An international conspiracy theory has made its way to Central Otago mailboxes, despite its central premise being easily disproved.“Did you know that the Central Otago District Council has signed our community up to 15 Minute Smart Cities?” the anonymous flyer reads, before going on to warn of what this would mean.“No more camping holiday wherever YOU choose”, No more freedom to travel outside YOUR zone", "No more weekends away without permission”, it warns, along with other visions of a dystopian future, with pronouns written in upper case letters and the “No” in red. The flyer also connects 15-minute cities with digital IDs and mandatory digital currency, neither of which is part of the 15-minutes cities design.An email to the council received a prompt response from community vision group manager Dylan Rusbrook.“CODC has not signed up to 15 Minute Smart Cities,” Dylan said. “A few members of our community have advised the flyers are really good to light the fire with, which we think is most helpful on these cold nights and is about as useful as that particular flyer can be.”   As with most conspiracy theories, there is a grain of truth to the fear-mongering, but only a grain.The 15-minute cities idea was formulated by Professor Carlos Moreno in 2010 to remove what he saw as the dysfunctional aspects of living in a city: long commutes, noisy streets, underutilised spaces. In a TED talk, the professor who teaches at the Sorbonne University in Paris, makes the case for living spaces where residents have access to all the services they need to live, learn and thrive within their immediate vicinity, “making urban areas adapt to humans, not the other way around”.It was a simple concept for city-dwellers to have most of their needs met within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their home, and the idea was picked up by those looking for solutions to climate change. Here in Central Otago, without the dense population of Paris, or even Auckland, the idea of everything being in such proximity seems a dream, or for many a nightmare, as the wide open spaces and scarcity of crowds is what attracts many residents to a rural lifestyle. The 15-minute cities idea morphed into an idea of no freedom to travel outside of some mythical zone when Oxford, England, tested low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) - areas in which motor vehicles were prevented from taking shortcuts by posts, planters and other measures in an attempt to create quieter and safer streets for the residents.Sounds reasonable, you might think, but many did not. The Guardian newspaper reported that one of the road blocks in the St Mary’s LTN had been named “Britain’s most hated bollard” by tabloids after CCTV captured it being repeatedly stolen, deliberately knocked down and even set on fire. Residents in the area, where the road was previously used as a shortcut between two of the city’s busiest streets, told the paper they felt much safer in their now quiet street. The LTNs were set up by the Oxfordshire county council, and the separate Oxford City Council had cited the 15-minute city as an inspiration for its city vision for 2040, the New York Times reported. Oxford and Oxfordshire were close enough to conflate the two as one, fanned on by theorists and politicians to the extent that Professor Moreno now gets death threats, and Central Otago residents get anonymous flyers trading in fear.“All local COUNCILS HAVE ALREADY AGREED to bringing in the Smart Cities agenda,” the flyer states, again using red to amplify the capital letters. “CODC has not signed up to 15 Minute Smart Cities,” Dylan said, and a quick look at the vast area the council covers makes the idea laughable - not least the need locals have to travel elsewhere to access many medical or bureaucratic needs.

The Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust (OGHT) has purchased the Cromwell Methodist Church that has been its headquarters for around 20 years.Trust chairman Warwick Hawker announced on Friday (July 7) the completion of the purchase of the church property in old Cromwell. The property with its historic stone church, built by the great-grandfather of former Prime Minister Helen Clark, is located on the corner of Donegal and Erris Streets. “I am delighted that the OGHT has been able to complete the purchase,” Warwick said. “I wish to acknowledge the work of members of the Trust committee and also members of the Methodist Church of New Zealand who have worked towards this objective.“The purchase was made possible from grants provided by the Central Lakes Trust, the Otago Community Trust and Te Puna Tahua - Lottery Grants Board, together with a number of private donations, along with legal support by Checketts McKay. All these supporters are acknowledged and are greatly appreciated,” Warwick said. OGHT treasurer Odette Hopgood said the Methodist Church was keen for the trust to buy the church so it would always be available to the community.“We let out the cinema and lounge area to community groups. Getting all the money, all the ducks in a row, has taken since 2018,” she said.The OGHT plans to complete an earthquake strengthening project over the next few years and will also be considering future development of the site. The community focus will continue with any future developments.

A Central Otago community nursery has welcomed a new online tool from the Otago Regional Council that helps find the most suitable native plants for a specific area and project.ORC environmental implementation manager Libby Caldwell said the new Otago Native Planting Guide is an interactive map which uses potential ecosystem information to produce a list of native species which will be best suited to plant in your specific area. “Plants which naturally occur in the area will have a higher chance of surviving as they’re adapted to growing in that local environment. The native animals in those areas will also rely on specific plant species for food and habitat,” she said.Haehaeata Natural Heritage Trust nursery manager Rachael Baxter said the interactive page on the website was easy to use. The trust runs the Clyde Community Eco Nursery which propagates native plants to rejuvenate Central Otago’s original flora, thus increasing habitat for native creatures also.“The series of downloadable planting guides that accompany the map are a great resource for all to gain an understanding of the species that will do well in the different general ecosystems around Alexandra, and would be of great use to anyone wanting a better understanding of our local native species,” Rachael said.  “Especially the Central Otago Grey scrub and shrublands, riparian planting, and the Kānuka shrubland guides which we think are the most appropriate for us here.”Rachael said the nursery had grown most of the species on the list at one time or another. “It is timely for such a resource to be out in the public domain as we often get enquiries about what to plant where,” she said.Libby of the ORC said the local landscape had been greatly modified since humans arrived in Aotearoa, noting that plants were the “building blocks” to restore a healthy ecosystem. “In many places, our native birds have also disappeared. By planting the right species, in the right place, we hope to bring our native fauna back, as well as improving water quality and helping toward climate change responses,” she said. The Otago Native Planting Guide works by users entering their project location, address or clicking on the map, which then creates a downloadable list of what native species should be planted at their site.Libby said introduced exotic species which are planted in gardens could escape into the wild and create problems for native species as they could become weeds. “When exotics become established in the wrong place, they often start outcompeting our native species,” she said. The Otago Native Planting Guide is for species choice rather than an instruction manual for native revegetation projects. It is intended as a supplement to existing planting resources, and to assist where they don’t. The guide is available here.

A Central Otago community nursery has welcomed a new online tool from the Otago Regional Council that helps find the most suitable native plants for a specific area and project.ORC environmental implementation manager Libby Caldwell said the new Otago Native Planting Guide is an interactive map which uses potential ecosystem information to produce a list of native species which will be best suited to plant in your specific area. “Plants which naturally occur in the area will have a higher chance of surviving as they’re adapted to growing in that local environment. The native animals in those areas will also rely on specific plant species for food and habitat,” she said.Haehaeata Natural Heritage Trust nursery manager Rachael Baxter said the interactive page on the website was easy to use. The trust runs the Clyde Community Eco Nursery which propagates native plants to rejuvenate Central Otago’s original flora, thus increasing habitat for native creatures also.“The series of downloadable planting guides that accompany the map are a great resource for all to gain an understanding of the species that will do well in the different general ecosystems around Alexandra, and would be of great use to anyone wanting a better understanding of our local native species,” Rachael said.  “Especially the Central Otago Grey scrub and shrublands, riparian planting, and the Kānuka shrubland guides which we think are the most appropriate for us here.”Rachael said the nursery had grown most of the species on the list at one time or another. “It is timely for such a resource to be out in the public domain as we often get enquiries about what to plant where,” she said.Libby of the ORC said the local landscape had been greatly modified since humans arrived in Aotearoa, noting that plants were the “building blocks” to restore a healthy ecosystem. “In many places, our native birds have also disappeared. By planting the right species, in the right place, we hope to bring our native fauna back, as well as improving water quality and helping toward climate change responses,” she said. The Otago Native Planting Guide works by users entering their project location, address or clicking on the map, which then creates a downloadable list of what native species should be planted at their site.Libby said introduced exotic species which are planted in gardens could escape into the wild and create problems for native species as they could become weeds. “When exotics become established in the wrong place, they often start outcompeting our native species,” she said. The Otago Native Planting Guide is for species choice rather than an instruction manual for native revegetation projects. It is intended as a supplement to existing planting resources, and to assist where they don’t. The guide is available here.

Alexandra residents had a little excitement this afternoon (Friday July 7) when a heavy police presence closed down one block of Spencer Street. Seven police cars were in the vicinity, including one canine unit, and one unmarked car. At least one policeman was armed.A spokeswoman for the NZ Police media team said police executed an arrest warrant at an address on Spencer Street, Alexandra.No further details are available at this time.PHOTO: The Central App

Alexandra residents had a little excitement this afternoon (Friday July 7) when a heavy police presence closed down one block of Spencer Street. Seven police cars were in the vicinity, including one canine unit, and one unmarked car. At least one policeman was armed.A spokeswoman for the NZ Police media team said police executed an arrest warrant at an address on Spencer Street, Alexandra.No further details are available at this time.PHOTO: The Central App

Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery has a host of activities for children during the school holidays, with educational art activities themed around Matariki and a photo contest in conjunction with Central Cinema (which shares the same building).Manager Paula Stephenson said there are a range of activities as part of the museum’s Matariki celebrations, and a Matariki Passport for children to get stamped as they complete each craft.“It’s for the whole school holidays so they don’t have to do it all at once. They can come back on a few different days to finish the passport,” she said.Video screens tell stories of Matariki, so children and adults can learn more about the constellation and the meaning of the individual stars in Maori legend, before making their own creations that connect with those meanings.A kapa haka, storytelling and art afternoon is planned; adults and children can learn how to weave Harakeke whetu, or flax stars; and budding shutterbugs can learn how to photograph the night sky. Registrations are required for these activities as numbers are limited, so sign up by emailing [email protected] to express your interest and get further details.A treasure hunt to find the Matariki stars hidden in the museum is a chance for one lucky child to win a $50 Warehouse voucher. The photo competition takes the theme of Cats in the Museum (running at Central Cinema over the school holidays) a whisker further, with entrants asked to photograph their favourite cat or kitten and submit the picture.The feline photos will be displayed at the museum, with the public voting on which they like best.Friends Charlie Trochon and Marco and Nico McKey were in the museum earlier this week with their mothers, making fish to go on the museum wall or take home.Charlie’s mother, Sharne Paranihi, said they had learned of the school holiday programme through word of mouth, and the children had been excited to attend.“Way too excited,” she said. “It started two days ago and hasn’t stopped.”

Central Otago Reap educator Shona Bain has been using home-made chemical-free cleaners for decades and believes in them totally for effectiveness, sustainability and cost-savings.In what was sadly CO Reap’s last partnership with Alexandra Wastebusters, Shona recently taught a group of budget and health conscious enthusiasts how to make their own chemical-free cleaners, using common household ingredients their parents or grandparents may have used.“This journey of mine around sustainable chemical-free stuff started about 30 years ago when one of my children had cancer,” Shona said. “It made me question if I contributed to it in any way.“I had a friend who introduced me to this wonderful world of chemical-free stuff and from there I did my own research and came up with what suited me.”The hero ingredient in the basic cleaners is castile soap, most commonly seen in New Zealand kitchens and laundries for more than a hundred years under the brand Sunlight. Made into liquid soap (grate two tablespoons of soap per cup of boiling water, stir to dissolve and leave to cool), it can be used as dishwash liquid also. It is also the basis for a cream cleanser (recipe follows) that will clean pots and pans, scrub surfaces clean, and is also good for exfoliating rough skin or cleaning your hands after gardening.CO Reap educator Shona Bain reads out the ingredients needed to make chemical-free cream cleanerToilet cleaning balls are easily made with baking soda (another hero for sustainable cleaning), white vinegar, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide and essential oil for scent; toothpaste is simply baking soda, salt, glycerine and clove oil or your favourite essence for flavour; and deodorant can be made with baking soda, coconut oil, cornflour and essential oil for perfume.All the ingredients are sustainable and safe for septic tanks, Shona said. “Our organisation works to a really strict sustainability model.”The items could also be used as gifts, and Shona showed a ribboned jar of laundry powder with an accompanying ribboned silver spoon, containers that could be easily found at most op shops.“In today’s economic climate, this doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg,” she said.Bruce Lauder helps Shona take solid deodorants from their mouldsBruce and Andrea Lauder were two of those attending the workshop and went away pleased with the knowledge they had gained and the items they had made.“If you start with one or two things, you can build up,” Andrea said. General Purpose Cream Cleaner2 cups baking soda ½ cup liquid soap2 tbsp white vinegar ½ tsp essential oilMix the baking soda and liquid soap together until it looks like icing. Add white vinegar and stir until it is foamy. Add the essential oil and store in an airtight container.

Coronet Peak Ski Area in Queenstown will host SYNTHONY in the Snow as a Night Ski event on August 19, lighting up the winter night with a live orchestra, DJs, electronic dance music and vocalists.The event will include an immersive light, laser, and visual show as the performers reimagine iconic club anthems. SYNTHONY - watch hereSYNTHONY, which has The Central App and The Queenstown App as sponsors, follows a similar event in the Auckland Domain in April. Coronet Peak manager Nigel Kerr said he was looking forward to the event hitting the slopes.“SYNTHONY in the Snow is something totally unique and special for Coronet Peak and we’re really excited to be hosting a concert of such epic proportions,” he said. “We’re looking forward to being able to offer the first ever event of this kind on snow - welcoming locals and visitors alike."SYNTHONY in the Snow combines a live orchestra with electronic dance music, vocalists, instrumentalists and DJs."It will be incredibly exciting to see SYNTHONY in a world first on Coronet Peak," Duco Touring director David Higgins said. "SYNTHONY is a celebration of life, love, and the extraordinary power of music. We're delighted to collaborate with Coronet Peak and Manuka Pharm in delivering SYNTHONY in the Snow - it will be an unrivalled and unforgettable experience."SYNTHONY is a one-of-a-kind music experience that combines the energy and excitement of electronic dance music with the power and elegance of a live orchestra. Led by conductor Emma Featherstone, the SYNTHONY Orchestra, along with vocalists, instrumentalists, and world-class DJs, takes audiences on a captivating journey through the dance anthems of the last 30 years. SYNTHONY has garnered international acclaim and has become a must-see event for music enthusiasts around the world. Ticket packages include a Night Ski Pass at Coronet Peak. Pre-sale tickets go on sale on today (July 6), and are available by registering at synthony.com for pre-sale access. General tickets will be available from Monday (July 10).PHOTOS: Supplied

After more than a half-century of hosting competitors, New Zealand’s longest running road race, Monteith's Clyde to Alexandra 10km, has fallen victim to post-Covid complications, increased compliance costs and reduced enthusiasm for pounding the streets. However there is the chance of another organiser lining up for the starter’s gun from next year.Previously the primary fundraiser for the Alexandra Harriers and Walkers Club, the road race was no longer financially viable because of the cost of traffic management, club captain Jo Wilson said. Race numbers had dwindled over the years, with two unprofitable years post-Covid and increasing compliance costs. Covid-19 scuttled the 2020 event and caused the following year’s race to be postponed and numbers reduced.Runners cross the Clyde Dam during a previous Clyde to Alexandra 10KM race. PHOTO: The Central App“We’re not getting a huge number of people who are interested in road races anymore,” Jo said. “There are not a lot of people pounding the pavements these days.“After 53 years, it has run its course.”The Harriers loss may be an opportunity for avid runner Tom Heath, who has lived in Clyde for less than a year.“When I heard the Clyde to Alexandra 10k had been cancelled, I started thinking about creating my own event in conjunction with Clyde School as a fundraiser for them,” Tom said.He reached out to those concerned and others in the community to discuss the idea and talk about the consents required, and to the Harriers for advice.“Everyone I have spoken to, the school, Contact Energy about the dam, the Alexandra Harriers has been positive.”Although the event is still in the early days of planning, Tom would like to run a half marathon (21km), a 10km and 5km race and a children’s event.Rather than being only on the road, he hoped to have a trail race that would go through Clyde but also on local tracks, without being too strenuous an off-road event.“It would sit in between a road race and an off road event,” he said. “I would be looking at the main target audience as mums and dads with kids.“I’m 100 per cent committed to putting it on. We’re definitely aiming for a 2024 date.”

It was a full four days of curling for the 14 teams in the NZ Mixed Doubles Qualifier in Naseby from Thursday through Sunday (June 29 - July 2), with familiar Maniototo names topping the list.Local brother and sister pair Sean and Bridget Becker (both of Maniototo) topped their pool and, despite losing one of their games, beat the undefeated lead team of the other pool, Mhairi-Bronté Duncan (Dunedin) and Brett Sargon (Auckland), by having a closer draw shot.NZ Curling Association secretary Lauren Becker said the teams were split into two pools, with the top two teams in each pool qualifying, and the third and fourth teams playing thirds and fourths in the opposing pool for the last two spots. The quality of play was high throughout.“A lot of people in the top six teams are in the New Zealand teams,” she said. “In that group, we have some youths who were curling against New Zealand’s best.“One thing that shines is still the spirit of curling. Our youth teams love playing those teams and those teams love helping out the youths.”Mhairi-Bronté Duncan (Dunedin) and Brett Sargon (Auckland) will also go on to the NZ Mixed Doubles Championship in Naseby from August 9-13.The top six teams will compete in the NZ Mixed Doubles Championship in Naseby from August 9-13.“From that, we will have our top team who will represent New Zealand at the World Mixed Doubles event in Europe in December,” Lauren said.Bridget said that she had played in mixed doubles with Sean since about 2011, when they travelled together to Finland to compete for New Zealand, but had also partnered with another brother Scott.The Becker family is well-known within the curling community, with Bridget’s father Peter the only New Zealander to be inducted into the World Curling Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions to the sport, both on-ice and off. Bridget said she feels no pressure from the family name.“Any team that performs quite well and quite consistently for a long time has a target on their backs,” she said. “I don’t feel I have pressure on myself as a Becker, but I do like to win so I probably put pressure on my partners because of that.”The snow over the weekend caused an hour’s delay to play on Sunday morning, with some Dunedin players also having an unexpected overnight stay because of the road conditions.Bridget said she lives in Patearoa so the extra hour on Sunday morning was very welcome.“The roads between Patearoa and Naseby were absolutely terrible,” she said. “They decided on the delay the night before. Some people were up to 45-50 minutes drive away.“We didn’t want to disadvantage anyone so they had to pull out of competition.”The teams to qualify for the NZ Mixed Doubles Championship in August are: Bridget Becker and Sean Becker (Maniototo), Mhairi-Bronté Duncan (Dunedin) and Brett Sargon (Auckland), Jess Smith and Ben Smith (siblings from Maniototo), Cortney Smith and Anton Hood (Maniototo), Natalie Thurlow (Becks) and Warren Dobson (Maniototo), and Rachael Pitts (Dunedin) and Sam Flanagan (Maniototo).

Volunteer firefighters were called to a weather incident in Clyde at 3:20 pm today (Tuesday July 4) after reports of roofs blown off houses.Clyde chief fire officer Steve Gee says eyewitness accounts described a small, localised tornado which dropped down on a stretch of residential street and damaged roofs.“We have seasonal gusts of wind around this time but this one was unusual,” Steve said.“Half a dozen houses were affected, one significantly.” Fire and Emergency crews secured the area and made sure everyone was safe and local builders assisted the homeowner to secure their house overnight.No injuries were reported.

A road snowfall warning was still in place this morning (Monday, July 3) but freezing levels are rising across Central Otago and roads that were closed have been reopened.Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency advised that State Highway 85 Kyeburn to Macraes Turnoff reopened this morning after a prior closure but winter driving conditions applied so drivers should take extra care. Caution was advised on State Highway 8 Roxburgh to Raes Junction due to surface flooding. Click here: Roxburgh - Raes JunctionCaution is advised on State Highway 8 Roxburgh to Raes Junction. MetService meteorologist Luis Fernandes said the trend was for temperatures to increase across Central Otago after a cold weekend.“Snow that was falling at 100-200 metres above sea level will rise to 600-700 metres this morning and 1000 metres this evening,” he said.“Strong southwesterlies that have been blasting over the area that have brought big winds are mostly easing and turning more westerly, so the flow is blocked by the high mountains of Fiordland.”Waka Kotahi advises caution on Central Otago’s roads today.Fewer and lighter showers would reach Central Otago during the day, David said.Keep up to date with the latest road and weather information on The Central App’s Roads l Weather l Reports.

Many Central residents woke to snow this morning (Saturday, July 1) and more is expected through to Monday morning, with pockets of fine weather interspersed.MetService issues a severe weather watch this morning, predicting periods of heavy snow for the southern South Island. The regional forecast was partly cloudy with morning frosts and isolated showers south of Alexandra, turning to snow in the afternoon, heavy in the south Southwesterlies developing in the afternoon could be strong or gale in exposed places.Meteorologist David Miller said there were a few showers mainly in the south of Central Otago late in the morning, with a heavy snow warning for the weekend.The cold southwest flow would affect the southern South Island through to Monday morning. There were several troughs embedded in the flow, which were forecast to bring snow to low levels over the southern South Island. “It won’t be days of snow,” David said. “There will be pockets of snow and pockets of sun.”Naseby residents woke to snow this morning.Residents of Alexandra experienced a light dusting of snow, with Naseby locals welcoming a heavier fall.Naseby General Store part owner Paul Sullivan said the roads had been graded and the snow was blanketing the town.“It’s lovely,” he said. “It’s now looking like we love Naseby to look.”Ida Valley back road 11 am this morningMetservice Heavy Snow Warning - OrangeOtago south of line from Queenstown to Alexandra and Mosgiel. Expect periods of heavy snow above about 300 metres, with some falls down to near sea level. The heaviest snow is expected from Saturday evening through to Sunday evening, where 20 to 35 cm of snow is expected above about 300m, with lesser amounts down to near sea level.Heavy snow may disrupt travel in affected areas and could damage trees and powerlines. Cold conditions may cause stress for livestock.Keep up to date with the latest road and weather information on The Central App’s Roads l Weather l Reports section.

More than a century after Thomas Spain had noted architect Edmund Anscombe draw up plans for the Earnscleugh homestead, also known as Spain’s Folly and now Earnscleugh Castle, the current owners have received consent to plaster the building's exterior, as noted in the original 1919 design.Marco Creemers and Ryan Sanders purchased the property last year, with the intention of renovating it in keeping with the “faded glamour” of the original building and design. The couple relocated from Auckland and are living in the renovated and warm coach house out back of the main building, while work goes on in the long-neglected castle.An artist’s impression of Earnscleugh Castle as it would look if left unplasteredThis week, they received approval from the Central Otago District Council (CODC) to plaster over the majority of the existing brick exterior, as was intended in the original plan but never completed. “We are over the moon,” Marco said of the drawn-out decision. “It’s a big relief.”Marco Creemers, left, and Ryan Sanders out front of Earnscleugh CastleFinishing the building as originally intended seemed an obvious part of the renovations, but the council considered those plans a discretionary activity and, despite support from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, required a notified resource consent.This slowed the renovations and added hundreds of thousands of dollars in reports and fees to the already sizable cost.A section of brickwork would be left unplastered to retain a record of the building’s unfinished state, but as the bricks were never intended to remain unplastered so seconds were used, the building would deteriorate if left as is.“Spain and his architect Anscombe planned the plastering,” Marco said.The council hearing panel agreed, after an initial extension on its decision, stating that “the heritage values of the Earnscleugh Homestead building will be maintained through this proposal, that there are various positive effects, and, that overall, the effect of the land use activity on the environment is appropriate”.Marco said they hoped to begin the plastering later this year.“We’re now six months behind but hopefully we will have all the windows sealed and completed over winter and we can start the plastering in summer.”

The final sale day is over, the last partnership with CO REAP is done and dusted, and the Alexandra Menz Shed stall has crossed the road to sit outside the actual shed. With no angel investor or organisation coming through to save the business, today (Friday, June 30) is the final day the Wastebusters Alexandra reuse shop and recycling services will be open.Wastebusters general manager Tony Pfeiffer said last month it had been a tough decision to close the Alexandra site, “but Wastebusters, as a social enterprise, needs to ensure it was financially viable for our people, our place and our impact, so we can continue to work for zero waste into the future”.The organisation’s Wānaka operation, which remains open, had subsidised the Alexandra site since it took it on from Central Otago Wastebusters in 2015, Tony said, and with the lease due for renewal, “it wouldn’t be responsible of us to commit to operating a loss-making site into the future”.“Unfortunately, the site in Alexandra is not financially viable for Wastebusters to continue to operate,” he said. “We are one of the last social enterprises in the country to be doing recycling due to the volatile nature of commodity markets and intense competition.”The Alexandra Wastebusters site in Boundary Rd will be handed back to the Central Otago District Council after close of business todayCommunications manager Ruth Blunt confirmed this week that the Boundary Rd site would be closed and handed back to the Central Otago District Council, which owns the land.“We stopped accepting donations for our reuse shop drop off earlier this month so we could concentrate on making sure more items went to a new home before we close. We also had two big sales to give our community the opportunity to find something they love at awesome prices and to further reduce the amount of stock on site. “Our final sale on Saturday was a Koha Day that also benefited the community, with all proceeds going to local charities.” Those charities were Puna Rangatahi - Alexandra & Districts Youth Trust, the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust, and St John Alexandra.Wastebusters was supporting all its staff into continued employment, Ruth said.New homes had also been found for shop cats Buster and Sid, both firm favourites with the many regulars who frequented the shop.There had been plenty of offers to keep items in circulation for anything left at close of business today, Ruth said.The council would have  a new drop-off facility located at the Alexandra transfer station on Boundary Road from July 1, which would be open to the public for free drop-off during transfer station operating hours. The recyclable items accepted included paper, cardboard, aluminium and steel cans, plastics No. 1, 2 and 5, and glass bottles and jars.The after-hours drop-off container outside the Alexandra transfer station would also continue to accept these recyclable items.Items which are more difficult to recycle such as polystyrene, plastic film and Tetrapak cartons would not be accepted at the drop-off facilities at this time.

The Central Otago District Council renewed its Film Friendly Policy for a further three-year period at its meeting on Wednesday (June 28).Economic development manager Nick Lanham presented a report on the Film Friendly Policy that has been in place since December 2007, with the current policy last updated in May 2018. The policy is part of a relationship agreement between the council and Film New Zealand, now part of the New Zealand Film Commission.“The intent is to promote Central Otago as a preferred location for filming,” Nick said. “It could be a movie, it could be a television commercial, it could be a tv documentary or a series.“Central Otago is very well held in wide regard as a place to film, not just because of our people and our stunning landscapes, it is because council and the community do support the initiative to film in the district.”Since 2018, several notable international productions have been filmed in Central Otago, including The Power of the Dog, Sweet Tooth, Only Cloud Knows, and Mulan.  Councillor Stu Duncan, who lives in the Maniototo where much of The Power of the Dog was filmed, said the impact of that was great.“When you look at the influx of capital and people when The Power of the Dog was in our community, it took a lot of people into the workforce who otherwise would not be working,” he said.

Central Otago District Council (CODC) in its meeting yesterday (Wednesday, June 28) adopted the 2023-24 Annual Plan, set the fees and charges for that period with minor amendments, and set the rates, due dates and penalties during that financial year.The average rates increase across the district was set at 11.2 per cent, an increase from 10.4 per cent consulted on in the Annual Plan. The rates increase will take effect on July 1. CODC chief financial officer Susan Finlay said council staff had spent considerable time balancing affordability at the same time as maintaining a level of service. CODC mayor Tim Cadogan said the council, unfortunately, had a perfect storm of a seven per cent inflation environment alongside increased depreciation costs related to increased valuations of the assets owned by the community, and increased insurance costs. “The 11.2 per cent rates increase proposed is probably something those of us around this table had never envisaged,” he said.“We considered whether we should be cutting levels of services to cut costs but chose to hold the course of the level of service we offer rather than make knee-jerk cuts. However, council will be having a discussion with the community next year, being an LTP [Long Term Plan] year, over whether the council wishes to keep current levels of service if that would involve further significant rates rises."Deputy mayor Neil Gillespie said he was “quite surprised” some other councils seemed not to be facing the same pressures.“We could have pruned some of this out, saying, ‘we’re not going to fund this or fund that’, but we have learned that is just pushing it out,” he said. One of the amendments to fees and charges was a reduction in the general waste charge per tonne from $415 to $395 and Susan said there may be room for some further reduction in waste management charges but that was unclear as residents adjusted to the new bin types.“We usually need a year to understand the changes in behaviour,” she said.

Central Otago District Council (CODC) was updated on activities related to the Eden Hore Central Otago fashion collection - and especially about the acquisition of three new garments into the collection - at its meeting yesterday (Wednesday, June 28).Eden Hore (1919 - 1997) was a Central Otago high country farmer and entrepreneur, who assembled the largest collection of haute couture 1970s and 80s fashion in New Zealand.A white evening dress with an ostrich feather-trimmed cape from the Lewis Townsend Original label has been added to the Eden Hore Central Otago collection CODC community and engagement manager Paula Penno told the council the three garments had been offered to the collection after they were purchased by an anonymous donor from the estate of Alma McElwain, who was employed by Eden and worked at his Glenshee Ranch for 12 years. A sequinned top and trouser suit by designer Kevin BerkahnAlma was interested in fashion and travelled to Dunedin weekly to attend the Vanity Walk Modelling School, and Eden bought her a number of fashion garments that she cherished, Paula said.“He went from buying garments for Alma to purchasing them himself.”Those garments became the fashion collection, which CODC purchased in 2013 and is now managed by the Eden Hore Central Otago Trust.A woven daywear jacket by designer Colin ColeThe acquisition committee gratefully accepted the gift into the collection, Paula reported.CODC mayor Tim Cadogan, in moving that Paula’s report be received, added “that council thanks the anonymous donor of these garments”.