Whether it was a matter of the timing (1:30 pm on a glorious spring Friday) or a symptom of a general air of malaise many voters have been reporting, the audience for the Southland electorate candidates’ discussion panel in Alexandra only numbered about 30.Central Otago District mayor Tim Cadogan chaired the event run by Business South, keeping the audience amused and trying to keep the candidates to their time limits while answering questions.The format was an opening address from candidates, followed by questions provided earlier by those who had registered to attend, interspersed with some quickfire “Yes or No” inquiries.The candidates attending were, in order of their introductions: Dave Kennedy of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand; Todd Stephenson of ACT New Zealand; Dr. Simon McCallum of the New Zealand Labour Party; and Joseph Mooney of the New Zealand National Party; who is the sitting member of Parliament for Southland. Tim said Te Pati Maori had been invited but did not respond.The opening question was ‘What would your party do if newly elected in the first 100 days for small and medium businesses (SMEs)?'First 100 daysTodd said ACT would reduce government spending of $16 billion within two years, and return the number of Wellington bureaucrats to 2017 levels. “There will be less bureaucrats coming up with crazy things to impose more regulations on businesses.”ACT would also create a new Minister of Regulation. Todd admitted that sounded a little strange, no doubt given his previous statements, but said the minister would be as powerful as the finance minister and be able to look across the government and veto any proposal without a cost benefit analysis and a regulatory impact assessment.Some of those things would have to be negotiated, he said.Simon said Labour was making a free trade agreement (FTA) with India a priority, so New Zealand had more options than just China.“We have also announced a $100M investment into agritech, because we believe that a large amount of our economy needs to focus on bringing in technology into the agricultural industry, get better data, have more sustainability agriculture, and be able to show that niche quality - show that New Zealand is the best in the world at creating sustainable goods, and then we can use that as leverage to get more money for the work we do.”Labour was also looking at setting up centres of digital excellence, for example in Dunedin, to support the growth of small industries through a better technical infrastructure.Joseph said National had earlier identified an FTA with India as a priority, but the single biggest issue for SMEs and everyone in New Zealand was reducing inflation.He had been a small business owner himself, he said, and National would be “making things easier for SMEs”. “We will be lowering the tax costs and compliance for small businesses, we will be reducing the red tape,” he said. Addressing farming policy, he said for any new regulation put forward by central or local government, they would need to remove another two. “The idea is not to have less regulation for the sake of it, but to have smarter, better-integrated regulation, focused on outcomes not just creating regulation just for the sake of it.”Dave said it would be difficult to state what the Green Party would do in its first 100 days as it would depend on the number of MPs it had to influence those they shared power with. “We believe that too many communities are dependent on large national or overseas businesses that shift the profits out of the communities that generate them. The Green Party wants to work directly with communities to remove barriers to local businesses, and especially to support sustainable local industries.”Joseph (National) and Todd (ACT) said their parties would not proceed with the Lake Onslow hydro-pumped power scheme, one of the main options put forward by the NZ Battery Project.Dave said that rather than investing in big costly infrastructure projects, the Green Party thought it better to invest in local resilience. Simon said Labour would happily investigate the best options, but his personal opinion was that the country was not yet at the stage to commit.Airport proposal for TarrasThe quick fire questions did not get the yes or no responses asked for. The first of these concerned the controversial proposal by Christchurch International Airport Ltd to build an airport at Tarras, an issue that has divided the Tarras community and which would have impacts throughout Central Otago.“This is what politicians hate, yes or no,” Tim said. Joseph declined a yes or no on the issue, saying there was a process that would have to be gone through with the community, “and it would be inappropriate for me to jump in and take a position on it now”.Dave gave a firm no: “We already can’t deal with the people coming in at the moment,” he said.Todd did not have a yes or no answer either, but said Act did not see it as a central government issue.Simon was also not prepared to commit the Labour Party to an opinion on the issue.Check out the Elections tab on our News page for party and candidate answers to The Central App’s own questions, and to follow news about the election and where and how to vote.

It’s been a long time coming, but the Cromwell Menz Shed has moved another step closer to having a purpose-built home, with Mactodd Lawyers becoming naming rights sponsor.Trust chair Neville Hucklebridge said the sponsorship was another milestone in a process that had been ongoing since 2018.“It’s been a long drawn out process,” he said.The group has been working from temporary premises at the Cromwell Racecourse since 2019, but they have outgrown the area which was never intended as a permanent home.If you visit the shed you can’t help but be impressed with what the men have created from two 40-foot shipping containers with a roof connecting the two, plus a room they built themselves that fills in as an office and smoko room. With 43 paid members and 15-20 people turning up most days the shed is open, there is not enough room for everyone in the smoko room at once.They had been unable to find a building in Cromwell that was suitable at a reasonable cost, Neville said, and building their own home would allow them permanence and stability.“To be successful and continue, we really haven’t had the ability to promote ourselves and increase our numbers without somewhere to put them,” he said.Central Otago District Council had offered a 1,000-square-metre site on Bannockburn Road at a peppercorn lease, the Central Lakes Trust had given them a grant of $197.068, and the men had raised another $135,000.Mactodd Lawyers in Cromwell had a previous relationship with the group, having funded installation of the arched canopy that connects their two containers. The Menz Shed was a perfect fit for the Adept-Mactodd Charitable Trust, Mactodd Lawyers Cromwell associate Caitlin Laurenson said.The trust had specific objectives around elderly healthcare and well-being and companionship, she said.“When Menz Shed approached us, it was a very quick and easy process to say yes to. It ticks all the boxes essentially.”The trust did not wish to disclose the amount of the sponsorship.Mactodd planned to have a continuing relationship with the trust, Caitlyn said, and had offered pro bono legal services, in addition to occasional talks to members on legal matters.“We are really excited that there’s an ongoing relationship,” she said.Neville also welcomed that ongoing relationship.“It emphasises the community support and the business support,” he said. “It will be beneficial to both the Menz Shed and to Mactodd. “We value their continued support.”

The Vincent Community Board in its meeting on Tuesday (September 5) approved an increase in cabin fees at the Clyde Holiday Park, received an update on the Pioneer Park electrical infrastructure upgrade and other status reports, and accepted the interim financial report for the period ending June 30, 2023. This was in addition to the community and promotion grants the board approved at the same meeting.Read more: VCB cuts grants cloth to fit purse Central Otago District Council (CODC) parks and recreation manager Gordon Bailey presented the Pioneer Park update and the request for the fees to be increased by Clyde Holiday Park.He reported that an electrical network had been installed in Pioneer Park about 20 years ago by the Alexandra Blossom Festival, and the infrastructure subsequently donated to the council, who continued to maintain it for the community.“The report we received earlier this year is that we needed to upgrade that power,” he said.In recent years, the Blossom Festival had to hire additional generators to supply an adequate supply of electricity to all its vendors. The ongoing work would ensure all electrical connections within the park complied with safety standards.The value of the upgrade of the electricity infrastructure at the park was $90,000 which had been funded from rate funded depreciation reserves in the Pioneer Park account.“It will be finished before the Blossom Festival so they don’t have to hire generators,” Gordon said. Speaking to the request for a cabin fee increase by Clyde Holiday Park leaseholders, Gary and Roslyn Ryan, Gordon said the lease required approval for fees.“They have asked for a moderate increase in fees for the cabins to provide for commodity increases,” he said.The increase would take family cabin fees from $70.00 a night to $80.00, and basic cabins from $60.00 to $70.00. The board approved the increase.CODC accountant Donna McEwan presented the interim financial report for the period ending June 30, 2023, highlighting that the final figures might change.The operating statement for the months showed a favourable variance of $969,000 against the revised budget, she said.Operating income showed a favourable variance of $2.82M, with land sales contributing $2.33M. Stage three of the Dunstan Park subdivision was nearly complete with only a few sections remaining to be sold.Expenditure showed an unfavourable variance of $1.85M, with staff costs $86,000 higher than budgeted. Further details of the report can be found on the CODC website. 

As the general election looms, the boundaries for general electorates may be a little confusing for some residents of Central Otago.Alexandra and Clyde and towns further south are in the Southland electorate, as is Middlemarch; while Ophir, Oturehua, St Bathans and Naseby are in Waitaki, as are Cromwell and Tarras. For those on the Māori electoral roll, matters are simpler, with the whole of the South Island as well as parts of Wellington all covered by Te Tai Tonga.If you are enrolled to vote in the 2023 general election and the electoral commission has your current address, you should have received information in the post about which electorate you are in, and how and when to vote.If you have not received this, you may not be enrolled to vote, or you may still be listed under a previous address. It’s easy to check online on the electoral commission website where you can also enrol if you haven’t already. To be eligible to vote, you must be 18 years or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and have lived in New Zealand for 12 continuous months or more at some time in your life.If you newly enrol to vote or update your details by this Sunday (September 10), you should receive information about the election in the mail, including an EasyVote card to streamline the procedure. Voting starts Monday, October 2, and continues through election day, Saturday October 14, with all voting places open on the Saturday from 9am - 7pm. The final day for enrolment is the day before the election, October 13, but the electoral commission strongly advises enrolling as early as possible.Check out the Elections tab on The Central App’s News page to read what the main candidates in Southland and Waitaki have to say about issues that affect on Central Otago. Keep reading over the next week for the Te Tai Tonga and minor party candidates..

Changes in Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency funding requirements mean the Central Otago roading team has to identify priorities in overhaul of the district’s ageing bridge network, the Central Otago District Council (CODC) was told at its monthly meeting on Wednesday (August 30).A draft bridge strategy developed by the CODC roading team has identified priorities and provided insights into an estimated $20M overhaul of the district’s bridge network.  CODC infrastructure manager Quinton Penniall told the council at least 30 of the district’s bridges were at the end of, or would be nearing the end of, their useful lives within the next 10 years, with an estimated cost of $20M to replace them all. “Our current budget for bridge maintenance and renewals is $660,000 per annum or $7.6M over the 10-year period. This replacement backlog will continue over the next 30 years as a ‘bow wave’ of bridges reach the end of their useful lives.“We receive a 51 per cent funding subsidy from Waka Kotahi for bridge and structure component renewals and Waka Kotahi is responding to this bridge replacement cycle throughout New Zealand by setting clear criteria to qualify for funding.”There were three bridges requiring immediate repair or replacement, Quinton said. These were the Little Valley Bridge at Alexandra; the Maniototo Road Bridge, which was earmarked for replacement and possible divestment. (where the council passed ownership of the bridge to another entity); and the Scott Lane Bridge near Kyeburn, which was badly damaged by the January 2021 floods, and would be either replaced with a lower-level service structure or not renewed at all. Quinton said the council was looking at addressing three problem bridges in the next three years, but understanding at least 30 in following years.“This isn’t going away. This is just the beginning,” he said.The draft Transportation Activity Management plan needed to be submitted the following day (August 31) to Waka Kotahi, with the CODC having a further opportunity to refine the submission ahead of a final submission, due on December 8, 2023.Crs Stu Duncan and Tracy Paterson, who lead the council’s roading portfolio, commended the roading team on their plan of attack for the next 30 years.The council approved the approach to bridge inspections, maintenance and replacements to be included in the Draft Transportation Activity Management plan.  

Central Otago District Council (CODC) at its meeting on Wednesday (August 30) discussed the region’s future supply of water and whether its current charging methods were adequate.A request had been received from the developer of Shannon Farm at Ripponvale for an on-demand water supply for 170 large residential lots which range from 1,500 to 6,000 sqm. That triggered conversations among staff as to how water could be provided to the consent holder in a manner that satisfied the need to meet future demand for treated water and to also provide irrigation to the properties.In her report to council, CODC Three Waters director Julie Muir said the developer had then proposed separate reticulated irrigation supply for the properties, to avoid having a water restrictor and tank on each property.  “As part of the consideration of the developer’s request, staff considered the possibility that residents would continue to use the potable supply for irrigation rather than the separate irrigation supply.“The current volumetric charge is low, and may not achieve the supply management outcomes desired for some property owners.”With volumetric charging, people were charged for what they used, and because the volumetric charge was so low, this might not achieve the demand management outcomes desired for some high-demand properties, or those who were able to pay. Thus, staff were asking for direction to do further analysis to support consultation on changing the proportion of the uniform annual charge and the volumetric charges for water use in the 2024 Long-term Plan. Cr Neil Gillespie said a review was appropriate “20 years out, to make sure it is still fit for purpose”.It was important to make sure that those who were using the most water were not being subsidised by those using little, he said. Sections were larger at the time the current charging system was put in place, and council needed to ensure that those with larger sections did not end up paying more than their fair share.“It’s about paying your fair share, for what you are using,” Neil said.Cr Tamah Alley asked whether a hybrid model was required to encourage people to reduce consumption.“I’d like to see all options going forward into the future rather than just what is fit for purpose right now.”The council directed staff to undertake further analysis to identify the options for implementing changes and agreed, subject to further work, that volumetric charging be used as a demand management tool for water use. Those options would then be referred to council for further consideration, and then included in the Long-term Plan, and public consultation would follow. Council appoints engineer to Three Waters ContractCODC appointed an engineer to contract for the Three Waters Operations and Maintenance Contract 2022.CODC Three Waters director Julie Muir told the council she had been taking a more direct operational management role on the contract since May 2023, following the resignation of the Three Waters managerIt was considered best practice to appoint an external engineer to provide decisions independent of the council.“I can’t have that impartial role that the engineer to contract needs to have,” she said. She recommended Neil Jorgensen for the role, who is a chartered professional engineer who works for consultants Rationale Ltd and has extensive relevant experience. Council agreed with her recommendation and voted to appoint Neil to the role.

It might seem obvious but Alexandra Police Acting Sergeant Graham Perkins has reminded defendants that they need to appear at any scheduled court date.At last week’s court date, a couple of people failed to appear, he said.“If people don’t appear, a warrant is issued,” he said. “If people are charged with an offence, it’s in their best interest to turn up to court otherwise it impacts on them and their employment. If they are unable to make an appearance at court, they should advise the court or get their lawyer to advise police and then a warrant won’t be issued.”Another problem the police often see is defendants breaching bail conditions, especially for charges that involve victims, Graham said.“One condition is not to contact the victims, directly or indirectly, through social media or through friends and acquaintances,” he said. “We take those very seriously as the victim needs that separation.“That period of time is for them to get their affairs in order, for both parties to seek help or counselling so they can deal with it without pressure from that person placed upon them.“Police take a serious line when we deal with these people as they have a court order and must abide by that court order.”In cases of family harm, the police not only took alleged offenders to court but engaged with other agencies to provide support to victims and members of their families.Graham said road policing is a big part of their job and the main areas they target come under what they call RIDS. R is restraints, or seatbelts; I is impairment, through drugs or alcohol; D is distraction; and S is speed.“Anything that takes you away from driving is a distraction - eating a pie, changing the radio,” he said. “Cellphone usage is rising and it is a major cause of distraction and vehicle crashes as well.”The crash unit finds that out when they do a call log of the time of the crash and it comes back showing the driver was on their cellphone at that time.There were also regular driving licence breaches by young drivers who were on learner or restricted licences. “We are finding them out and about after the allowed hours, or carrying passengers in breach of their driver’s licence.”Recently, there had been some wilful damage of the public toilets beside the Alexandra BMX track, Graham said.There are CCTV cameras in the area and police ask that witnesses call them if they observe any damage being done.“If it continues, the toilets run the risk of being closed.”Youth Aid officer Angela Graham is running a BLAST (Blue Light Alternative Strategy for Teenagers) programme in schools in the Maniototo for Years 10-13, involving the schools and Central Sports.The initiative involves the students in activities and workshops and focuses on trust-building and problem solving.“It looks at forging a relationship between youth and the police,” Angela said. “We have run the BLAST programme here at Dunstan, Cromwell and Roxburgh, and we’re starting it up in Maniototo.”The Alexandra Police curling team, Blue Steel, recently finished the social season of their winter sport, with players switching in and out of the team to suit their rosters.“Everybody enjoyed it,” Graham said. “It’s just a good way to get out and get to know the community and they’re talking about a summer bowls tournament.”The same team name was used for a team that entered the recent ANZ Daffodil Day quiz night at the Alexandra District Club.The team was pleased to come third in the quiz, Graham said, but more so that the event raised $8,000 for the Cancer Society.

New Zealand Curling’s young guns and their coach returned from Lillehammer, Norway, this week with new trips and tricks to improve their game (both on and off the ice) - and some cautionary advice.Central Otago local youngsters Olivia Russell, Jack Steele and Jed Neville joined Ellie McKenzie and coach Mhairi-Bronté Duncan, both of Dunedin, to attend the World Curling Association’s Lillehammer Youth Camp from August 19 to 25. Players from six countries took part.Jack Steele (from left), Ellie McKenzie, Olivia Russell, and Jed Neville on the ice at Lillehammer, Norway.Speaking with the Central App on Tuesday (August 29) while on her way to the Naseby Indoor Curling Rink to try out her new knowledge, Olivia said the camp had been amazing.“Travelling to a new place, meeting new people and learning a whole lot of new skills - it was incredible,” she said.“We learned a lot about fitness, we learned a lot about nutrition, we learned about anti-doping, right down to the basics of what we take every day. I didn’t know half of the stuff I was taking. I came home and looked at my gym protein powder and realised what was in it.”She said as competitive athletes, they needed to be aware of what they could and couldn’t take, and even medications considered everyday, such as ibuprofen, need to be approved and only taken on a doctor’s recommendation.In addition to being taught technical knowledge, the group played a lot of team bonding games other than curling, and the on-ice lessons honed the players’ skills to a fine level.  Curlers took part in team bonding exercises off the ice as well as honing their curling skills.Mhairi-Bronté said that she had taken part in a lot of similar team bonding exercises as a player, but viewing them from a coach’s perspective was different, and made her understand why they were important.The curlers were training alongside Olympic athletes and coaches, she said, which was brilliant for the level the young New Zealand players were at.“It was a camp that looked at the athletes quite holistically, it looked at their nutrition, their overall fitness, their strategy and communication.”Mhairi-Bronté said she also learned tips and tricks on how to correct issues the players might have had.Two of the young players, Jack and Ellie, had never travelled overseas before and Jack won the Spirit of Curling Award at the camp. “He engaged super well with the coaches and learned how to correct his slide,” Mhairi-Bronté said. “He was also very inclusive of other curlers and positive in every session.”Olivia said the curlers all came back eager to play and try out what they had learned, as well as having some advice for others.“The world is your oyster,” she said. “Get out of your comfort zone and try something new.”

Central Otago District Council (CODC) at its meeting yesterday (Wednesday, August 30th) unanimously approved a proposal to add a poppy to name blades of roads named after individuals who have served in the military.The council was approached by the Alexandra-Clyde Returned and Services Association (RSA) to take part in the Places of Remembrance Project being managed by New Zealand Poppy Places Trust. The project provided a place where individual contributions and stories were linked to a physical place by the placement of a poppy on the road name blade.  The Royal New Zealand RSA approved the use of the poppy and the Minister of Transport, through Waka Kotahi, had authorised the poppy logo to be placed on the street name blades.CODC infrastructure manager Quinton Penniall said the project was being proposed for the Alexandra-Clyde area but staff were bringing it to council for consideration should it be approached by other RSA groups to be included.“It’s a great idea,” deputy mayor Neil Gillespie said.“I think it’s a great option,” agreed Cr Stu Duncan.First-Past-the-Post retainedCODC voted during an electoral system review to retain the First-Past-the-Post voting system and give public notice of the right to demand a poll on the electoral system to be used.Historically, First-Past-the-Post was the only electoral system used for all local authority elections in New Zealand, but changes to legislation in 2001 made Single Transferable Voting optional. Central Otago District Council utilises the First-Past-the-Post system, as do the majority of local authorities in the country, but can choose to use the Single Transferable Voting system instead.Discussion around the council table followed by a poll of councillor opinions by Mayor Tim Cadogan indicated that no need was seen to change the status quo.Cr Tamah Alley said she had done some research but could not see that either system increased voter turnout over the other.Deputy mayor Neil Gillespie said he was not convinced anything was broken and needed to be fixed, a sentiment echoed by others.“I don’t think we need to complicate it,” Cr Cheryl Laws said, adding that the main concern was getting people to vote.

Like many offspring of shearing contractors, Ryan ‘Chugga’ O’Neill grew up around his father’s sheds, cleaning up as a youngster before moving on to shearing himself.The 18-year-old has since traded his wool shears for hair clippers and is more than halfway through a barbering apprenticeship with Tu Meke Hair in Alexandra.Chugga (who got his name not for any drinking habits but because his older brother couldn’t say chubby when they were both wee kids) said he first started cutting hair for his friends.“Mostly I learned off YouTube and doing mates’ hair,” he said.Under Dunstan High School’s Gateway Employment programme, Chugga went half a day each week to Tu Meke, observing and helping out around the salon. Tu Meke owner Tim Riwhi said Chugga started full-time about a year ago doing his barbering apprenticeship.Chugga O’Neill works on a client’s hair at Tu Meke. PHOTO: Supplied“A barbering apprenticeship is quite different to hairdressing,” Tim said. “Barbers will start cutting hair quite early on.“Chugga’s on track to becoming fully qualified by May of next year.”Chugga is also a keen rugby player and was named Colt Of the Year by the Alexandra Rugby Club in August while playing for the Alexandra Armadilloes. He now plays for Otago Country.Chugga is not yet sure where he wants his barbering skills to take him, whether he will one day have his own shop or to travel with his skills, but he’s in no doubt his family is proud of him choosing a career away from shearing. “They wanted me to do something else,” he said. “That will always be there for me.”Chugga O’Neill shows the skills that had him named Colt of theYear by the Alexandra Rugby Club. PHOTO: SuppliedWhile shy when talking about himself with the Central App’s reporter, Tim said Chugga is a different person at the barber’s chair.“It’s good to see the community vibe Chugga has with his clients,” he said. “The old guys who like to come and talk rugby with him and shout him a beer after games.“That’s really good to see as a boss.”

The Alexandra Pétanque Club hosted successful South Island Men’s and Women’s Triples tournaments at the weekend, with 66 players coming from as far away as Christchurch.Club captain Bernice ‘Bunny’ Hamilton said there were a few young players involved, and the club would welcome more young people.“We had a couple of young people from Wellington here who are studying in Dunedin,” she said. “One plays for Dunedin and another for Taieri.“We’d love to encourage more young people from our area.”The Alexandra club has a 12-year-boy who plays who is “really, really good”, she said, and has hosted sessions for students from Dunstan High School who “played really well and really enjoyed it”.Winners of the 2023 South Island Women’s Triples pétanque tournament are, from left, Phyll Esplin (Dunedin City), Toi Rosie (Taieri), and Glenda Pritchard (Taieri).Dunedin City Pétanque Club president Stefany Frost is also manager of the club’s youth group, and said five of the club’s youth members competed in Alexandra.“We have 15 youth members and up to 20 playing on a weekly basis,” she said.The club runs a youth league after-school programme to engage the young players, and gives them training, coaching and membership, and 10 players went to the National Youth Championships in Rotorua in April.One of Dunedin City’s youth members who competed in Alexandra, Jackson Gallagher (19), has been one to watch for pétanque followers for some time now.Jackson said he learned to play from his grandfather during his school holidays from about age seven, and enjoyed the game enough to stick with it. “I’ve been to a few competitions up north and I’ve put my name down for the trans-Tasmans later this year," he said.He also credited the youth league for bringing in more young players and said it was a good thing to have new perspectives in clubs.“Even at my local club, we now have two youth members on the club committee,” he said.Winners of the 2023 South Island Men’s Triples pétanque tournament are, from left, Warren McConnell, Gordon Dykes and Neville Frost (all Dunedin City).Stefany said the Dunedin City team enjoyed a great weekend in Alexandra.“The Alexandra crew are always amazing, but all the teams are,” she said. “A Taieri player provided transport for some of our players, Alexandra people provided accommodation - all the teams pitched in to make it a great event.”The winning teams were: 2023 South Island Women’s Triples 1. Glenda Pritchard, Toi Rosie (Taieri), Phyll Esplin (Dunedin City)2. Cathryn Lyall, Karen Stephen (Dunedin City), Chris Dixon (Ashburton)3. Nicky Foden (Ashburton), Jen Sutherland, Becca Scott (Dunedin City)2023 South Island Men’s Triples 1. Gordon Dykes, Warren McConnell, Neville Frost (Dunedin City)2. Erik Ross (Taieri), Matthew Scott, Jackson Gallagher (Dunedin City)3. Phillip Lyall, Mark Richardson (Dunedin City), Neville Bensdorp (Ashburton)

Ranfurly gardeners Gary and Paula West have growing proof that you can create a productive food garden on the barest of land.When they bought their property, the old Checketts McKay Law building in Pery Street, the backyard was just gravel. Two years later, their three hothouses are teeming with plant life, despite winter frosts, and the remainder of the land is waiting to be planted out to feed the couple and the community.“This was an old gravel pit,” Gary said. “We’ve put in a lot of sheep manure and built it up over two years.”In summer, a roadside stall at the front of the property is filled with organic vegetables from the garden, and the couple has also started running workshops teaching gardeners at any level how to get the most from the space they have, and adding some food self-sufficiency to their budgets.The Central App joined a workshop on growing your own seedlings, but there are others on how to build a garden from scratch, creating a no-dig kitchen garden, making organic fertilisers and nutrient-rich teas, pest control, and building up good soil with compost and worm farming.After making their own potting mix, workshop participants planted sunflowers, kale and bok choy to raise seedlings for their own gardens.Gary said gardening does not need to be expensive, and saving seed and propagating your own seedlings has multiple advantages. Not only does it save money in seeds and seedlings, but the seeds acclimatise to their environment, making them suitable for where they are planted.“While it is seasonal growing here, growing your own from seed means they are acclimatised and you get a better result. It makes each season affordable.”It also means that losing a seedling isn’t the big deal it might be if you have bought a punnet of seedlings from a store, he added.They don’t expect everyone to have a garden of their size, but said every bit helps, financially and in health terms. That entailed recycling such things as cardboard boxes and coffee grounds from a local cafe, and putting food waste back into the garden either as compost or through worm farms.One simple solution Gary found for keeping the tunnel houses warm despite Central Otago’s winters was to light a candle in a terracotta pot, with a smaller pot supported upside down over the flame. The terracotta held the heat from the flame and was enough to keep the temperature up in the entire space.“You don’t have to go and pay exorbitant money,” Gary said. “You can make a garden more cost-effective.“You don’t have to grow everything but you can grow a lot, and you can preserve what you grow. You can live and eat well, no matter where you live.”Although people pay to attend the classes, Gary said their focus is on spreading knowledge rather than making money, particularly as global weather events threaten food security.“There is a keenness to embrace these techniques and to learn some new techniques,” he said.“If you get the message across, and get more people growing, you get a lot of people doing really good things and they are self-sufficient.”Workshop participant Audrey Southall said she learned that it was possible to grow in Central Otago year round.“You just start from where you are,” she said.“It makes me feel more optimistic that I can be more self-sufficient.”

The newest residents of Wooing Tree Estate in Cromwell have strong family connections to the subdivision.Brother and sister Rex Johnson and Pauline Copeland moved in just weeks ago, at the recommendation of Pauline’s daughter Dee Copeland, regional manager for preferred builder Barrett Homes, whose family also lives in the subdivision.All three joined a group of about 50 people yesterday (August 25) for a blessing by iwi representative Darren Rewi and the official opening of a new pedestrian and cycle underpass that runs under State Highway 8B, connecting the subdivision safely with Cromwell township.Iwi representative Darren Rewi leads Wooing Tree Wines owners Steve and Thea Farquharson and others through the new underpass while performing a wairea, or protective incantation.Pauline said she already lived in Cromwell, but on the other side of the busy highway, and Dee had advised her to consider moving to Wooing Tree.“I was deciding that my house and garden was too much for me,” she said.With much of the estate still a construction site, noise is inevitable, but Pauline finds it comforting. Her father and grandfather were builders and the trade has continued through the family, with Dee’s son now a builder’s apprentice.“That makes it the fifth generation of builders on my father’s side,” Pauline said.Dee said as the parent of young children who need to get to school, the underpass offers connectivity with the township without the dangers of having to cross the highway.Thea and Steve Farquharson cut the ribbon and officially declare the underpass open.That safety aspect was a game changer, said Steve Farquharson, who with wife Thea established Wooing Tree Wines 20 years ago. “An underpass has always been a core part of our vision for the neighbourhood,” he said. “We knew that being able to walk or bike under State Highway 8B would be a game changer for Cromwell residents and visitors. It immediately makes everything so much safer and more accessible.”  The construction of both the new SH8B roundabout outside the Wooing Tree Estate entrance and the underpass were funded by the Farquharsons and their development partners, an investment of over $4.4M. The Wooing Tree Walkway connects to the neighbourhood’s greenway network with more than 1,000 metres of pathways developed exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians. The greenway, the parkland surrounding the historic Wooing Tree, and the vineyard buffer zone around the Estate comprise over three hectares, which is 15 percent of the neighbourhood’s total land area. Duarne Lankshear, director of development management company Veros, said the company was proud of what they had achieved so far.“It will connect kids to the town, it will connect kids to the rowing club - it’s going to be wonderful,” he said. Development manager Stephen Cornwall said by completion in 2025, there would be up to 390 homes and as many as 800 residents at Wooing Tree Estate. “We have over 100 homes built or currently being built, and we’re working hard to complete the remaining roading and greenway network to help connect the new neighbourhood for visitors and new residents,” he said.

The Cromwell Menz Shed opens for business on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am until 1pm, but at least a dozen members had already arrived and were busy working before 10am this past Thursday (August 24).That eagerness to get involved is a big part of the success of the Cromwell Menz Shed, which has moved one leap further to having a permanent home with a $197,068 grantawarded to it by Central Lakes Trust (CLT).The grant was one of 14 in the trust’s August funding round, totaling $415,754 and bringing the total grants approved for the financial year ending March 31, 2024 to $3.7M. Trustee Russell Fowler said the members were very grateful for the grant, which was seed funding for a purpose-built Menz Shed to be constructed in Bannockburn Road, Cromwell.“We needed to get that before we could proceed to any other funders,” he said.The concept of a Menz Shed in Cromwell was first floated in early 2018 with help from funding from the Cromwell Lions. Meetings were held with a range of community groups before a public meeting in September 2018, with feedback showing a clear mandate to establish the facility. The concept is to provide a meeting place where men can work on community or custom projects, while also being a safe environment where they can discuss health and other issues in an open manner.A charitable trust was established in March 2019 but the members lacked an essential item - a shed in which the men could work and gather.Negotiations to locate the shed at another community group’s premises were unfruitful but, having established a working site at the Cromwell Racecourse in 2019 while they built jumps for the Central Lakes Equestrian Club, the club offered the site as a temporary base until the Central Otago District Council could assist in finding a more permanent site.In January 2020, the council informed the Menz Shed that the equestrian club had no jurisdiction to grant that permission, but allowed the group to stay on at the Cromwell Racecourse at the council’s discretion, as it had no vacant buildings that would suit the Menz Shed’s needs.Cromwell Menz Shed member Don Colling works on a restoration project for a customer.An adequate site on Bannockburn Road was found by council and offered to the Menz Shed, who called for tenders for a purpose-built facility and put together a feasibility study, surveying not just members but the wider community.Russell said the CLT grant added to $155,000 the members had raised themselves along with assistance from Lions and Rotary, but still left a shortfall of about $300,000 - $350,000.“The men have raised themselves something like $55,000 just through building projects where we charge out for labour,” he said. “Because ours is capital expenditure, a lot of funders don’t do that.”The Menz Shed trust is in talks with other funding agencies, including Otago Community Trust, which requires consents before further considering the request. A meeting of the trustees will take place on Thursday (August 31), at which they plan to sign off on a lease, construction plans and the consent process, Russell said.Back at their temporary premises, the Menz Shed members have managed amazing things with help from the local community. They are operating out of two 40-foot shipping containers, one loaned and one donated, with an engineered shelter joining the two and providing shade and weather protection.They had a donated portable building they used as a smoko room and, when that was taken back this year, the men built their own smoko room, again with help from the community. Just some of the many local businesses and individuals that have contributed are Mactodd Lawyers (the shelter), retired builder Mike Hedges (timber), Lewis Windows (double-glazed windows), and B&M Joinery (a bench top).“We utilise most things we can get our hands on,” said manager Dennis Booth, who has been involved with the shed from its inception. He said the shed offers a place where men can gather together and talk, something that is not easily found, especially as people age and retire. A new purpose-built facility would provide room for more members, as not everyone could fit in the smoko room on most working days.“It’s not all about working,” Dennis said. “It’s the men’s well-being and health that concerns me as well.“You have guys who sit at home, who are retired and may have lost their partner and they look at the walls and think, ‘Is that it?’ There’s more to life than that.”Marty Morrison has also been involved in the shed since the beginning and said he keeps coming back for the camaraderie, to meet up with the other men and keep himself busy.“Otherwise I’d be sitting at home doing nothing and annoying my wife,” he said.One of the members is a former builder, woodwork teacher, and foundation member of the Southern Institute of Technology who became an officer in the Salvation Army. John Richards is referred to by other members as ‘John the Baptist’ and brings skills honed through years as a teacher and a religious leader to the team; always there to listen, and visiting members at home if they are unwell.“That’s a real privilege,” he said.John said he admired the courage and persistence shown by the members.“They get off their backsides, they come here and work, and it must cost some of them physically at times. It’s a gathering point for them, a meeting place.“A lot of these guys are retired but this is something they can do for the community to give back.”

The Roxburgh Baptist Church board was delighted to receive $35,000 from the Central Lakes Trust to assist in the costs of a church extension and setting up a food bank pantry for the community.The grant was one of 14 in the trust’s August funding round, totaling $415,754 and bringing the total grants approved to date for the financial year ending March 31, 2024 to $3.7M.Board secretary Shirley Taylor said the church building (in the town’s main street) was originally a service station. “We have already completed renovations in the church that include new chairs, carpet and re-painting of the inside of the church,” she said. “We want to make a larger foyer area that gives internal access to the toilets and add another servery to free up the congestion in the kitchen. “We will also be adding two new heat pumps in the existing and new foyer areas to make the area warmer and more inviting. The extension will add another 18 square metres to the existing foyer area, allowing us the opportunity to further provide outreach for the community.”The exterior of the Roxburgh Baptist Church shows the foyer area that will be expanded and the current entrance to the toilets (at right). A builder has been engaged to start the work in early September.  Some of the grant would also be used to set up a dedicated food bank, as the church currently has a very small food bank run by one volunteer. “The folks in the church wanted to be more visual and helpful in providing additionalfacilities for the community in the valley,” Shirley said.Some people in need were travelling to Alexandra to access the Combined Churches Food Bank run by the Salvation Army Alexandra Corps, so the church decided to set up a local alternative.A committee had been set up to oversee the food bank and a container would arrive this week, to be outfitted with a fridge, a freezer, and other necessities. Those involved would spend some time at the Alexandra food bank “seeing how they do things”, Shirley said.She said the church was doing well, with an average congregation of 50 or 60 people when RSE workers were in the valley, and remaining on average at about 30 during winter, and they very much appreciated the Central Lakes Trust grant. “We are absolutely delighted,” she said. “We have savings towards the work we wanted but we don’t have enough to do everything.”

As most of Central Otago celebrates signs of spring, the country’s top curlers are heading for the Northern hemisphere winter to compete and continue their training.Courtney Smith and Anton Hood successfully defended their title at the New Zealand Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Naseby last weekend, and both look forward to extending their winter as they test themselves against the world’s best.New Zealand Curling Association secretary Lauren Becker said Courtney will represent the country in three international tournaments: the mixed team at the World Mixed Curling Competition in Aberdeen, Scotland, in mid-October; the women’s team at the Pan Continental Curling Championships in Kelowna, Canada, in late October through early November; and back to Scotland in early December to compete with Anton at Dumfries in the World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event. Anton Hood and Courtney Smith celebrate once again winning the New Zealand Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Naseby last weekend. “We think she is the first curler to represent New Zealand in three international competitions,” Lauren said.Courtney plans to head to Scotland on September 18 for an eight-month stint of curling, basing herself in Kinross.“I’ll be working at the rink and just fully immersing myself in the sport,” said Courtney, who has given notice at her job as a paediatric nurse in Christchurch to focus on her sport this year.Having grown up in Naseby, Courtney learned her love of curling from her father Richard Smith, who curls outdoors.“Dad loves the outdoor games so when I started playing the indoor games, he helped me to do better,” she said. “I still play the wee game outdoors when I’m home - it’s quite fun to just play the game without the pressures of the indoor competitions.”She won’t have to wait until December to reconnect with mixed doubles partner Anton, as he will also be in Kelowna, Canada, for the Pan Continentals, as part of the men’s team with Ben Smith, Brett Sargon and Hunter Walker. Anton plans his own extended overseas stint as Team Hood has about 10 scheduled events outside of its New Zealand representative games. He starts his journey this week and will be based out of the Calgary Curling Club from the first week of September through until April.“We will get the end of the summer in Calgary,” he said. “Last time we were there, we got three or four days of 20 degrees Celsius-plus temperatures, then it snowed and the next day it was minus-20.“The Pan Continentals is the big one for us as that’s our qualification for the world’s in Switzerland in April.”He and Courtney also have something to prove at the mixed doubles, after a last-stone loss to the United States prevented them qualifying for the world championship in 2021.Courtney said the two had known each other since childhood and first played doubles together for two seasons when she was about 16 or 17. That partnership stopped when Courtney went off to university, and they reunited for the 2020 world championship, which weren’t played until 2021 because of Covid.“That was my first world’s and we played really well together,” Courtney said. “The more that you play together, the more you understand each style and ways of communication.”For Anton, advancing to the world mixed doubles is definitely in his game plan.“It’s just about going and completing the mission,” he said.  

The Manuherikia Catchment Group has welcomed Otago Regional Council (ORC) funding and continued work by local farmers and the community in supporting its Thomsons Creek Catchment Project.The group was one of seven environmental groups around Otago to share in more than $50,000 for their projects in the past financial year, as reported in an ORC meeting last week, aimed at covering consenting and monitoring costs.Project manager Nicola McGrouther said the project was fortunate to receive the grants to help cover the consent processing and monitoring costs to process consents for the constructed wetland and fish barrier.  “For us, a community-led project, this fund is a great initiative by the ORC to help support community projects in Otago,” she said. “Often consenting for environmental projects can be overwhelming and complex for those who may not often apply for resource consents - and this fund makes a big difference to overcome those barriers.” The project focuses on wetland development and enhancement of the Central Otago Roundhead Galaxias population - a freshwater fish endemic to Central Otago that is classified as nationally endangered - and received $29,856 to cover three phases of the project.“For the Thomsons project, being able to get our consents through and get the wetland and fish barrier work underway is a significant milestone for our community,” Nicola said. “We're now in the second year of our project and we appreciate the ongoing amazing efforts by our farmers and the community to improve water quality and biodiversity in our catchment. Currently landowners are finishing installing over 33 km of fencing along waterways in the catchment with more to roll out this year.” Nicola said the local Gillespie family would hold a native planting day next Thursday (August 24) with more than 120 kids and adults involved. “Come late spring we will be planting out carex secta in the wetland, installing two small-perched culverts to protect two further galaxiid populations and continuing to support farmers to identify and undertake best environmental practices on farm,” she said.She encouraged other community groups with environmental projects that need consenting to talk to ORC. “We found the staff really helpful, and the application process for the grant straightforward,” she said. 

Members of the Aquafit class that meets at the Alexandra Pool enjoy the workout so much that when their instructor stepped back from Friday classes last September, they decided to continue them on their own.They renamed the Friday class Yakercise, and members take turns at pretending to be Monday and Wednesday instructor Jody Hasting, thoroughly amusing themselves by mimicking her instructions.“Get moving, this is not a holiday camp!” one will call out, with another responding, “Keep straight! Get your butts under you!”Although most of the women attending are over 65, anyone listening could be forgiven for thinking it was a group of schoolchildren, especially when Jody is present. She is constantly reminding the women to move their bodies, not their jaws, and the women happily tease their instructor and each other.The class has had only women attending for some time now, although there have been men who come along and they are welcome. The group also goes for coffee once a month after class and there are always jokes when bumping into fellow members outside the pool about not recognising each other with their clothes on.Aquafit instructor Jody Hasting takes the class through stretches at the end of the class.Jody said she has taken the classes for 12 -14 years and pool manager Kelvin and his team are great to work with. She was a dragon-boat paddler for a long time in top crews, and a long-distance swimmer for fun. She is also a farmer and an avid horsewoman.Class members can make the class as hard or as easy as they like through the effort they make, she said.“Monday is more of a stretching class while we make the Wednesday class a little harder.”The group refers to the latter class, only half in jest, as “Wicked Wednesdays”.Sharlene Prestney said the class allows the members to socialise, and if someone is missing for a few classes without prior notice, someone else would check on them to ensure they were ok. Jody and the members take the exercise component seriously, however, and the low-impact movements are particularly suited to older people.“It’s a form of exercise that doesn’t hurt arthritic people,” Sharlene said. “I can’t go and do physical stuff like I used to.”Joy Ramsay first started aquafit in May last year after injuring her ankle.“I wanted to be doing some cardio work that was low impact and I saw the classes,” she said.She has continued the classes for both the exercise and the social aspect, saying that a laugh is a good way to start the day.“Getting a good physical workout is great, but for me, it’s also about mental health - it’s the laughter, the camaraderie, and sharing that with others.”She said if she missed two or three weeks, it took a while to get back into condition.“It’s low impact but when you get out of the pool, you know you’ve done a workout,” she said. 

Ranfurly photographer Janyne Fletcher has won the Sony New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP) Iris Award for Landscape (Open) Photographer of the Year, for the second consecutive year.Janyne also won the NZIPP Landscape Photographer of the Year Award in 2019, as well as the Landscape (Open) section last year, and was a finalist in the Creative Photographer of the Year section this year and “about five times” in previous years.Entrants provided a portfolio of three images, and Janyne’s works also received a gold with distinction medal, and two silvers with distinction. She said the open landscape award allowed photographers to use photoshop and their creativity in their finished picture.“You can do what you want,” she said.Her gold medal piece (above) was the highest scoring landscape image in both categories. She said it is a composite image showing a number of different scenes from around Waipiata which were incorporated into a panel referencing Japanese art forms. Janyne started taking photographs at about age nine or 10, she said, when her mother bought a Kodak Instamatic. From a young age, she was interested in more than simple documentation.“When I was a wee bit older, I started taking all the weird pictures. I was the one who always had something a little strange.”She grew up in Dunedin but has lived in Central Otago since 2000, because she and her husband Deane wanted “a great place to bring up our kids”.Janyne in her gallery in Charlemont St, Ranfurly. PHOTO: Geoff MarksShe sells out of her own gallery on the main street of Ranfurly and said that gives her the financial freedom to not need to take commissions. “Most fine art photographers are also doing weddings and portraits or have other jobs,” she said. “I just do work for me.”A lot of her customers are people enjoying the rail trail and there is also a lot more vehicle traffic from people driving the Central Otago Touring Route, she said. During winter, the gallery is open by appointment.Janyne said the natural beauty in the region is incredible.“We live in an epic landscape here and it’s really nice to document it but when you start to get creative, you can show more of the feeling.“I don’t think I would be doing what I’m doing if I wasn’t living here. I do make good use of the mountains around here and some of my new work has zen, Japanese-Chinese undertones to it.”Janyne welcomed the NZIPP awards, and said the competition improved her work.“The really important thing about this award is it is really lovely to be recognised but it has also been part of making me better at what I do. The calibre is so high that it really makes me push myself.” Janyne Fletcher is live on The Outlet today - click here to listen.