Work is underway to remove the poplars and willows for the $1.6 million Riverside Park development in Alexandra.The tree clearing is a collaboration between the Central Otago District Council (CODC) and the Otago Regional Council (ORC).  Riverside Park Trust chairman Rory Mclellan said it was great being able to walk down to the end of Tarbert St and see the riverside project getting underway. “Even better, we’ll be seeing the vista of the Clutha/Mata-au and Manuherekia rivers open up before my eyes.“It’s been a long time since people could look across to the Roxburgh canyon from this angle, because of the trees,” he said. "It’s going to be so good seeing this area get cleaned up and utilised.”He said the tree removal project was a great example of cooperation, “that the two councils can work together with us as a community to get this preliminary work done,” he said.CODC is working closely with mana whenua-owned organisation Aukaha to promote kaitiakitaka, the mana whenua value of environmental stewardship. Aukaha has provided a Kāi Tahu cultural design integration that reflects Kāi Tahu values, narratives and traditional place names specific to the area."Kaitiakitaka is a world view for takata whenua in that we have a role to protect the mauri or life force of our natural environment. By removing these introduced species (poplars and willows), we have an opportunity to restore the awa, rebalance the ecosystem and encourage wildlife back to this scenic spot," an Aukaha spokesperson said.  ORC river engineer Scott Liddell said the tree removal had already been on the ORC’s works schedule.“ORC had vegetation removal planned in this riverside area as part of ongoing maintenance. The timing of this was changed to fit with the project which will contribute to connectivity to the river.”The carpark will remain closed for the next week while the tree work takes place.The site itself is of cultural importance to mana whenua. Kāmoanahaehae is the name of the junction of the rivers Manuherekia and Mata-au, and a way finding marker in the path of the Mata-au system.Work recently commenced on stage one of the project, which includes formation of a new entry to The Warehouse carpark. Anderson Fencing and Earthworks together with their landscape architect Neville Stewart Landscaping as construction partner won the council’s open tender to design and complete the work.A new plaza area will feature seating, shade trees, and a river access pathway leading off a viewing platform overlooking the confluence of the two rivers.A 6m high sculpture or pou whenua will be commissioned to welcome visitors to the area, with the aim of drawing their attention to Kopuwai on the Old Man Range.

Repair superheroes are being called on for Central’s newest workshop designed to keep items from landfill.The upcoming Repair and Care event, being planned by Central Otago REAP in conjunction with Central Otago District Council, will take place at Alexandra’s Community House on November 2, and organisers are now looking for volunteers to assist.While the event aims to help people repair their well-loved items, it was also about guiding people on ensuring longevity of their possessions before something was too far gone to salvage.Emma McLean, of Central Otago REAP, wants to hear from experts in various fields, who would be keen to host mini workshops on the day, including people who were skilled at barbecue and lawnmower maintenance and car care.She also hoped to have people register who knew how to sharpen tools and knives, repair books, and those who could darn socks, mend or alter clothing and tend to electrical items.Soil maintenance was also an area she hoped someone could help with, by talking to people about how they could add nutrients back into the ground to help boost growth, particularly when it comes to their vegetable garden.Emma said while some people were already on board, she hoped more would get in touch over the coming weeks.“It’s about looking after what you have already and not just material things.“We really want to get people to connect with us and share their skills and passions,” she said.“The callout at the moment is for volunteers to come and be part of the day, either if they are happy to run a little workshop or one-on-one, supporting people to fix their items.”Click here to register your interest as a volunteer.

Funding cuts over the past two years has meant the Central Otago Wilding Conifer Control Group has had to defer 34 of its maintenance projects.Project manager Pete Oswald spoke to the Otago Regional Council last week about the group’s progress, and while they have made huge gains over the past 10 years, lack of funding was putting the project at risk.“If we fail, we stand to lose more than most other districts because of the vulnerability of our landscape to a dominance by conifer species.” He said project complexity has increased as they get into the difficult areas remaining. The implementation of long-term strategies has helped move these difficult areas forward. The group has spent $363,435 in funding over the past year on 13 projects within Central Otago, including Loganburn and Contorta shelter belts in the Maniototo, and areas around St Bathans and Naseby.A total of 5,811ha has been controlled, with 111,043 conifers destroyed in the operation.Pete said as they continued to build a bigger picture of the wilding spread within the district, the issues have been worse than expected, due to numerous factors, including plantings reaching coning age, and an increasing vulnerability of landscapes to invasion.“There remains a number of significant challenges that hinder progress such as a small handful of landowners not willing to do adequate control work or make the necessary contribution.”But a good example of landowner co-operation was at Dunstan Burn where the landowner has moved away from a plan to let 250 hectares of previously logged wildings re-wild into conifers, and agreed on a plan to permanently convert to pasture capable of high stock pressure.Pete said plantation forestry remained a source of wilding spread in many areas. “Long distant spread due to periodic high velocity wind events appears to be underestimated by most and is a major problem in our district with its vast vulnerable landscapes.” He said it appeared they were making significant gains with increasing awareness of the wilding conifer issue amongst the public. “Any resistance observed has been in how wilding control should be done and not if it should be done.”The group is hoping to secure an increase in baseline funding soon, so they can address the current challenges over time. 

The Hawkeswood Mining company has been forced to pay back royalties to the Crown and make a donation to charity, after illegally mining at Millers Flat before its permit had been granted.In April, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) filed charges in the Dunedin District Court against the company, when it was found to have conducted gold mining on a permit that only allowed exploration activities – an offence under the Crown Minerals Act 1991.The mining company refutes the claims and said MBIE was “aggressively” targeting illegal operations, and felt they had been mistakenly targeted.Hawkeswood Mining operations manager Simon Johnston said the company initiated what they considered an exploration test pit project in November 2022. The Hawkeswood dredge ready for operation. PHOTO: SuppliedFrom their perspective, its permit covered the scope of the test pitting activities being undertaken. “However, MBIE interpreted the scale of our test pit differently, classifying it as mining rather than exploration due to the volume of material involved,” he said.In a statement by MBIE, it said a diversion agreement delivered a resolution that benefited all parties, including reparation to the local community.New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals national manager of compliance Phil Latimer said the vast majority of its mining operators here in New Zealand understand and meet their responsibilities but unfortunately, as with every sector, there are a few exceptions. “An exploration permit grants the right to explore for identified minerals to evaluate the viability of mining those resources. Typically, the types of activities involved aren’t significantly invasive.“We became aware that Hawkeswood Mining had been mining prior to being granted a mining permit when we saw satellite imagery of the site showing large-scale opencast mining. At the time Hawkeswood Mining had an exploration permit," he said.“Following an investigation, which included detailed site analysis by ministry geologists, we discovered the company had screened a large volume of material and recovered a considerable amount of gold. The work was of a nature and scale not authorised by an exploration permit."New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is seeing an increasing number of operators undertaking mining activity under exploration permits. Three operators are currently before the courts on charges related to illegal mining.“We are a fair regulator, and we are focused on supporting the sector to get to work but make no mistake, there is no room for cowboys in our sector,” Phil said.“To their credit, once MBIE became involved Hawkeswood Mining took no further action at the mine, and engaged positively with the investigation, and has now accepted responsibility for the offending.”Simon said while the company took some responsibility for its “shortcomings,” he’d observed significant changes in the consenting processes across New Zealand since 2020.“I strongly believe that it's critical to thoroughly understand the resource in the ground, especially for a project of this magnitude like the Millers Flat alluvial project, before proceeding with the expensive and lengthy consenting processes. “It is my view that MBIE currently lacks a clear method for quantifying the specific volume that distinguishes test pitting from illegal mining, and this has unfortunately led to our situation. “The reality is, I stand by the fact that we were not illegally mining. The size and scope of our test pit were necessary to properly explore the alluvial resource and mining methodology at Millers Flat.”

Rising river levels and surface flooding have left parts of Central inaccessible this morning.Affected roads are in Omakau, Oturehua and Ranfurly.Roads affected in the area include:Auripo Rd, no access from house 843 to Thurlow RdBoundary Rd from Auripo to Ida Valley Rd closedDanseys Pass is now closed from McCready Rd, resident access only.Ida Valley Omakau Rd closed at the Omakau Bridge, viable detour for light vehicles via Swindon St, Ophir, using the Daniel O'Connell Bridge. Heavy Vehicles please use SH85. Reef Rd, OturehuaBrindson Rd, RanfurlyWhile surface flooding is the cause of many closures, Delta Services has requested the closure of Ida Valley Omakau Rd at the Omakau Bridge while they stabilise some power poles.Omakau and Ophir are also on a boil water notice, while Ranfurly and Naseby remain on existing notices.All water in the affected townships, which is used for drinking, food preparation, cooking and brushing teeth should be boiled until further notice.A boil water notice warning greets people travelling into Omakau, where the Manuherikia River can be seen raging in the background. PHOTO: The Central AppPeople must bring water to a rolling boil for at least a minute before letting it cool naturally.Water tankers are in place at the Omakau Domain and on Swindon St, Ophir, for anyone who wants to avoid using either of the town’s supplies.Patearoa is on a conserve water notice.A fast-flowing Manuherikia River, as seen from the historic Daniel O'Connell Bridge. PHOTO: The Central AppThe river at the other end of Omakau, where a crew from Delta are working on a power pole. PHOTO: The Central AppMetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said heavy rain in some parts of the district has well surpassed that of its usual average rainfall for October, which is about 30mm to 60mm.In the past 60 hours Wedderburn has had 123.2mm and Danseys Pass 104.4mm.Steady falls have also seen Lindis Pass get 65.2mm of rain over that same period, while Lauder has had 51.7mm, Ranfurly 49.5mm, Cromwell 47.1mm, Roxburgh 44.8mm and Alexandra 25mm.He said more rain was in the forecast today, but would ease overnight into Saturday for a dry weekend, and “even a bit of afternoon sunshine”.However, next week starts off with more wet weather.Flooded paddocks in the Maniototo will take some drying out. PHOTO: The Central AppThe Otago Central Rail Trail neighbours some of the flooded paddocks near Oturehua. PHOTO: The Central AppThe Manuherikia River is flowing high and fast. PHOTO: The Central AppShowers are expected for the region on Monday, followed by a band of rain pushing through on Tuesday.But, as the week progresses more fine weather will return as high pressure builds around the country.“As we move into the following week, [October] 14th-20th, the signal for low pressure stays to our north and west so Central Otago could be in for another mostly settled week, but it's spring so I wouldn't discount a front passing over from the southwest,” Lewis said.Click here for more information on boil water notices.The Central App also has Weather and Roads updates.

The Cromwell Parkburn residential subdivision has passed another hurdle, with the Central Otago District Council approving the decision for the private plan change, which will now be publicly notified.Plan Change 21 (PC21) is a private plan change by Fulton Hogan, which was approved in August by an independent hearings panel to rezone about 120 hectares of land at its Parkburn quarry. The site is bordered to the west by SH6 and adjoins Lake Dunstan to the east, while the boundary to the south is the edge of the current urban area of the Pisa Moorings settlement. The panel approved 81.15ha of land to low density residential, a further 10.09ha as medium density residential, 4.72ha of land to new business as well as 2.32ha and an additional 22.28ha of land to new industrial.Once completed, the new business resource area will provide for convenience retail activities serving the local community within the area. Fourteen original submissions and three further submissions were received in response to the notification of PC21.Seven original submissions were in support, three were neutral and four were opposed.In its decision, the panel noted that a key driver for PC21 was to respond to an identified shortfall in residential housing supply in the wider Cromwell area.Evidence submitted to the hearing identified that in Pisa Moorings, sufficient supply would not be provided to meet projected demand in the absence of further areas, including the PC21 site, being zoned for residential development.The new development would give provision for up to 559 sections, while the new business area also provided for a small amount of commercial activity, so residents didn’t have to drive into Cromwell.The proposed plan change included the possible development of a residential lagoon area to provide waterfront amenities with a surface water connection to Lake Dunstan (Te Wairere).

Naseby is one step closer to becoming a certified dark sky reserve.The committee working to establish dark sky accreditation in the town has welcomed the addition of Plan Change 22 to the Central Otago District Plan, which supports the protection, maintenance and enhancement of the night sky from the adverse effects of lighting.While the Central Otago District Council notified the public earlier this year, of its decision to include Plan Change 22, it had to provide an opportunity for people to appeal its decision, but none were received.As a result, Plan Change 22 will come into effect tomorrow.Among those who have been working on the project is co-ordinator Jill Wolff, who was pleased with the outcome.“[I am] absolutely thrilled with where it’s at now. It’s looking like it’s back in our court now and it hasn’t been for quite some time,” she said.The group would now “get cracking” on the next stage, which includes updating its written application.Jill said its original application was sent away in about 2018, but the format has since changed.Photographs to illustrate how dark it is in Naseby, with “no big cities lighting up the horizon”, were among the elements that would be added, she said.They will be backed up with readings to show just how dark the area’s night sky is.Community development organisation Naseby Vision has been instrumental in ensuring the protection of the town’s night sky.As part of that process, it has been working with DarkSky International, formerly the International Dark-Sky Association, to meet official requirements.

Maniototo’s Fennessy Rd will soon be legalised ahead of an energy company’s plans to establish a solar farm in the area.Helios plans to construct a solar farm on land off Fennessy Rd, a process that would involve running electricity from the site and out to the wider network via an underground cable.However, while researching its plans, Helios realised the road, as formed, did not sit within the bounds of the legal road.Encroachment of the formed road through the upper half of the start of Fennessy Rd. IMAGE: CODCWhile the first 2.2 kilometres of Fennessy Rd is well formed, over two thirds of it encroaches onto neighbouring farmland. Less significant encroachments of the formed road occur at the corner before, and adjacent to the nearby Transpower substation. The issue was discussed at the recent Maniototo Community Board meeting, where it was decided it would legalise the start of Fennessy Rd, as formed, and stop part of the unformed legal road, in accordance with a range of conditions.An info graphic illustrates how the proposed solar farm would work. IMAGE: Supplied/HeliosThose conditions include Helios paying all easement and surveying costs and Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) fees, while Central Otago District Council (CODC) would pay LINZ accredited supplier’s costs.Each party would pay their own legal fees.The estimated cost to council would be about $8500 and Helios would need to spend about $20,000.Helios senior environmental planner Sarah Brooks said the organisation was pleased to hear the community board was in support of the concept.The consent application for the proposed solar farm has been filed and Helios was now working closely with CODC and other stakeholders, including Transpower, while awaiting notification.“While we're continuing to make good progress, we don't have a definitive date for notification at this stage, and timeframes around construction are contingent on first achieving resource consent,” she said.The selected site for the solar farm, between Naseby and Ranfurly, will be leased from two local farming families, covering 660 hectares of unirrigated land.It will generate enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of 70,000 homes annually.The land will continue to be used for farming, including grazing of stock under and around the solar panels.

The Alexandra Blossom Festival resulted in a quiet and well-managed weekend this year, thanks to increased security measures and the dedicated efforts of the Red Frogs crew.Red Frogs, a support programme for young people aged 13 to 30, had representatives in Pioneer Park last Friday night cooking pancakes for those who had flocked to the area following the Alexandra Blossom Festival's Mardi Gras.Representative Shannon Thomson said the Alexandra Blossom Festival committee first invited the organisation to help keep the park safe in 2019, and they’ve been coming back every year since.The volunteer organisation’s mission is to help combat a culture in New Zealand that is largely dominated by alcohol and other substances, often leading to dangerous and life-altering behaviours for young people.Alexandra Police confirmed it had become quite a tradition for underage drinkers to consume alcohol in Pioneer Park after the Mardi Gras, and extra security had been put in place to minimise that behaviour.This year had been surprisingly quiet and by 10.30pm the Red Frogs crew were able to start packing up their tent.Previous years had been a different story with some teenagers needing help sobering up and finding a way home right up until the early hours of the morning, with the Red Frogs on hand to offer food, water and a safe space until parents could be located.  This year huge lighting towers had also been brought into each corner of the park to keep the area well lit, and security officers as well as Māori wardens were patrolling the area as part of the harm prevention strategies.“We want to make it non-confrontational,” Shannon said.Alexandra Police acting sergeant Graham Perkins said the festival got the thumbs up from police with few incidents reported.“There was a bit of disorder, but it was minimal and sorted very quickly,” he said.Between Alexandra and Cromwell there were 2141 vehicles stopped by police at checkpoints, and only three people were processed for drink driving - and all were under 400mcg.Infringement notices were given to 25 drivers for various offences such as no seatbelts worn, and only four people were ticketed for drinking alcohol in a vehicle in a public place, while the liquor ban was in force.Three vehicles were green stickered for being too low in suspension and unroadworthy.Only one person was arrested for fighting in a public place on Friday night in Alexandra, and there was no trouble in Pioneer Park both evenings, he said.

A German tourist who had to be plucked out of the Clutha River on Sunday also managed to escape out the back of an ambulance on the way to hospital.Alexandra Police Acting Sergeant Graham Perkins said the 32-year-old man was picked up by two local jet skiers 2km south of the Alexandra bridge in a hyperthermic condition.After dropping his backpack off at Community House, the man went walking on the Millennium Track and decided to take his clothes off before entering the river.The two men that found him in a strong current said most of his head was submerged and he was very white. They managed to pull him up onto the back of the jet ski.Acting Sgt Perkins said ambulance and police were waiting near the boat ramp, and he was shaking severely and was initially incoherent because of the time spent in the cold water.“His body temperature had dropped drastically,” he said.One of the Otago Southland Rescue helicopters also arrived onsite, but a paramedic assessed him as suitable for transfer to Dunstan Hospital in an ambulance instead.Enroute to Dunstan Hospital the man managed to undo his seatbelt and when the ambulance pulled over and officers attempted to restrain him, he opened up the back door and took off naked towards the river again - near the Alexandra Golf Course.Realising he couldn’t get through because of the 4WD tracks and willows blocking the river access, he turned back and was arrested by police who had arrived on the scene.Acting Sgt Perkins said the man was transferred to Dunedin for a psychiatrist assessment.Family in Germany were also contacted.“He was very lucky to be found. I have big praise for the local jet skiers for their attention and observation,” Acting Sgt Perkins said.The second rescue helicopter that landed in Pioneer Park on Sunday was transferring a young motorbike rider to an ambulance so he could be taken to Dunstan Hospital, following an accident.

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan has announced he will be resigning at Labour Weekend.He made the announcement at 6.30pm, via a Facebook Live, saying it was “not an easy” decision to come to, but felt the time was right as he was not seeking a fourth term.“It’s really important to note that I’m not resigning at present because if that were the case it would trigger a by-election.”Instead, he plans to step down from his position on October 26, which would mean it would be up to the Central Otago councillors to decide who the next mayor would be.Mayor Tim said the timing also meant his departure would not interrupt the process of the upcoming 10 year plan.“With the Long Term Plan (LTP) cycles, every three years we do a 10 year plan and that involves a lot of work, and it also involves leading that plan.”That plan was usually done in the middle of a term, but as it worked out that plan would not be happening until June next year. “It made a lot more sense to me for the council and for the community, for me to step aside before that time and allow a new mayor to step into the office and lead that LTP and, hopefully, to lead beyond that LTP into the next term.”He understood the news had possibly come as a surprise to a lot of people, but it was a decision he had come to with the support of his family.Mayor Tim ended the Facebook Live saying he believed he was leaving the council in good hands and would “talk later because this isn’t easy”.He later followed that up with a post apologising for the “truncated ending to Facebook Live”.“What I would have said had I not been losing it a wee bit was that, alongside being a father of a blended family and a husband, being the mayor of this district has been the greatest privilege of my life. It has been an honour and a pleasure to have been in this role for the last eight years,” he said.“What I also would have said was the next bit, which is that we will be moving to Wellington. I will be taking up the role of Local Government engagement specialist at the Water Services Authority Taumata Arowai. I am looking forward to a new challenge, although leaving this magnificent place for a while is really going to hurt.”

The Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Service will use money from community donations to install a new webcam in Alexandra to help monitor weather conditions in the town.Trustee Stephen Woodhead and critical care paramedic and team leader Ross Kirkpatrick spoke to the Otago Regional Council (ORC) last week, and also presented its 2023-24 annual report.The rescue helicopter service had been slightly quieter than the 2022-2023 period, but there was still an ongoing high level of demand for the service, having responded with critical care for 1883 patients.Accident numbers decreased from 629 to 553, but medical emergencies were up slightly from 436 to 457, and hospital transfers from 935 to 941. Search and rescue missions decreased from 109 to 106.The Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust continued to co-fund the service $800,000 a year, along with a further $400,000 from the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust, through the Crown - The Ambulance Team (TAT) and Health NZ and ACC.Funding innovations such as the network of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) routes have been developed across the lower South Island over recent years. The IFR routes were nearly complete and provided connections through all the main valleys in Otago and Southland, enabling missions to be completed where poor visibility would otherwise preclude flying.The ORC is a major funder of the trust, donating $350,000 annually, and a further $1million was donated throughout the various communities.These included $30,000 from the Lions Club of Maniototo, $5000 from Alexandra Rotary, $3065 from the Otago Cavalcade and $31,500 from the Central Otago Winter Feed Competition.“The teams bring life-saving care to patients across the lower South Island 24/7, 365 days of the year. It is an expensive operation, and we are very grateful for the funding support provided,” Stephen said.ORC chair Gretchen Robertson said the report highlights the critical work the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust does for the region.“This is an important service that unquestionably saves lives every year. Otago is a large and geographically diverse area, and this service plays a critical role in helping patients across the region. The hundreds of patients cared for over the past year reinforces how valuable this service is for the people of Otago.”“I want to thank the trust, pilots and emergency response staff who play an important role in saving lives and helping our communities every day,” she said.

If there’s one thing Alexandra does well, it’s a Blossom Festival and this weekend was no exception.The week has been full of celebrations, from crowning of the Senior Queen to the Round the Clock Race and Mardi Gras on Friday, followed by the Grand Procession and Saturday in the Park, among much more.I joined the many thousands of people who flocked to the main street to watch the Grand Procession roll through town yesterday morning, an event that brought excitement to people of all ages.Onlookers get toots from truck drivers during the Grand Procession. VIDEO: The Central AppTruck drivers tooted, people riding bright coloured floats waved and, from where I was standing, everyone watching on was smiling.Yes, the weather can play a pivotal role in the success of these events, but nothing completes the jigsaw of a well-oiled festival than the committee who works tirelessly behind the scenes.It takes a lot of time and dedication, so if you know any of the committee members, please remember to acknowledge their efforts when you see them next. Also helping make the Alexandra Blossom Festival a success are the businesses who decorate their shop windows to brighten the town, polish their big rigs to join the procession, or set up a stall.And, then there’s the groups that spend countless hours decorating floats and florries.There’s also those who put themselves front and centre for roles such as Senior Queen, Prince and Princesses - something not everyone would find easy to do, I know I certainly wouldn't.Others have put their beautifully manicured gardens on show, adding another layer of charm to the festivities and not to mention pressure on the owners to keep them looking immaculate for the big day. The list goes on.While I can’t name everyone, please know that no matter what your involvement was during the 67th Alexandra Blossom Festival, your contribution did not go unnoticed and contributed to a fantastic week of events.Read more: Blossom festival royalty to feature in Grand ParadeRead more: Diverse artwork displayed at Blossom Festival exhibitionRead more: Delta Garden Tour to showcase spring beauty

Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes mayors are progressing a plan to maximise private money to improve health services across the regions.Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said in his monthly report to council this week, he was continuing to work alongside Queenstown Lakes Mayor Glyn Lewers and the three local MPs, with a specialist consultant on the issue.“The need across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes is palpable. Growth has far outstripped the already under-pressure hospitals we have locally.”Health New Zealand figures show that Dunstan and Lakes District hospitals need an additional 29 beds between them to achieve parity with other similar rural hospitals. Dunstan Hospital was 199 km from a tertiary hospital with specialist care, making it the second most isolated level three rural hospital in the country.Currently, Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago’s combined resident-only population is 79,000.Advocacy group Health Action Wānaka chair Monique Mayze said the communities were rapidly growing, and a lack of beds increased the risk of poor health outcomes for people.“We have 0.71 inpatient beds per 1000 people in the Dunstan and Lakes District hospitals catchments, while 1.2 inpatient beds per 1000 people is the average at other level three rural hospitals across the country.However, this was based on 2018 census data, so the disparity was actually much larger, she said.“While the West Coast is the most isolated in terms of distance to a tertiary hospital, it has a higher bed ratio to compensate. Similarly, Kaikoura is quite isolated but also has a higher bed ratio, while some rural areas such as Bay of Islands and Hawera have lower bed ratios but are closer to large hospitals."Monique said the Upper Clutha loses out on both counts with a lower bed ratio “and our significant distance from a large specialist hospital.”She said the ambulance service was also under pressure which meant patients were often moved between hospitals and could be at risk of being discharged early to free up the beds.“Lakes District Hospital is the publicly funded emergency department for our community, and with only 17 beds (12 general ward and five maternity), is unlikely to be able to meet demand of our community’s rapidly growing population along with the spikes in numbers due to visitors. “Meanwhile, the team at Dunstan Hospital is also under pressure because their 24 funded beds are often full. “We recognise that funding decisions need to be based on more than just population size and must be responsive to the particular needs of each community, however, we also believe this lack of funding reflects a larger trend of inequitable distribution of services to our region.”

Senior Queen Robyn Marshall is gearing up for her next big role - sitting front and centre in this year’s Alexandra Blossom Festival’s Grand Parade.Robyn, who has dedicated countless hours to community initiatives over the years, was this week named Senior Queen during a special ceremony to honour each of the five nominees.The four other nominees were Jo Ireland, who received the People’s Choice award, Bernie Butler, Jacqui Hood and runner-up Anne Dougherty.Now, with a few days to adjust to her new title, Robyn talked about her latest role on The Outlet podcast.She admits it was not the first time someone wanted to nominate her, but this year decided to welcome the opportunity, while representing the Clyde and Districts Lions Club.Robyn, who is a foundation member of the club, has also held the roles of president and catering convenor, among others.“It’s a delight to be able to help out our local community with the funds that we collect from the projects,” she said.However, her involvement with the lions club is not where her dedication to the community starts and ends.Robyn, a retired teacher, can still be found in the classroom supporting those who need assistance with reading and writing. She is also part of a knitting group, ensuring babies in the community are kept warm.Robyn will ride on the Contact Energy float on Saturday, one of her many roles throughout the Alexandra Blossom Festival.To follow the busy lineup of festivities, click on the festival's Programme via The Central App.Read more: Robyn Marshall crowned Senior Queen 2024Read more: Introducing Senior Queen nominees for 2024

One of Alexandra Blossom Festival’s first official events for 2024 kicked off on Wednesday night, with the annual Central Otago Art Society (COAS) exhibition.This year’s exhibition at Central Stories Art Gallery and Museum also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the society, and a special ‘Milestones’ category was included in the awards.The exhibition attracted 140 paintings from 50 different artists - both locally and from around the South Island.The Central Otago Art Society celebrated 50 years with a special cake at the art exhibition opening night on Wednesday.COAS trustee Judy Campbell said the first blossom festival art exhibition was held in 1963, at the old Alexandra swimming pool, and Denis Kent was one of the founding members.Now in his 80s, Denis was present at the awards and given a special mention, having entered every competition since the beginning, and picking up the Premier Award in 2011.COAS patron and founding member Denis Kent (right) and Clyde artist Maxine Williams share some memories.This year guest judge and renowned artist Nicola Bennett chose the winning pieces and spoke about her love of blossoms, having only just experienced her first spring in the town, after moving from Rotorua with her husband in January.An abstract artist who exhibits regularly from her gallery in Auckland, Nicola has been selling work internationally for the past eight years and was inspired by food and flavours, and the feelings they invoke.She said the art works she chose for the winning prizes in the exhibition were not necessarily the best works, “but they just spoke to me". "Art is hugely subjective,” she said.COAS trustee Dorothy Piper, of Roxburgh, was given the Premier Award for her magpie painting that was accompanied by a famous Denis Glover poem.Nicola described the three art works that Dorothy entered as “technically brilliant,” realist paintings that featured strong narratives.“I could’ve given the award to either of those works,” she said.Dorothy also won a Merit Award in 2019 and the Premier Award in 2020, and has been painting, mostly with water colours since she was a teenager.Sarah Freiburger, of Dunedin, was runner-up and the Elizabeth Stevens Memorial Award was given to Sue Stewart, of Alexandra.Kim Bungard, of Invercargill, won the special Milestones category, and two Highly Commended awards were given to local artists Fiona Hughes and Debbie Malcolm.The exhibition will be on at Central Stories Art Gallery and Museum daily until Friday October 4, concluding with the People’s Choice Award that night.Click on the 2024 Blossom Festival Art Exhibition listing on The Central App for more information.PHOTOS: The Central App

A Queenstown man convinced drivers coming over the Crown Range from Wānaka at 4am on Saturday, not to travel any further, after making up a story about a crash.Alexandra Police Senior Constable Graham Perkins said the man had come to police attention earlier in the week.He told drivers to pull over and shine their lights downhill because there had been an accident on the road, but that was not actually the case.The man then drove to Arrowtown and woke a family, telling them that aliens were coming.Police were called, but the man failed to stop and drove away back over the Crown Range towards Wānaka.Snr Const Perkins said road spikes were deployed, but he continued to drive at low speeds of between 5km/hr and 25km/h despite his vehicle having four tyres punctured. He eventually failed to take a corner and rolled his vehicle at 5:25am.He was arrested and taken back to Queenstown where mental health authorities were called. He faces a number of charges, including failing to stop for police.

Dangerous drivers and people driving while intoxicated continue to keep Central Otago police busy, including a man in Cromwell last Sunday caught six times over the legal limit.Senior Constable Graham Perkins said the Queenstown driver was coming to Cromwell to take his niece for a driving lesson, and was stopped by police on his third and subsequent drink driving charge.His excess breath alcohol level was 1612mcg.A 31-year-old Alexandra man was also caught on his motorbike drink driving last Saturday night, after travelling home along the Otago Central Rail Trail.Snr Const Perkins noticed the trail bike had no lights and the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet, when he signalled the man to pull over right outside his house.  He sped away towards the river and eventually fell off his motorbike when police pursued him - his motorbike also had no warrant of fitness or registration.He was charged with failing to stop and drink driving with an excess breath alcohol level of 851mcg, and had his motorbike impounded for six months.Ranfurly police ticketed 33 drivers over the past week, including a Chinese tourist who was caught travelling at 168km/hr in a 100km/hr zone.His passport was instantly seized, along with his driver's licence, and he was charged with dangerous driving.Another man was also caught speeding twice in one day, including at 130km/hr in the morning and at 114km/hr in the afternoon.In other police news, a 40-year-old Alexandra woman has been charged with supplying meth and cannabis on September 19, following a drug operation in the town.She was released on strict bail conditions, which includes a curfew and will appear in the Alexandra District Court next week.Read more: Police gear up for Alexandra Blossom Festival

There is good news in store from the weather forecasters ahead of this weekend’s Alexandra Blossom Festival.MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the bulk of the weekend has some “pleasant” weather in store.However, she said the day to look out for would be Friday.“On Thursday a weather system moves across, bringing rain and possible snow to surrounding hills. By Friday there may still be a few passing showers. Additionally, the temperatures are looking to be the coldest of the weekend with the afternoon only going up to around 11 degrees Celsius, and a chilly southwesterly breeze.”The weather outlook for this weekend's Alexandra Blossom Festival looks promising. PHOTO: MetServiceAs a result, people should wrap up warm for the Round the Clock Race and Mardi Gras on Friday evening.As the weekend progresses festival-goers can look forward to warmer temperatures as they prepare to enjoy everything on offer, including the Grand Parade along the streets of Alexandra, National Gold Panning Championships and the always popular Party in the Park, which all takes place on Saturday.The forecast also looks good for the Delta Garden Tour, which takes place on Sunday.“Saturday and Sunday boast mostly blue skies, maybe a few clouds floating past on Saturday and temperatures in the mid-teens,” Mmathapelo said.“Sunday looks to be the warmest day of the weekend with an afternoon temperature of around 18°C. That said, the mornings will be chilly, with some possible early cloud that breaks up after a few hours of sunshine, so best to wrap up warm with layers that can be easily removed later.”To keep up to date with all the latest Weather and the Alexandra Blossom Festival Programme download The Central App. The Central App also has a Blossom Festival section for everything you need to know about the event, from tickets to park map, stalls and food.There is a lot planned and we want to see everyone making the most of what it has to offer, so please share your photos with us so we can add them to our news on Tuesday. To do this you can go to the Blossom Festival section and click on 'share your pics'.Read more: Robyn Marshall crowned Senior Queen 2024Read more: Delta Garden Tour to showcase spring beauty