Ora Southern and NZPC: Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers’ Collective opposed the current “too restrictive” bylaw saying its geographical parameters had “the potential to detrimentally affect sex workers in the district, specifically small owner-operated brothels that typically operate out of residential dwellings”.They also said the bylaw should be repealed, which has occurred in many other districts, as the QLDC could regulate brothels as a commercial activity under its District Plan.At Thursday’s meeting, councillors were presented with a proposed draft Brothel Control Bylaw 2024 which recommended a hugely expanded geographical area in the centres of Queenstown and Wānaka in which a brothel would be a permitted activity.After discussion however, councillors decided to reduce the large area in each town centre to a smaller space, which would still more than double the current capacity as described in the present 2017 bylaw. For Wānaka that means expanding the area where brothels are permitted beyond the current two blocks closest to the lake (bounded by Ardmore, Dungarvon and Dunmore Streets) by adding two more blocks, extending a new proposed boundary through to Brownston Street.Councillors also debated the new wording of the purpose of the bylaw. Councillor Niki Gladding questioned why the purpose of the draft bylaw had to “meet community demands for service” and councillor Matt Wong questioned why the bylaw did not address concerns about brothels operating near to “sensitive” community sites, such as schools and churches. Council staff said these were issues which could be raised through the current public submissions process.The recommendation to endorse the draft Brothel Bylaw 2024 and take the draft bylaw to public consultation was approved by all but one councillor.Voting against it, Wānaka councillor Lyal Cocks questioned why the QLDC was continuing with an archaic bylaw format especially as there were no registered brothels in the district since 2013.“Why do we have a bylaw to control something which has no activity in the district. We should be managing brothels in the same way as we manage all other small businesses through the District Plan,” he said.His motion to let the bylaw lapse and manage brothels via the District Plan received no support.Councillors Cody Tucker, Melissa White, Craig Ferguson and Gavin Bartlett were appointed to form a hearings panel to consider public submissions of the new draft bylaw. Oral submissions will be heard on June 25.Public submissions on the new draft bylaw can be made online here. Submissions close in a month at 5:00pm on June 5.PHOTO: Supplied

The Maunga Wāhine Project, Snow Sports New Zealand’s women and girls’ strategy, has officially launched with a nationwide survey.  Snow Sports NZ Maunga Wāhine project manager Louise Johnson is calling all women and girls over the age of 12 who have competed in snow sports in the past, or are still competing now, to take part in the survey. “It’s important the Maunga Wāhine project is created by women and girls, for women and girls,” she said.“For our work to have the greatest impact we need to really understand the experience women and girls have in competitive snow sports, what’s working well, and what needs to change.” The purpose of the Maunga Wāhine Project is to ensure girls and women feel welcomed in competitive snow sports, and thrive regardless of their aspirations.  It focuses on female athletes and coaches and the survey is aimed at current and former female athletes who have competed in any snow sports discipline in New Zealand.  Female coaches will be surveyed at a later stage in the project.  Alpine ski racer Mikayla Smyth said it was important for the longevity of the snow sports to encourage young girls and women.“Making young girls feel like they can achieve anything they set out to do will lay the foundations of female snow sports athletes for the next generations to come and I can’t wait to see the impact of this project,” she said.Two-time Winter Olympian, professional freeskier and ski guide Janina Kuzma said “by defining success, providing tailored support, and nurturing coaching talent, it will help break barriers and open doors to exciting opportunities, shaping a more inclusive and equitable future for all”.  Those who complete the survey will be in with a chance to win a $400 Outside Sports voucher. Find more information about the Maunga Wāhine Project here.

New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (MSC) has joined forces with Te Tari Pūreke - Firearms Safety Authority and Fish & Game to stress the importance of safety this duck hunting season. An estimated 60,000 New Zealanders are expected to take part in the much-anticipated opening weekend (starting today, Saturday May 4), including locals, who can expect “positive” mallard numbers according to a recent Fish & Game count.Read more: Long-term mallard trend positive as duck shooting season looms“Hunters will have put in a lot of work to ensure they’re all set for a safe hunting season,” MSC chief executive Mike Daisley said. “We’re reminding them to continue to keep safety front of mind, so that everyone will make it home safe at the end of the day.” Mike said safe firearm practices are a crucial part of the equation for all game bird hunting, and particularly for the busy opening weekend for duck hunting season. Overall, game bird hunters in New Zealand have an improving safety record, as shown by MSC analysis of ACC injury claims data. To continue this downward trend, MSC, Te Tari Pūreke and Fish & Game are urging duck hunters to always follow good firearms safety practices in and around the maimai.“Getting a good bag of ducks and having a safe and enjoyable day hunting has nothing to do with luck,” Te Tari Pūreke director of partnerships Mike McIlraith said. He says everyone in the maimai should agree in advance on their safe firing zones, and then stick to them. “Duck hunters should be aware of where everyone is in the maimai and always point their firearms away from other people and themselves. If there are more hunters than can safely shoot at once, agree to take turns throughout the day.” Following the basics of safe firearm use can also help prevent an accident, he said. “Treat every firearm in the maimai as loaded, always point firearms in a safe direction with your finger off the trigger and have control of the shotgun at all times.” Fish & Game also encourages hunters to follow the advice of firearms safety experts.“When you’re not using your firearm, make sure it’s unloaded, and then stow it in a holder with the muzzle pointing in a safe direction,” Fish & Game operations advisor Richie Cosgrove said.“This prevents the firearm from sliding or being knocked over and accidentally going off. When you finish hunting for the day, unload your firearm and lock it away.” Mike said there hunters should also look out for each other by making sure everyone takes regular breaks to avoid getting tired and then making mistakes, saving alcoholic drinks until after the hunt when all firearms are safely stored away, and wearing ear and eye protection. In Otago, the game bird hunting season begins today (Saturday May 4) and ends on July 28.The seven simple firearms safety rules:Treat every firearm as loadedAlways point firearms in a safe directionChamber a cartridge only when ready to fireIdentify your target beyond all doubtCheck your firing zoneStore and transport firearms and ammunition safelyAvoid alcohol or drugs when handling firearms. PHOTO: Wānaka App

A “healthcare district” planned for Wānaka’s Three Parks may be submitted through the government’s new Fast-track Approvals scheme.Roa chief executive Mike Saegers told the Wānaka App yesterday (Thursday, May 2) that the Wānaka based property investment company “shares the community’s concerns about the lack of healthcare facilities available locally”.“We are well advanced in progressing options to address this, including investigating how the government’s proposed Fast-track Approvals regime may assist.” He said the details of the planned “healthcare district” remained commercially sensitive.A Roa spokesperson told the Wānaka App last month the company “has significant plans for a health district at Three Parks, across the road from where Aspiring House will be situated”.Roa CEO Mike SaegersThe 19.5 metre tall Aspiring House was approved by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) in April and will be sited on the corner of Sir Tim Wallis Drive and Deering Street in Three Parks. Go deeper:QLDC approves 19 metre high ‘Aspiring House’‘Carbon zero’ development billed for Three ParksWānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board chair Simon Telfer told the Wānaka App he had been fortunate to see the plan for the precinct.“The emphasis on high performance design and prioritisation for people walking and relaxing is amazing,” he said.“It looks so progressive and inviting. If this becomes the benchmark standard of development in Three Parks I do seriously worry about the long term attractiveness of the town centre as a retail and services destination.”The government says a broad range of activities (including infrastructure, renewable energy, housing and mining) will have access to the Fast-track Approvals process.Organisations can apply to have their project fast-tracked by joint ministers (the ministers for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) who will make the decision.Waitaki MP Miles Anderson told the Wānaka App this week that “regardless of what people think, the fast tracking doesn’t mean they will avoid any [ecological assessment], it just means those consents are put into one pile and are all looked at at once rather than going through a years-long process”. IMAGES: Supplied

The ownership and management of the council’s five rental houses for senior residents in Wānaka is up for public debate with a recommendation the housing be transferred to the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT).Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has indicated it wants to transfer the ownership and operational responsibility of its nine rental properties used to house eligible elderly residents in Wānaka and Arrowtown as proposed by QLCHT.At a full QLDC meeting in Wānaka yesterday (Thursday, May 2), councillors approved a recommendation to seek public feedback on the QLCHT’s proposal to transfer the title of land on the five senior residents rental properties in Wānaka and lease the four seniors’ units in Arrowtown to the QLCHT.The proposal suggests a 20 year “peppercorn” lease at $1 per year for the Arrowtown units, which are not freehold, and the transfer of titles of the Wānaka freehold units to QLCHT for $1. The bare land purchased by the QLCHT for future rental housing sits adjacent to the council’s rental units for senior residents at the corner of McDougall and Upton Streets. PHOTO: SuppliedThe market value of the Wānaka land has been assessed at $2,250,000 but the QLCHT has advised it doesn’t have the capacity to purchase the Wānaka properties at market value. If the proposal goes ahead, the QLCHT (which already has 45 eligible seniors waiting for suitable rentals) said the units would remain in permanent community ownership and only be used for the QLCHT’s senior housing rental programme.  QLCHT has plans to expand its senior housing portfolio and 18 months ago purchased land beside the five council owned seniors’ rental units at the corner of Upton and McDougall Streets. Should the proposal to acquire the council owned units be approved, QLCHT aims to build a total of 12 one-bedroom units across the two sites.The units, all but one of which were recently upgraded to meet “healthy homes” requirements, are all currently tenanted but have operated at a loss to ratepayers for some years.The proposal includes details of how the current tenants would be cared for throughout the process of changing ownership and rebuilding.The councillors were advised of the pros and cons of the proposal, which included the units being managed by a suitably qualified tenancy organisation, reducing the cost to ratepayers to manage and maintain the housing, and enabling QLCHT to redevelop the land and increase seniors’ rental housing in Wānaka from five units to 12. The elderly housing units are listed as a strategic QLDC asset and the future use and management of these units, including any transfer to the QLCHT, requires public consultation, submissions and a hearing. The elected members voted unanimously in favour of the recommendations to adopt the proposal, authorise public consultation and appoint councillors Niki Gladding, Matt Wong and Lisa Guy to sit on the hearing panel.QLDC chief executive Mike Theelen said the council has no plans at this stage to divest its other rental properties but their future would be considered in an upcoming Strategic Plan review.

Sir Sam Neil, Helen Clark ONZ, Justine Cormack DMA, Rima Te Wiata MNZM and Sir Ian Taylor are the new ambassadors for the proposed Wānaka Performance Arts and Cultural Centre project.Plans for the proposed facility include a 500-seat performing arts theatre, a smaller 120 seat rehearsal theatre/dance studio, and a visual arts gallery and foyer space to allow for functions and conferences. The line up of ambassadors was revealed to Queenstown Lakes District councillors yesterday (Thursday May 2) at a lunch with the Wānaka Arts Centre Trust (WACT).WACT chair Michael Sidey told the Wānaka App the trust had put in a lot of work and secured “high quality ambassadors” for the project. “The response I think was very positive,” he said.Michael said WACT has asked QLDC to gift a site for the facility.“If they gift us the site we know then we have a project they are interested in,” he said.WACT intends to fundraise $30M for the project and to ask council for $40M.‘High quality’ ambassadors supporting the project are Sir Sam Neil, Helen Clark ONZ, Justine Cormack DMA, Rima Te Wiata MNZM and Sir Ian Taylor. Michael would not be drawn on the preferred site for the proposed facility, telling the Wānaka App it was a greenfield site and the number one choice from sites investigated (an investigation which considered site ownership, legal status and zoning, size, prominence, access, proximity to restaurant and cafés, and more).The top sites identified included two sites at Three Parks, the A&P showgrounds, Lismore Park, and Eely Point. Golf Course Corner was also considered but was no longer an option, Michael said.Councillor Lyal Cocks attended the presentation and said it was “great to meet the trustees”.“It was an excellent presentation and the other councillors I spoke to were suitably impressed the project was already well down track,” he said.Lyal said he preferred a greenfields site at Three Parks for the facility “as it was co-located with other community facilities and infrastructure such as car parking”.The presentation said Wānaka (home to 17,000 permanent residents) is a regional hub in the process of building a strong infrastructure for growth, and its population is projected to grow to  more than 50,000 within 20 years. “A feasibility study focusing on financial viability completed by Horwath HTL concluded that a  Performing and Visual Arts and Culture facility was viable,” it said.“We have the opportunity now to showcase and offer multiple options for leisure, cultural  education, entertainment and growth, for the future of our region, our country and the world.” IMAGES: Supplied

The woman behind a petition to stop the approval of a cell tower in central Lake Hāwea says she is “gutted” to learn Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has given it the green light.The council provided resource consent approval for the 12.5m high cell tower earlier this month, which applicants FortySouth and OneNZ said would provide “much needed improvements” as well as more capacity to meet growing demand for mobile services in Lake Hāwea.Darlene Thomson lives about 20 metres from the future cell tower site and her petition to prevent it from being installed has close to 200 signatures.She says she and some other members of the community have not stopped fighting. The Hāwea Community Association (HCA) chair Cherilyn Walthew is hoping to meet with mayor Glyn Lewers later this week to discuss the cell tower, and Darlene has asked for support from elected members, she said.“Failing that I am certainly not opposed to chaining myself to the fence on the day they come to erect it and others have indicated they will join me,” she told the Wānaka App.Darlene said the cell tower would obstruct her view of Mt Maude and cited “health reasons…., visual pollution and noise (in wind)” as other reasons she wanted it relocated.In 2020 Spark withdrew its application for a 15m high cell tower in Hāwea’s Peter Fraser Park following opposition from the residents, the HCA, and a legal challenge in the Environment Court.Darlene said she was disappointed not to have the opportunity to formally oppose this latest cell tower application and she said hers was the only household to be formally advised of the proposal.Her primary issue is the cell tower’s location: “There are so, so many other places it could go and not affect so many people,” she said.FortySouth said it had identified and ruled out a range of other sites, some because of lakefront and residential development underway, one because it was “very close” to Spark’s failed site, and another, Mt Maude, because the company was unable to secure a lease. “We acknowledge that some people do not want cell sites located near houses and away up on hills and out of sight, but new technology means the infrastructure now needs to be closer to users and in Lake Hawea’s case, the existing cell site coverage is also reaching its capacity,” FortySouth said in a statement shared with community members by councillor Cody Tucker.In QLDC’s summary of decisions on the application, a senior planner said the potential adverse visual and overshadowing effects on the environment were no more than minor, and said the same for the potential adverse effects on people.The facility will be operated in accordance with radiofrequency fields exposure levels regulations, they said.The HCA and Queenstown Lakes District Council were approached for comment.PHOTO: Supplied

A recent incident highlighted the importance of gun safety ahead of the start of the duck shooting season, Wānaka Police say.Wānaka Police senior sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts said the police was alerted to a firearm in a vehicle at Wānaka Airport by a member of the public.“The person had gone away and left the car unlocked and insecure with the gun inside,” Fi said.This type of behaviour is “completely irresponsible”, she said.Fi noted that police can revoke firearms licences in certain instances and any actions a licence holder takes can put them “under scrutiny”.Wānaka police are looking into the airport case.Fi reiterated gun safety advice with the duck shooting season opening this Saturday (May 4).“Fifty percent of injuries related to bird hunting happen on the opening weekend,” she said.Hunters should remember the safety rules around firearms.They are: “treat all firearms as loaded; safe direction; chamber a round only when ready to fire; identify your target - recheck; check your firing zone (what if I miss?); storage and transport firearms safely; and avoid drugs/alcohol,” Fi said.Fi said “great numbers” attended the various ANZAC Day ceremonies last week.She said she was “super impressed with the Mt Aspiring College students” who spoke, and their “thoughtful messages”.One arrest was made in Wānaka during the walk from the Wānaka Community Hub up to the Cenotaph.The person was “called out” by a member of the public for their behaviour.“They didn’t listen to the warning and were arrested for disorderly conduct,” Fi said.Fi said road policing continues to be a priority for Wānaka Police and residents should expect to see police patrols anywhere, anytime.Call 111 when you need an emergency response from police, fire or ambulance.Call 105 to report things that don’t need urgent police assistance.Call *555 to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening.To make an anonymous crime report contact Crime Stoppers.PHOTO: Wānaka App