Cromwell Backpackers owner Darren Fox says he is struggling to offer people affordable housing, after his landlord increased his lease by $9000 a year.Speaking in the public forum of the Cromwell Community Board yesterday, Darren said the shortage of housing in the town was getting worse, and there were always people who resorted to living in their car.Now faced with having to put up his prices so he was not out of pocket, he questioned whether land could be opened up at the racecourse, and turned into a camping ground.The shortage of housing has been a problem across Central Otago, and Cromwell, in particular, for many years.But, some of the current short term options around Cromwell, such as The Chalets and Cairnmuir Camping Ground, were now being earmarked for bigger developments over the next few years.He warned members that if they did not do something soon, the town would just end up like Queenstown.“The gap needs to be filled now,” he told the meeting.Board members agreed more conversations should be had, and to address what the true needs of the community were.Cromwell Backpackers owner Darren Fox has raised his concerns around affordable housing in the town. PHOTO: SuppliedWhen contacted by the Central App after the meeting, Darren said he was also losing money by letting people stay at his backpackers for longer periods, “but hey, they need somewhere to live.”He said some of these people worked at the council themselves and were struggling to find long term accommodation.Operating the hostel for the past seven years, he said he often has to turn people away over the Christmas period, because many of the beds were taken up with seasonal workers.Listen to more here.Podcast

Spuds will be on the menu across Central Otago thanks to the generosity of an Invercargill potato grower.The farmer has donated 1.6ha of his crop to support agency Able Minds to help families across Otago and Southland this week.Invercargill staff held a team building day on Tuesday to dig and harvest the potatoes to be delivered around the city and further afield to Dunedin and Central Otago.The potatoes will be offered to the public from 9am on Thursday, October 26, from the back of a trailer outside Able Minds on Ashworth St until they are gone. The public is asked to take their own bucket or bag and is encouraged to give a gold coin donation.Able Minds chief executive Sarah Dowie said because Able Minds could mobilise fairly quickly and get the potatoes out to those who need them, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.“The cost-of-living crisis has affected many whānau across the district and potatoes are a versatile, nutritious vegetable that keeps tummies full."We are excited by this opportunity to help as many people as we can across the Otago/Southland region,” she said.Able Minds is a Charitable Trust with a mission to provide support to tangata whaiora who are affected by mental distress or addiction and their whānau in New Zealand.The goal is to provide individuals with the strength, skills and support they need for a better life experience at home, at work and in the community both now and into the future.Services include activity centres and peer support groups for those affected by mental distress, providing support and advocacy for the family and friends of a loved one affected by mental distress, wellbeing programmes for tamariki and rangatahi and suicide prevention.It also has a bereavement programme and provides supervised contact for those whānau experiencing challenges associated with separation.Able Minds has an office presence in Alexandra, Invercargill, Gore, Dunedin and Oamaru, offering a confidential, free and mobile service across the district. People can self-refer on www.able.org.nz or 0800 494 262.

Alexandra photographer Annemarie Hope-Cross will be celebrated next week during a talk about a new art book, which she collaborated on.Art and garden enthusiasts will be among those who will celebrate the late Annemarie, whose images of flowers from her garden are interwoven with Jenny Bornholdt's prose in the book, 'A garden is a long time'.Jenny, an award winning poet, will host the talk on Thursday, November 2. Annemarie lost her battle with cancer in December 2022, and a few days before she died she got to see the final proof of the book’s cover. Her husband Eric Schusser said when she got sick her photography was “a light in the dark”.A garden is a long time has 90 of Annemarie’s photos in it. PHOTO: Te Herenga Waka PressHe said the book had become a project of love for everyone who became involved with it.“We were working on it until 48 hours before she died.”When asked what he thought she would think of the book he said she would love it.“She would be very, very proud of her work, perplexed it’s happened and she’s the centre of attention. But, she’d be pleased it managed to be finished with so many people she values and loves being involved.”Eric said it has been very moving to have so many people organising a three pronged approach to celebrating the book and both his and Annemarie’s work, in their hometown.Poet Jenny is speaking at the Cover to Cover conversation event at The Packing Shed in Earnscleugh on Thursday, November 2 at 6pm. There is a small exhibition of both Eric and Annemaries’ work that will open at the Eade Gallery in Clyde the following night, November 3. Central Stories Art Gallery and Museum is also hosting a commemorative exhibition from November 15, until the end of January. Eric thanked Jenny, her husband Gregory O’Brien (Greg), Jan Bean, Rex and Melanie Eade, Paula Stephenson and Helena Heydelgar from Central Stories and the community in general for their support.Jenny and her husband spent 12 months in Alexandra in 2018 for the Henderson Arts Trust residency. During that time Annemarie, Eric, Jenny and Greg became friends.Te Herenga Waka University Press described the book as a “meditation on time, light and the spaces we all inhabit.”The book can be bought from independent bookstores, or from Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery, or at the Cover to Cover event. Read about Central Otago District Arts Trust and the literary event: Arts trust ‘in good heart’.

A round of golf for 186 people in Alexandra has raised $56,000 for Melanoma New Zealand. The fundraiser, called the Cockies and Tradies Golf Day, took place on Friday, something husband and wife Chris Flannery and Nicola (Nic) Jones have been working on for months.It was the second fundraising golf tournament for Melanoma NZ; the last one in 2021 netted over $80,000.The pair said they were stoked with the amount raised as it would allow Melanoma NZ to provide further patient support and keep raising awareness of the disease.Their involvement stems from Chris being diagnosed just before Christmas in 2019 with stage four metastatic melanoma.Nic said they were told he had three months to live. He’s had treatment, including immunotherapy drug Keytruda, radiotherapy and surgery to remove a tumour in his lymph nodes. He is currently taking another unfunded drug and doing well, Nic said.She’s also had melanoma removed herself so the family are advocating people to get regular check ups.“We want to promote melanoma awareness. Last time seven people got diagnosed after the tournament following the free check ups we offered.”Over the lunch period again this year, free skin checks were carried out by Dr Joost Breuk from Alexandra Family Medical. Golfers warming up on the putting green. PHOTO: SuppliedAttendees played Ambrose in teams of three, and each team teed off to a song of their choice adding a fun atmosphere to the start of play. The winners were Tussock’s boys; Graham Johnson (Tussock), Murray Rose and Colin Gray. Their team landed an impressive eleven birdies in a row.Chris (left) with the winning team ‘Tussock’s boys’. PHOTO: SuppliedMore than 1300 lamb cutlets were consumed on the day. PHOTO: Supplied Nic said she was grateful to friends and family for helping out with logistics, along with the Dunstan High School softball community for catering the dinner“Everyone is out there for 12 hours . . . and they all need to be fed, so there has been a bit to do. ”Chris said it was alarming that New Zealand has the highest death rates in the world from melanoma.“[NZ has] more than 6000 diagnoses annually and around 300 lives lost to melanoma each year. Although 70% of cases occur in individuals aged 50 and above, it is crucial to note that melanoma is the most common cancer among males aged 25 to 44.”After the social round of golf and dinner, a fundraising auction and speeches were held, then prizegiving and the day finished at 8pm. For more information see Melanoma NZ.

Entertainers of all ages and an array of ethnic-style street food all made for another successful street party in the Cromwell Heritage Precinct on Sunday afternoon.Organised by the Cromwell & Districts Promotion Group (CDPG), the Fireworks and Street Party, with a multicultural twist, marked the beginning of spring and summer and attracted a huge crowd of both locals and visitors in town for the long weekend.New to the event this year was the Culture Corner - proudly supported by Cromwell Newcomers, featuring ethnic dancers, which was a strong drawcard.Sharon Smid from Cromwell Newcomers said it was exciting to be part of the event this year and to see it as the seed from which to grow.“Having involvement from some of our community groups, it better reflects the rich cultural fabric that is now Cromwell. We can only grow from this - it's very exciting.”People starting to gather for the popular Cromwell Fireworks and Street Party on Sunday. PHOTO: SuppliedCDPG marketing and communications manager Tanya Dennis said it was lovely to experience the connection between visitors and locals alike, across different age groups and cultures.“We are a changing community and the new multicultural element brings a platform for them to connect with us.”Cromwell has held a fireworks display annually in some shape or form for about 20 years, and several years ago the CDPG made it into a more formal event, in the heritage precinct.Labour Weekend also marks the beginning of the weekly Farmers Market, and Tanya said Old Cromwell “was abuzz with people out and about from sunrise to sunset.”

Matangi Station is on the market for the first time in just over a century, and co-owner John Sanders is blaming the past Labour Government for trying to “crucify” farms over the past five years.He said despite National now being in power, it had come too late for the Sanders family.“I’ll be almost 73 by the time they make any decent changes,” he said.Proud supporters of the Groundswell NZ movement, he said Labour had destroyed both dairy and sheep farming with too much red tape, and it was no longer a viable business for many people.The farm had diversified in recent years with a new mountain bike park (Matangi MTB), and he said it would be up to the new owners on whether they continued that or not.John’s son Brett and wife Helen currently look after that side of the business, and in 2023 hosted the ‘enduro’ section of the Crankworx Summer Series in New Zealand.Son Mark Sanders and family also work on the farm and third son Tony lives locally working for a stock company.John and Mary-Liz Sanders, of Matangi Station. John and wife Mary-Liz said they don’t yet know what their plans are once they sell the station."It could take at least 12 months,” he said.John’s grandfather acquired the Crown pastoral lease for the 11,400 hectare station in September 1923 - mainly focused on growing fine wool from a flock that traces back to the original Central Otago merinos of 160 years ago.Situated behind Alexandra’s clock on the hill, stretching through to Little Valley and back towards Roxburgh, Matangi was originally part of Galloway Station, one of Central Otago’s pioneer runs, which was first established by Scottish brothers Watson and Alexander Shennan in 1858, and divided up in 1916.Jack Sanders established the Matangi stud in 1940 when he bought half the stock from the dispersal of the Puketoi stud, first registered by pioneer Watson Shennan.Some of the stud’s original sheep came from the King of Prussia’s Saxony stud in 1862. John Sanders' family have owned Matangi Station for 100 years.Matangi wool ends up in fabric used by big names in the fashion world such as Hugo Boss, Ermenegildo Zegna, Armani, Ralph Lauren and Gucci.Brent Irving of PGG Wrightson Real Estate in Dunedin is marketing Matangi Station and has been involved with the Sanders for the past 40 years.“My personal relationship with the property and the Sanders family spans some 40 years, starting out marketing the Matangi wool clip. Offering this property to the market, giving another custodian the chance to start a new era in the history of such majestic country is an exciting privilege,” he said.“It’s quite unique and what we want to do after 100 years is put it to the market and allow the market and those interested to weigh up the options.”The station has a deadline private treaty which closes on December 7.National MP Joseph Mooney said, when contacted by The Central App, Matangi Station was a really special place farmed by an awesome family. “They are a fine example of a passionate intergenerational family that work hard to achieve so many outcomes.”He said the country has now chosen change and a Government that backs farmers “in a big way.”“Farmers are important for our communities and our economy, and we need a strong economy to pay for the public services that everyone wants. And, they deserve recognition for their efforts.“We have the world’s most carbon efficient farmers. They are quite phenomenal.”He said the Government needed to get out of farming and agreed there had been way too much red tape, that had made farmers lives incredibly difficult.PHOTOS: PGG Wrightson

The health facility being built in Alexandra has hit a milestone, with the building reaching its full height of about nine metres.HealthCentral is the anchor tenant for the new building and work is progressing well on site with seven to 10 staff from Breen Construction there daily. Breen Construction site manager Jeff Golden said they were “absolutely on target” with the project that is due to be completed mid 2024. “The ground floor windows are all in, we’re measuring the first floor windows next week and then due to install them the week of November 13.“The roof framing is next [along with] getting the roof done so the shell is closed in and things are watertight.”The building from Fox St. Subcontractors working on plumbing, electrical, and mechanical services (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) will soon be installing services and cabling inside the building, after the internal partitions are built.Jeff said it would get “busier and busier” in the days ahead with 20-35 people working on the build. “We’ll be gibbing the ground floor pre-Christmas . . . it’s all coming together.”The planned services will help primary tenant HealthCentral better meet the increasing demand for acute care as a result of population growth and increased visitors to Central Otago.In addition to the general practice, a number of other tenants including physiotherapy, mental health and wellbeing support, a pharmacy, dentist and a café are anticipated. The first floor, when finished, will have consultation rooms for specialists and health providers. The ground floor has two negative pressure isolation rooms, a cafe, and a pharmacy. Local company Breen Construction is contracted to deliver the project for Queenstown investment group Mackersy Property. Subcontractors from Central Otago and across the South Island are also involved, including Aotea Electric, Cooper Roofing, Foleys, Phoenix Steel, Rabbette Brick & Block and Rayners. Read more: Foundations poured for new HealthCentral buildingPHOTOS: The Central App

Children can take part in two fun activities coming up at Alexandra and Cromwell libraries; a teddy bear sleepover and Halloween session.For ‘The Great Teddy Bear Sleepover’ teddies can be dropped off on Friday October 27 between 4pm and 5pm and then collected the next morning at 10.30am.When children come to pick up their toys, there will be a bring your own picnic, along with a story time and chat about what the toys got up to overnight.On Halloween, children are invited to come along to the library in their favourite costume for some stories, songs, a craft activity and a treat. A spokesperson from Alexandra Library said the event would be not-too-spooky, but more about favourite book characters, sharing stories and enjoying being together.Bookings are required for the Halloween session on Tuesday October 31 from 3pm - 4.30pm. Under fives need to be accompanied by an adult.  With Halloween coming up, a Central Otago parent, has suggested households who welcome trick or treat visitors put out a balloon or decoration at the letterbox.A sleepover for teddy bears will soon be hosted at Alexandra and Cromwell libraries and a Halloween dress-up event will follow. PHOTO: Central App She said a sense of creative fun and community enjoyment could come out of Halloween, even if it was something that was a bit new to the district. For more information visit Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes Libraries What’s On page.Contact [email protected] or [email protected] if you have any questions.  

Age is no barrier for Alexandra and Cromwell's new swim coach.At 23 years old Ashleigh Rankin is young to be a head coach, but she’s bringing plenty of enthusiasm to the two local swimming squads she is coaching.She started swimming as a toddler in Wellington. Her mother, who was from the Philippines, wanted her children to be confident in the water so enrolled them in learn to swim classes.Ashleigh started competing at the age of seven for SwimZone Racing (SZR), formerly known as Watties Swim Club in Wellington’s Hutt Valley. She was top in her age group for a few years and raced in the national age group championships, specialising in butterfly events.“I hung up my togs in 2016, then started coaching at SZR in 2018.”She spent a year at the University of Canterbury in 2021, but it wasn't the right fit for her. With her family in Central Otago, and after lots of trips to spend time with them, she decided to move south with her partner, who is a bottler at Vin Pro, and their young baby. She was appointed coach for the Cromwell Swim Club first, and started in March.Ashleigh (front, centre) with some of the Cromwell squad. PHOTO: Supplied Alexandra Swim Club head coach Shane Allan was looking to step back after many years in the role, and he suggested she put herself forward for the role. Shane was named coach of the year by Swimming Otago in 2023 and 2020. “Shane is an amazing person as well as a coach. He really nurtures and looks after his swimmers. And not just his own swimmers, but swimmers from around the region . . . he's just legendary. So I've got big shoes to fill.”Ashleigh looked at the training schedules for both squads and luckily it all worked out.“In Alexandra it’s opposite times to what we have in Cromwell. It’s so challenging in this area to find steady coaches . . . everyone has been welcoming and I’m enjoying stepping into new territory.” Her goal is to get the youngsters to travel to more swim meets, possibly to the North Island once a year. “Over the term three school holidays we opened up a mini junior bootcamp to get the swimmers to mix and mingle . . . and it was a success.”Listen to Ashleigh on The Outlet.Read more: Alexandra Swimming Club scores regional awards.  

Roxburgh’s new community swimming pool should be open in early to mid December, just in time for summer.Teviot Valley Community Board member Sally Feinerman, the lead person for the Punawai Ora ‘Safe Water’ aquatics complex, told the monthly meeting yesterday, the original opening date was set for December 3, but it could be a few weeks after that.Coombes Aquatics and Breen Construction have been building the new 25m lane pool, learn to swim and toddlers pool, replacing the 89-year-old facility that was decommissioned on the same site.New changing rooms, office space and a plant room have also been added to the long-awaited pool project.The Roxburgh Pool commitee has worked hard over the past 16 years navigating numerous finance, planning and design challenges to successfully fundraise the $2.7 million needed for the project.Coombes Aquatics posted on its website in April that the tenacity of both community and school committee groups working on the pool project was astounding.“These hard working people, often holding down full time jobs, have busy families and still find the time to tirelessly fundraise, liaise with contractors and council to ensure their community/school pool projects not only survive, but thrive and become key assets for all to enjoy.”Teviot Valley Community Board chair Norman Dalley told the committee there had been a lot of talk in the town about the new pool, “and it was good to make that dream a reality.”Frames for the solar panels went up at the end of last month, which will also provide shade. PHOTO: SuppliedHe also noted the new life in the town with the construction of houses, and seasonal workers arriving on orchards.“It’s like watching the town open up like blossom. It’s just that time of year where things start to happen.”The town had a lot of community spirit “and people are working their hearts out,” he said.

Soft plastic recycling is making a return to Alexandra.Bread bags, bubble wrap and plastic wrappers can now be taken to Alexandra’s Countdown and The Warehouse, with a further site to be established at New World.Bins will be located at each participating site and welcomes the type of plastic that is not suitable for the Central Otago District Council kerbside recycling service.The initiative is a project by the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme, supported by AllWaste, which will collect and bale the plastic before being transported to Future Post’s new Blenheim facility.From there it will be recycled into fence posts destined for farms and wineries, as well as garden frames for households.Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme manager Lyn Mayes said historically residents have championed soft plastic recycling.Prior to collections stopping in 2018, they were dropping off about 1000kg of soft plastics every month for recycling.“There is a huge difference between the scheme back in 2018 and how we operate now,” she said.It was previously sent offshore, but is now recycled in Aotearoa New Zealand and is 100% funded by scheme members.Here’s a look at what soft plastics will be accepted at the new collection points. PHOTO: SuppliedLyn said having the new Future Post operation in Blenheim has helped expand the service across the South Island, starting with Marlborough in July, Nelson and Tasman in August and Dunedin and Mosgiel in September.The service is also available at Queenstown’s Countdown, New World and The Warehouse at Five Miles Shopping Centre.In Wanaka it is available at New World Three Parks and The Warehouse.In the last 12 months, the scheme has collected 657 tonnes of post-consumer soft plastic, which was the equivalent of 100 million bags, or wrappers. That was enough to be made into 67,000 Future Posts, or 335km worth of fencing, enough to fence the road from Timaru to Queenstown.Central Otago District Council (CODC) welcomes the return of the scheme, which has been made available through an external service.CODC waste minimisation officer Abi Hawkins said plastic recycling was often reported as the most confusing part of the kerbside service.“The most common contaminant that we see in our kerbside yellow recycling bins is soft plastic.“I think this is because people are starting to see that this is recyclable, but are unsure of where they should put it - and people genuinely want to do their best with recycling.”She said now that there were collection bins in the district, people will be able to collect their plastic at home and return it when they visit stores they commonly shop at.“We would hope that this will reduce the amount of this type of soft plastic that is being found in the kerbside recycling bins.”Ultimately, trying to avoid single use plastic was the best option, she said.“Even with this recycling scheme in place, it’s always good to try and avoid any type of single-use packaging and find ways to re-use things.”Visit Soft Plastic Recycling to find out more, or visit Future Post NZ to learn more about where your soft plastic could end up.

Soil health, propagation and environmental impact are among the many topics Central Otago children focused their attention on earlier this week.About 60 children in Years 5-8, from 10 schools, gathered in Omakau on Tuesday as part of an Enviroschools living landscapes hui.The event, hosted at Omakau School, featured a range of activity stations where children learned about the environment, how it works and what they could do to protect it.The Enviroschools programme, offered by the Central Otago District Council and funded through CO Reap, allows each school to design projects based on their own sustainability journey.Learning about propagation are (from left) Vykris Henderson (10), of Omakau School, Isaac Ross (13), of Poolburn School, and Arthur Hatfield (9), of Clyde School. PHOTO: The Central App.Those schools come together, as they did on Tuesday, with support from various facilitators, parents and school board members to continue their learning as a collective group.Children who travelled to Omakau School for the day were from The Terrace, Poolburn, Alexandra Primary, Tarras, Ranfurly’s St John, Goldfields, Cromwell Primary, St Gerard’s and Clyde.Lessons are based on five guiding principles, including sustainability, empowering children to drive change, engagement with the wider community, Te Ao Māori - engaging with iwi and understanding Māori perspective of the world and respect for diversity.Taking a look at some of the taxidermy animals on display are (from left) Kato Breuk (9), of The Terrace School, Isabel Hyslop (11), of The Terrace School, Emma Corson (11), of St Gerard’s School, Shiloh Smith (10), of St Gerard’s School, and Sophie Crane (9), of Clyde School. PHOTO: The Central App.Enviroschools facilitator Lucy Francke said stations set up around the school, both in and outside the classroom, gave children a chance to explore the various topics with hands-on activities.The school’s large new tunnel house was also put to use on the day, where local farmer and parent Ben Gillespie taught the children about propagation using eco-sourced seeds.An ecology session, hosted by a representative from ORC, featured taxidermy animals, a display that showcased how invasive animals can affect those that are native.“The idea is for teachers and kids to get ideas to take back to their schools,” Lucy said.

Soil health, propagation and environmental impact are among the many topics Central Otago children focused their attention on earlier this week.About 60 children in Years 5-8, from 10 schools, gathered in Omakau on Tuesday as part of an Enviroschools living landscapes hui.The event, hosted at Omakau School, featured a range of activity stations where children learned about the environment, how it works and what they could do to protect it.The Enviroschools programme, offered by the Central Otago District Council and funded through CO Reap, allows each school to design projects based on their own sustainability journey.Learning about propagation are (from left) Vykris Henderson (10), of Omakau School, Isaac Ross (13), of Poolburn School, and Arthur Hatfield (9), of Clyde School. PHOTO: The Central App.Those schools come together, as they did on Tuesday, with support from various facilitators, parents and school board members to continue their learning as a collective group.Children who travelled to Omakau School for the day were from The Terrace, Poolburn, Alexandra Primary, Tarras, Ranfurly’s St John, Goldfields, Cromwell Primary, St Gerard’s and Clyde.Lessons are based on five guiding principles, including sustainability, empowering children to drive change, engagement with the wider community, Te Ao Māori - engaging with iwi and understanding Māori perspective of the world and respect for diversity.Taking a look at some of the taxidermy animals on display are (from left) Kato Breuk (9), of The Terrace School, Isabel Hyslop (11), of The Terrace School, Emma Corson (11), of St Gerard’s School, Shiloh Smith (10), of St Gerard’s School, and Sophie Crane (9), of Clyde School. PHOTO: The Central App.Enviroschools facilitator Lucy Francke said stations set up around the school, both in and outside the classroom, gave children a chance to explore the various topics with hands-on activities.The school’s large new tunnel house was also put to use on the day, where local farmer and parent Ben Gillespie taught the children about propagation using eco-sourced seeds.An ecology session, hosted by a representative from ORC, featured taxidermy animals, a display that showcased how invasive animals can affect those that are native.“The idea is for teachers and kids to get ideas to take back to their schools,” Lucy said.

A new recycled steel sculpture will be unveiled at the entrance to Clyde from state highway eight (SH8) at 11am on Saturday, October 21. Members of the public are invited to attend the ceremony where speakers include representatives of the Historic Clyde Incorporated Charitable Society (HCICS), funders and the Glenorchy sculpturist Dan Kelly.The site is adjacent to the Upper Clyde Dam lookout and the access road to the Lake Dunstan boat ramp.The Kārearea (New Zealand falcon) sculpture, created by Dan, is five and a half metres wide and five metres high. It is made of steel from an original Central Otago station and farm fences.The 800 kilogram bird was lifted by crane, after travelling by truck from Arrowtown, on Wednesday October 18 at 8am.The weather delayed the bird's arrival by one day, but Wednesday morning was picture perfect. PHOTO: The Central AppTruck driver Roger said it was the most fun he gets to ever have with a crane.The talons were welded to the plinth prior to the falcon being installed. PHOTO: The Central AppThe bird is unloaded after the journey, via a crane and Dan is on hand to steady the load. PHOTO: The Central AppHCICS raised the $74,000 for the sculpture from Aotearoa Gaming Trust, Central Lakes Trust, Vincent Community Board, Perpetual Trustees, Hazlett Trust, Promote Dunstan, Bike It Now!, Foodstuffs Clyde Village Vineyard, Marnie Kelly Family Trust, Olivers, The Lord Clyde and Contact Energy. New Zealand’s only falcon was voted bird of the year in 2012 and is fully protected, but is also the country's most threatened bird of prey.

Young children are being praised for getting behind the draft Omakau and Ophir Reserve Management Plan.Public submissions were made between June and August this year and findings show the community’s young people were among those who put their opinions and ideas forward.Vincent Community Board chairperson Tamah Alley acknowledged the amount of input from children during the board’s meeting on Tuesday.Cr Alley said there were “a lot” of children who submitted their ideas.“I think it’s really neat that they had been supported to be part of the process.”There were 39 submissions received.There were four areas taken into consideration during the latest consultation - the Omakau Recreation Reserve, Omakau’s Wilson Street Reserve, Ophir Recreation Reserve and Ophir Ice Rink Reserve.A wide range of topics were highlighted across each area, including a desire to keep hockey, tennis and netball an integral part of the Omakau Recreation Reserve’s future.There was also consistent support for the proposed community hub to be developed on the reserve, along with a walking track, dog park and football field.Common themes suggested for Omakau’s Wilson Street Reserve included development of a green space, picnic area and an ice rink.Further ideas to make use of a building on site, included a library, information centre, a hangout for teenagers or a pet shop.Suggestions put forward for the Ophir Recreation Reserve included strong support for a multi-use court to benefit locals and tourists.Council acknowledged the feedback, but pointed out that Ophir was considered “well-serviced” with the Omakau Recreation Reserve’s newly upgraded multi-use astro turf 2.5km away.Six comments were received from people wanting improvements to Ophir’s existing pool, with requests for a bigger pool, a warmer pool, the addition of a hydroslide and an outdoor hot tub.There were also calls for the Ophir Ice Rink Reserve to have its ice rink reinstated.A copy of the Vincent Community Board agenda is now available online. 

The rising cost of petrol has prompted two Central Otago groups to join forces, potentially saving motorists more money in the long run.Central Otago Reap and GWD Toyota Alexandra have teamed up for a life skills session on how people can keep their car safe, along with tips and tricks which could also leave their car running more efficiently.Chris Morris, of GWD Toyota Alexandra, will host the free session on October 26, from 5.30pm to 7pm.He will focus on the basics, including oil, water, tyre pressure, how to change a tyre and key things people should and should not do when it comes to mechanical maintenance.Emma McLean, of CO Reap, said the session aimed to help people keep their car in good order.“It’s like a first aid course for your car.”She said the cost of petrol was among the driving factors behind the event.A lack of maintenance can sometimes mean more money spent on new tyres and a lack of fuel efficiency.She said it was about taking the time to look after your vehicle, but also having the confidence as well.“It’s about how we can look after our vehicles and make them last longer.”The event, which people must register for, has been hosted in Southland by GWD in the past, prompting a desire to bring it to Central Otago. GWD Toyota Alexandra will host the event inside its Alexandra showroom for a maximum of 30 people.Emma said it was a particularly great opportunity for parents and children who were learning to drive, but was open to all ages.To book your spot click here.

The rising cost of petrol has prompted two Central Otago groups to join forces, potentially saving motorists more money in the long run.Central Otago Reap and GWD Toyota Alexandra have teamed up for a life skills session on how people can keep their car safe, along with tips and tricks which could also leave their car running more efficiently.Chris Morris, of GWD Toyota Alexandra, will host the free session on October 26, from 5.30pm to 7pm.He will focus on the basics, including oil, water, tyre pressure, how to change a tyre and key things people should and should not do when it comes to mechanical maintenance.Emma McLean, of CO Reap, said the session aimed to help people keep their car in good order.“It’s like a first aid course for your car.”She said the cost of petrol was among the driving factors behind the event.A lack of maintenance can sometimes mean more money spent on new tyres and a lack of fuel efficiency.She said it was about taking the time to look after your vehicle, but also having the confidence as well.“It’s about how we can look after our vehicles and make them last longer.”The event, which people must register for, has been hosted in Southland by GWD in the past, prompting a desire to bring it to Central Otago. GWD Toyota Alexandra will host the event inside its Alexandra showroom for a maximum of 30 people.Emma said it was a particularly great opportunity for parents and children who were learning to drive, but was open to all ages.To book your spot click here.

The Waitaki electorate has a new MP after National’s Miles Anderson secured a 10,359 margin ahead of Labour’s Ethan Reille.Preliminary results show Miles received 19,509 votes, while Ethan finished with 9150.Miles, who farms in Southburn, inland from St Andrews, the northern end of his broad electorate, watched the votes roll in with friends and family in Oamaru.Yesterday he was coming to terms with his new title.“It’s been a real whirl-wind,” he said, of his overall campaign.“There was relief and excitement all wrapped up into one.”He said the results reflected what he had heard throughout the electorate while meeting people, but not necessarily what the media and polls had suggested.It was a reflection of the hard work his campaign team and supporters had put in to get him across the line, he said.One of Miles’ first priorities was to get a couple of offices throughout the wider electorate area to ensure he could spread his time evenly, potentially with a base in Oamaru and another one in Central Otago.But, first he will be joining fellow MPs in Wellington this week for an induction into parliamentary life. Fellow National MP Joseph Mooney also had a clear win on Saturday night, securing another term as Southland MP with a 14,973 margin ahead of Labour’s Simon McCallum.Preliminary results show Joseph received 19,981 votes, while Simon finished with 5008.Joseph Mooney has retained his position as National MP for Southland. PHOTO: SuppliedJoseph watched the election results play out from Queenstown.“It was really great to see that I had done a reasonable job and [there was] confidence in me to work for another term.”He said health would be a major focus going forward, particularly around getting more midwives, nurses and doctors, while also funding more cancer treatment.“That’s really important for our region.”Joseph and Miles are ready to remove the grey clouds of our district Joseph said he would also work closely with local government and other organisations to build more houses and develop more infrastructure.“There’s a lot of different things,” he said, of the many areas that he wants to give attention to.“There’s a lot to do. I’m really looking forward to getting into it.”Click here for overall preliminary results.

The Waitaki electorate has a new MP after National’s Miles Anderson secured a 10,359 margin ahead of Labour’s Ethan Reille.Preliminary results show Miles received 19,509 votes, while Ethan finished with 9150.Miles, who farms in Southburn, inland from St Andrews, the northern end of his broad electorate, watched the votes roll in with friends and family in Oamaru.Yesterday he was coming to terms with his new title.“It’s been a real whirl-wind,” he said, of his overall campaign.“There was relief and excitement all wrapped up into one.”He said the results reflected what he had heard throughout the electorate while meeting people, but not necessarily what the media and polls had suggested.It was a reflection of the hard work his campaign team and supporters had put in to get him across the line, he said.One of Miles’ first priorities was to get a couple of offices throughout the wider electorate area to ensure he could spread his time evenly, potentially with a base in Oamaru and another one in Central Otago.But, first he will be joining fellow MPs in Wellington this week for an induction into parliamentary life. Fellow National MP Joseph Mooney also had a clear win on Saturday night, securing another term as Southland MP with a 14,973 margin ahead of Labour’s Simon McCallum.Preliminary results show Joseph received 19,981 votes, while Simon finished with 5008.Joseph Mooney has retained his position as National MP for Southland. PHOTO: SuppliedJoseph watched the election results play out from Queenstown.“It was really great to see that I had done a reasonable job and [there was] confidence in me to work for another term.”He said health would be a major focus going forward, particularly around getting more midwives, nurses and doctors, while also funding more cancer treatment.“That’s really important for our region.”Joseph and Miles are ready to remove the grey clouds of our district Joseph said he would also work closely with local government and other organisations to build more houses and develop more infrastructure.“There’s a lot of different things,” he said, of the many areas that he wants to give attention to.“There’s a lot to do. I’m really looking forward to getting into it.”Click here for overall preliminary results.