Central Otago District Council mayor Tim Cadogan says he personally does not support the Stop Co-Governance Tour, which is scheduled to hold a meeting at Lowburn Hall in Cromwell this evening (Tuesday June 27) at 7pm.The tour is organised by Julian Batchelor, who describes himself on his website as “a psychologist, author, teacher, speaker, leader, tourist operator and journalist. And now add ‘political activist’ to the list.”The tour has been getting mixed welcomes as it makes its way across the country, with venue bookings cancelled in some towns. In Invercargill, Mayor Nobby Clark both attended and spoke at the meeting, while in Balclutha, Clutha District mayor Bryan Cadogan gave Julian short shrift when the activist introduced himself at a local cafe. The brother of Central Otago’s mayor told the tour organiser to “get out of town, you’re not welcome here”.Tim told The Central App yesterday that “rights are balanced with responsibilities”.“From what I have read from what has gone on at others in this series of meetings, a lot of responsibilities that would be expected in New Zealand have been ignored, for instance I read of a person who was not allowed to attend because he wasn’t a ‘good Māori’ or other people have been stopped from speaking at these meetings if they don’t agree with what is being said.”Radio New Zealand reported that Te Tauihi iwi members were refused entry to the Blenheim meeting.Tim said he was “all for open discussion on any topic where different sides can be put, respectfully listened to and debated”. “That is the core of democracy, that is how we learn and develop our understanding of things that we may be unaccustomed to,” he said. “However, when opposing views to a debate are shut out of the room, particularly when the closing of that door is based on race such as is alleged to have happened at the Blenheim meeting, a line is crossed and personally, I don’t welcome the person who did this coming to preach in Central.”Vincent Community Board member Jayden Cromb (Waikato) said he accepts Julian has a right to his view, and a right to speak publicly, but he does not support the spreading of misinformation, fear, and division. Vincent Community Board member Jayden Cromb (Waikato) says co-governance is not about 'elite Maori' creating an 'apartheid' system“I support open, fair, respectful debate,” Jayden said. “But when it crosses into hate, intolerance, and racism, we need to speak up and say it is not acceptable. I believe in fighting with real facts, not the line that gets the loudest cheer.    “Aotearoa New Zealand has a unique cultural history and founding document. 1840 onwards has proven that the standard Westminster system does not work or reflect our unique shared heritage or coexistence. Co-Governance is not about 'elite Maori' creating an 'apartheid' system. It is saying we have a challenging past that we must address, and we must work in partnership to right those wrongs while creating an equal and fair future for all. Co-Governance is the next logical step in our nation's political evolution.”He said that unfortunately such views as those held by the group had a home in Central Otago as they do in many places across Aotearoa New Zealand, but the good news is they were the minority.“I can confidently say that for most, these views have no place in our communities and there are plenty of Maori and non-Maori that are working hard to change the minds of those that aren't there yet. Let's be clear there will be plenty of supporters attending the Stop Co-Governance meeting. But there will be far more reading this and feeling disgusted that we even have to have this conversation.”  Jayden said it was very concerning to see Julian’s sort of rhetoric in the headlines so often. “My generation has been fortunate to grow up in an era where society has begun to look at the past and accept that change is needed. It has empowered us to stand up and be proud of who we are, to have the courage to embrace our whakapapa and begin to heal the inter-generational wounds of our Tipuna. It's worrying to see a coordinated effort to undo this work and to take our nation and culture backwards. It is our responsibility to push back and protect the progress for ourselves and the generations to come.”   While standing for both the community board and council, Jayden was subjected to anti-Maori sentiment, such as being told he had no right to represent the area, but said he was proud of who he is and what he brought to the community. “And if my being here can counteract the negativity of people like Julian, and encourage others to seek out leadership roles, then those few comments are 100 per cent worth it,” he said. A police spokesperson said police would be in the vicinity for the event, to help ensure a safe environment for all.The Central App approached Julian Batchelor for comment but no response had been received by our deadline.

Anyone who owns a vehicle knows the need to get a regular warrant of fitness to ensure it’s up to standard, but have you considered doing the same with your finances?Central Otago Budgeting Services office manager/co-ordinator Pam Hughes recommends just that.“When people are struggling financially, what we suggest is they come and get a financial warrant of fitness done,” she said.“We look at doing a budget, because you have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. From there, we can say, ‘You could be getting accommodation supplement and you’re not,’ or “You’ve got Sky, Disney and Netflix - do you need all of those?’“We don’t tell people what to do, but we make suggestions of how they could improve their income to their outgoings. Giving them some ideas of how to save money without it being too hard.”The service works with people who are financially in crisis, helping them talk to creditors, Pam said, as well as being involved in community education, through talks to community agencies or groups. “We do Studylink, helping the students going on to university get their student loan and student living allowance applications all completed so when they are finished that session with us they are already enrolled.”Pam is also a Justice of the Peace so is able to witness all the necessary documents.As part of the Central Otago REAP Choices programme, she and her colleagues cover “everything to do with budgeting, from hire purchases, insolvencies, Work and Income, IRD, and Working for Families”.“Anything that can go towards making up a budget. We also look at real live budgets and then get them to do their own budget.” The service’s main funding comes from the Central Lakes Trust (CLT), from which they received $79,765 in the first round of funding for the financial year, as part of a multi-year grant. CLT does not cover the Maniototo so funding is also sought elsewhere.“We travel to our clients throughout the area. The funding that we receive from CLT manages enough for the service to employ four part-time staff, and we will travel throughout the Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago area to work with clients.”The service also works in conjunction with REAP to run digital banking classes, something that has become increasingly necessary in an area with many older residents who may not be computer-savvy.Members of CO Reap’s U3A enjoy a warm drink between sessions of a talk by Pam Hughes last week. Last week, Pam gave a talk to REAP’s U3A (University of the Third Age) members, drawing an audience of more than 20 people.She told them many people were not aware of what they might be entitled to.“You might be entitled to a community services card, you might be entitled to a rates rebate - the government doesn’t know what you’re trying to tell them unless you tell them.“It’s just looking at different options, giving different ideas to people, just seeing what they may be able to make changes to in their budgets.”Questions from the audience were wide-ranging, many addressing issues affecting the questioners' children and grandchildren as well as themselves.Alexandra resident Jo Wilson, who attended the talk, said she gained a lot of information she could pass on to others.“I didn’t realise it was going so locally,” she said of the service. “The coverage over the entire Central Otago area is amazing.”

Despite a seemingly dormant season for plants and plant growth, work continues propagating natives at Haehaeata Natural Heritage Trust, and new shoots are also springing up in terms of staff movement.Dhana Pillai, who has been with the trust since it was established in 2017, is stepping down as nursery manager and trust administrator and project co-ordinator Rachael Baxter is trialling adding the nursery management to her existing duties. Haehaeata Trust chairman Ollie Yeoman said Dhana’s “huge wealth of knowledge” had been invaluable to the group.“So many of us have learned so much from Dhana,” he said.“It’s really niche knowledge and skills. Dhana’s been trialling and playing around with how to grow things in Central Otago where it is so dry and so hot and so cold.”Dhana said she started with the community nursery well before it became a trust. The nursery was originally operated by the Department of Conservation (DoC), which withdrew in 2015.“We had a public meeting in Clyde about rejuvenating it,” Dhana said. “The community got together and started up and got really keen.”All of the nursery’s plants are grown from seeds collected locally as they are best adapted to Central Otago’s challenging conditions. PHOTO: SuppliedThe trust was set up in 2017 to restore, educate and advocate for Central Otago’s unique dryland plant species and the creatures that depend on them, and operates the Clyde Railhead Community Eco Nursery. When the then-nursery manager left, Dhana volunteered for the role, and took over the part-time position once funding was available.A qualified geologist, Dhana also studied a lot of botany in her degree and was involved as a graduate student in ecological studies in Otago.“I really love native plants and I love plant propagation,” she said. “It’s something I’ve done since I moved to Alexandra about 30 years ago.”Dhana’s last nursery session with volunteers will be next Thursday (June 29) but she will remain involved in the trust, collecting seeds, propagating and being involved in restoration projects. She just planted out 32 trays of seeds this week.“I’m not leaving or anything. I’m just stepping back from the formal role of being the manager and organising the volunteers. That’s the role Rachael will be taking on.”Rachael also has a wealth of experience propagating and growing plants, as part of the Mackie family which owns Mackies Garden Centre in Letts Gully Rd. She has committed to the combined role for a year to see how it fits with everything else in her life, and will restart volunteer sessions on August 10 after a winter break..She has been involved with the trust as a volunteer since at least 2018 and in a paid part-time role since 2020.The trust’s flagship rejuvenation project is on DoC land at Falg Top Hill, where it has been involved since 2020 in a multi-year project where it aims to plant 500 trees and shrubs annually. Regular planting and weeding sessions take place there, and the trust also works with local schools and local organisations, supplying plants, helping establish plantings  and educating groups.“On and off, throughout the years, there have been quite a few school visits to the nursery,” Rachael said. “A lot of it has come through Enviroschools and they get their own little planting projects underway.”Rachael speaks with Clyde School pupils about each species being planted and why it was important for bird, insect or lizard life. PHOTO: The Central AppThe Trust was involved in a joint project with Clyde School in May, planting mountain beech, cabbage trees, broadleaf, flax, mountain coprosma and the nationally endangered Hector’s tree daisy near the Miners Lane playground.“They managed to fit in a visit just before they went planting so they had seen the nursery. Dhana talked about seed collection and some of the seeds and what they look like and how they disperse.“Small groups will come back once it’s warmer and we’re propagating and they’re going to get involved in the propagation side of things too.“There’s a lot of partnerships we can develop.”Find more information about volunteering or supporting the trust here. 

Those of us in low-lying areas of Central Otago may see the sun again this weekend, with a westerly front due to move the inversion layer away.Metservice meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said the persistent low cloud and fog around Alexandra and other Central Otago valleys isn’t unusual during winter months.“The inversion layer can stick around for weeks under calm high pressure conditions, keeping conditions cold and damp.Read more: ‘Miserable’ fog likely to persist “The current low cloud has been near persistent for the last couple of weeks; the temperature at the airport hasn’t cracked five degrees Celsius since the 13th.”Today at 11am, the temperature at the Alexandra Airport was only one degree, with the town not much warmer at 1.3 degrees Celsius.Low-lying areas still have a few days left of not seeing the sun, Ngaire said.“There isn’t much change expected until later in the weekend, when westerlies pushing rain onto Westland should help flush it out.”

Connect, empower, inspire - those are the keywords on the Journeys logo and the charitable trust that runs the group is looking for more volunteer instructors to do just that by helping connect girls with Central Otago’s wild places.Board member Megan Longman co-founded the group with Kim Froggatt and Penny Smale  in 2019, and it was registered as a charitable trust the following year. All three women are volunteer instructors and Megan is also project manager for the group.She said Journeys was based on the women’s own experiences in the outdoors while growing up, and the desire to help another generation have similar adventures and gain the skills that came with those experiences.“I grew up on a sheep station and have always been exploring outdoors and I wanted to pass that on to our girls. It gives them confidence, resilience, connection with others and wellbeing.”She hopes to see more women and girls exploring the natural wonders around Alexandra.“When we first started up, we would see groups of boys socialising in the hills, but we would never see girls.”That has changed with the groups of Journeys girls becoming a common sight, whether on mountain bikes in summer or adventuring on foot in the winter. The group runs two seasons a year, with about 60 girls per season, divided into smaller groups and heading out on different days.“Part of the challenge that comes in the winter season is to get out when it’s still dark and cold, and taking care of ourselves to keep doing that,” Megan said. “We prioritise making a really safe and supportive environment.”There is no cost to the girls, and there are some spare bikes and other equipment for those who may not have their own.Maddy Mannix leads a group of Years 9-11 girls during a walk on Matangi Station.Dunstan High School student Maddy Mannix (13) is enjoying her second winter season, having learned about Journeys shortly after moving to Alexandra last year.“A couple of people from Journeys had come to school and showed a video and a few of my friends said, ‘That’s cool. I want to be part of that.’ The friends I joined with weren’t in my Journeys group,” Maddy said, but the group she was with had all become really good friends by the end of the season. Maddie Hiscock (foreground, from left), Maddy Mannix and instructor Megan Longman study a map during a walk on Matangi Station.She said Journeys had brought her confidence (especially as a new girl in town), new friendships and new skills.“I wasn’t even able to read a map before I started Journeys,” Maddy said. “Tonight, I’m going with my mum to do a night orienteering course.“It’s just a really fun and cool organisation that’s great to be part of. Even girls in my class who would never have thought of going out at night and walking, we convinced them to come along and they loved it.”The ideal volunteer instructors needn’t be amazing mountain bikers or skilled navigators but had to enjoy spending time with young people and have a passion for the outdoors, Megan said, and would gain themselves through volunteering.“It contributes to my wellbeing because it allows me to be active in the outdoors, giving back to the community and passing on skills - the most important thing is developing the relationships with the girls and seeing them grow.”If that sounds like something you would like to be involved in, you can find more details on the Journeys website. PHOTOS: Lisa Hill Photography

The Cromwell Community Board has approved a request by the Cromwell Community Squash Club to make improvements to the exterior of the club building and concrete two areas that are currently stone or soil, and install a low fence.The club holds a lease over the land on the Neplusultra Recreation Reserve, which expires on March 31, 2041, and owns the club premises. Club president David Crossan said concreting the areas would save on maintenance and tidy the whole area up.“There’s possibly a broader plan later on to put out some tables for our members. Squash is being played year round now so we could have some tables out in summer.”The club had asked permission to concrete an area next to the car parking, which is currently washed stone that is not easily cleaned of weeds or leaf debris. The area would then be easier to maintain and with the installation of a low fence in keeping with the aesthetic style of the existing fences and new bike racks, could be used for members' bike parking. The second area was down the side of the building on the southeast side, which was not utilised effectively as it was mainly bare soil and did not see a lot of sun. The new concrete would be the same height as the current concrete under the veranda and slope towards the greenway, enabling the shaded seating area for members.These photos show the areas the Cromwell Community Squash Club wishes to concreteThe club proposed to fund and complete the work themselves and, as per their lease agreement, would be responsible for all future maintenance costs and work that any change to these areas would bring.David said there was every indication that the club lease would be renewed again after 2041 and he considered the club an essential part of the community. Current membership was 140-150, he said, an increase of 30-40 people over the last 2-3 years.“We have grown considerably, particularly the women and young members,” he said. “Two or three years ago we were male-dominated. A few of our ladies organised the ‘Bubbles and Bash’ for women only and we garnished a lot of members from that.”Food trucks, dog binsThe Cromwell Community Board also considered community ideas for the 2024-2034 Long-Term Plan at its meeting on Tuesday (June 20).One idea was for a food truck site on the south side of Super Liquor, a site council staff reported was privately owned land.Board member Bob Scott suggested it was not an ideal spot because of the highway nearby.“If we want more food trucks, Barry Ave would seem to be a better place.”The consensus was that the issue of food trucks should be considered as part of the wider Cromwell Town Centre Project.A suggestion to put bins and poo bags at the start of areas where dogs could be walked gave rise to some light-hearted yet serious discussion now that animal waste is being included in the council’s new green bins.Community engagement manager Paula Penno said that putting in bins was seen as a solution in the past but that now the green bins were in use, things needed to be viewed under a different lens.The board accepted the report.The board also received the Cromwell Financial Report for the period ending March 31, 2023, which projected the ward to end the 2022/23 financial year with a closing balance of $3.89M. 

The Cromwell Community Board had many questions for Central Otago District Council (CODC) staff at its meeting yesterday (Tuesday June 20), over a report on demand for sports grounds within the ward.With the Cromwell ward’s population predicted to grow to 15,350 people by 2050, staff had begun work on looking at the future provision of open space, and engaged Global Leisure Group to carry out a Cromwell Sports Field Demand Analysis study. Board deputy chair Bob Scott questioned if the report was needed at all, and its accuracy and inclusivity.“There seem to be an awful lot of inaccuracies in this report,” he said. “We seem to have the population estimates wrong.” (The report only gave population projections for 2040, which it estimated at 8,018.)Bob also queried why some sports types and organisations, including golf, athletics and hockey, were not included in the report. “I actually think this report is very flawed,” he said.CODC parks and recreation manager Gordon Bailey said the population projections were council’s own and golf was not included as the golf club was not maintained by council. Board member Sarah Browne also questioned the population numbers, and whether they covered only the town or the wider Cromwell ward, to which Gordon said he would have that clarified. Sarah also felt the report did not delve deeply enough across different sports.Previous work through the Queenstown Lakes-Central Otago Sub-Regional Sport & Recreation Facility Strategy and the Cromwell Masterplan had identified the Cromwell Racecourse Reserve as a possible open space area that could accommodate future sport code growth. The report writers consulted representatives from key user groups of the racecourse reserve, which covers 93.4885 hectares. Board member Wally Sanford questioned whether there was scope to consider wider than the racecourse reserve.“The report seems as if it’s half about the current sports needs and also half about the operations and usage at the racecourse,” he said. “If you saw some good low-lying land for example, council might want to go for that to put some sports fields on.”CODC planning and environment executive manager Louise van der Voort said the report was in response to earlier board indications.“A year or so ago, the board indicated to us that they were interested in what the racecourse might look like,” she said. Council staff had conversations with racecourse representatives, she added.“At that time, we decided we needed to look at that holistically.”Gordon responded: “It’s not about every sport. It’s about ‘Do we need a chunk of land for sport?’”The board received the report, as recommended by staff.

Otago’s weather caused problems for some teams heading to the NZ Curling Association’s Men's and Women's Championships in Naseby this past weekend, with one Auckland team also striking a particularly rural obstacle.NZ Curling Association president Elizabeth Matthews (right) celebrates with men’s champions Team Hood, made up of (from left) Anton Hood, Ben Smith, and Hunter Walker, all of Maniototo, and Brett Sargon of Auckland.NZ Curling Association president Elizabeth Matthews (right) celebrates with women’s champions Team Smith, made up of (from left) Jessica Smith, Holly Thompson, Bridget Becker and Natalie Thurlow, all of Central OtagoTeams compete in the NZ Curling Association’s Men's and Women's Championships in Naseby at the weekendFog at Dunedin Airport meant some flights were cancelled and some teams had to forfeit their opening games, association secretary Lauren Becker said, as the tournament had to proceed as planned.“One Auckland team got off their plane and thought, ‘Yay, we have time to get to Naseby,’ but then they struck a mob of sheep on the road.”Despite that, “it was a fabulous weekend”, Lauren said, with a record number of 16 teams in competition. The number of entries showed obvious growth in the sport within New Zealand and there was the desire to grow it further, Lauren said.The youngest competitor was 15 and the oldest (association president Elizabeth Matthews) 77, and one team included three generations of the same family. “There are not many sports where you get such a disparate age range.”Part of the tournament was for the selection of teams that will represent the country overseas but, as much as people liked to win, curling is about much more than winning, Lauren said.“The spirit of curling is not just on the ice but off the ice. It’s the heart of curling, it’s the way people conduct themselves.“Out there on the ice, you’ll see people helping out the younger curlers. It’s sportsmanship - it’s a real gentlemen’s and women’s sport.”That spirit is rewarded by the Wendy Becker Sportsmanship Awards, instituted after 2016 when curling stalwart Wendy died around the time of the Nationals that year.“Wendy was just salt-of-the-earth,” Lauren said. “Everyone loved Wendy.”Wendy’s husband, World Curling Hall of Fame member Peter Becker, came up with the awards in Wendy’s honour. “They are based on that spirit of curling, and the recipients are those who by deeds or action during their performance best exemplified the traditional curling values of skill, honesty, fair play, friendship and sportsmanship,” Lauren said.This year, the awards went to male curler Darcy Neville, and female curlers Ruby Kinney and Bridget Becker.The winning men’s team was Maniototo-led, with Anton Hood, Ben Smith, and Hunter Walker of Maniototo joined by Brett Sargon of Auckland. The winning women’s team of Jessica Smith, Holly Thompson, Bridget Becker and Natalie Thurlow all came from Central Otago.

The Teviot Valley Community Board meeting was short and sweet yesterday (Thursday June 15), with nobody appearing in the public forum and few items on the agenda.Central Otago District Council business support group manager Saskia Righarts presented the only idea for the Teviot Valley ward that came from early community engagement for the council’s 2024-34 Long-term Plan. “Make a fenced-off dog exercise area beside the park in Roxburgh so people travelling through have somewhere safe to have their dogs have a run,” was the suggestion.Staff said sites in Cromwell and in Clyde had previously been identified as potential fenced dog parks but establishment would require community-led funding for fencing installation and maintenance. To date, neither dog park had been activated by the community. A similar approach could be used for the provision of a fenced dog park in Roxburgh, staff advised.Planning and infrastructure interim group manager Lee Webster said community input was needed to advance the idea.“Council will do its part, then you need to do your part, and it goes quiet,” he said.“Is there a need for a dog park?” board member Gill Booth asked.“The dog area is right on a state highway,” board member Sally Feinerman said. “That poses challenges.Board member Russell Reed said he lived just down from the park and “it seems to be working perfectly well”.“It’s not a high-usage thing,” he said.After further discussion, including whether different sized dogs needed different areas, the board agreed that the suggestion of the dog park be reviewed as part of the scheduled review of the council’s dog policy in 2025.CODC accountant Donna McKewan presented the financial report for the period ending March 31, 2023, which showed the Teviot Valley Ward projected to end the 2022/23 financial year with a closing balance of $393,499.The report was received by the board.The board also received a governance report with status updates on various Teviot Valley activities.The next Teviot Valley Community Board meeting was scheduled for Thursday, July 27.

The Vincent Community Board voted at its meeting on Monday (June 12) to approve the draft Omakau and Ophir Reserves Management Plan 2023 and notify the plan for public submissions.The board had decided in July 2022 to prepare and notify a draft Reserve Management Plan for the Omakau Recreation Reserve. “When drafting, it made sense to include all the reserves in Omakau and Ophir in that plan,” Central Otago District Council parks and recreation manager Gordon Bailey said.That includes the Omakau Recreation Reserve; the Wilson St Reserve, Omakau; the Ophir Recreation Reserve; and the Ophir Ice Rink. The Omakau Recreation Reserve would also be the site for the proposed Omakau Community Hub, replacing the existing rugby clubrooms and camping ground kitchen. The draft plan suggests the best location for a camping ground kitchen is adjacent to the existing camping ground facilities. The board recently approved funding of the new facility in the Long-Term Plan of up to $1M with one third each coming from a loan, a reserve fund contribution and the general reserve.In her member’s report during the meeting, board member Tracy Paterson said plans for the Omakau hub were “progressing really well and a lot of work  is being done behind the scenes”.She also told an anecdote regarding the now-unused Ophir Ice Rink of local school children raising funds to expand the rink, and a dozer becoming bogged in the wet ground.“It’s a really cool part of our history,” she said.The 64-page draft plan seeks to ensure that there is no duplication of effort and resources in the individual recreation areas, and to encourage a collaborative relationship between all stakeholders.The plan will be open for public submissions for two months, with a hearing to be held in August if submitters wish to speak to their submissions.

Finding volunteers to aid with the Alexandra Blossom Festival is “the biggest challenge” for the event, events manager Martin McPherson told the Vincent Community Board at its meeting on Monday (June 12).The issue of volunteers came up when the board received an accountability report from Alexandra Blossom Festival Inc. for the 2022 event and activities, presented by BDO accountants partner Tim Coughlan.“Has there ever been a calculation of how much the volunteer hours contribute?” board member Tracy Paterson asked.Martin is also a board member but answered the question in his events manager role.He said an economic impact report was done five or six years ago that valued the dollar amount.“The best guess is 3,000 to 4,000 volunteer labour hours at $30 an hour,” he said. “Every year that volunteer input lessens to a degree and the biggest challenge is finding people to get involved.”Most of the volunteers who worked the gates last year were in their 70s or older, he said.The report showed that the festival cost $271,515.00, and it received $24500.00 from Vincent Community Board 2022/23 financial year promotions grant budget. The event earned revenue of $277,382, which included donations, fundraising and revenue from providing goods and services; plus investment income. That left a surplus of $5,867.Martin said feedback from other funders was that it was prudent the entity was keeping reserves to weather financial and literal storms.“Covid taught us that,” he said, explaining that the event had a $250,000 cost structure, most of which was spent prior to the event.Saturday September 24, 2022 proved to be one of the most successful Blossom Festivals on record, the report stated. “Following the Covid enforced cancellation of our 75th anniversary celebrations in 2021 the local community and our supporters from around the country all looked forward to a return to normal following the Covid lock downs.” The Alexandra Blossom Festival also received approval for a promotions grant of $24,500 towards the 2023 event at the Vincent Community Board’s meeting on May 2. The newly approved grant would be funded from the 2023/2024 year financial year budget. PHOTO: The Central App

A rolling roster of about 20 knitters plus one spinner, one crocheter and an old dog named Petal gathered at the Alexandra Public Library on Saturday (June 10) for Worldwide Knit in Public Day.Library coordinator Helen Rendall, herself a knitter, said the library has hosted the event for at least five years and also hosts Yarn Together each Thursday from 11am until 1pm.“It’s about bringing people together with shared interests,” she said. “We’ve had people just learning or struggling with a difficult piece and the others help them out.”Worldwide Knit in Public Day was started in 2005 and had spread to 57 countries by 2016, its website states.Those working with yarn on the day were all women, although one man stopped by to say he knitted socks for his family and he might come back for Yarn Together. Amanda Hore and Tracey Canning travelled from Ranfurly for the event, having had their local celebration on the Friday when the Maniototo Arts Centre was open.Amanda said she had been knitting since she was 11.“Every weekend when I went to stay, my nana gave me wool and needles.“I collect Fontans knitting patterns because they were the patterns she had.”Learning from mothers and grandmothers was a constant memory for the knitters, several of whom have passed the skill on themselves.“I took it up seriously when I was 14,” Tracey Canning said. “It was my mum who taught me and she still knits.”“Two of my girls knit. I love dyeing and spinning wool as well. My daughter has a mini flock of Gotland sheep.“Basically, if you sit, you knit,” she said. “If I sit in my Lazy Boy chair, my grandson picks up my project bag and brings it to me. He’s been doing it since he was about two.” Robyn McGregor, left, Anne Davies and her dog Petal at Worldwide Knit in Public Day. Petal is a former “employee” of the library in its Reading to Dogs programmeRobyn McGregor recalled a group of girls knitting at school during their break times, and Anne Dougherty said she had been told off for taking her knitting to meetings.Raelyn Paterson said she started when only four-years-old, after pestering her mother to teach her.At the moment she probably had “about a dozen” works in progress, she said.“I have a suitcase that I’m scared to open.”For her and others at the event, knitting together was a way to enjoy “the company of like-minded people”.For the library, such gatherings are also about promoting libraries as a hub for all sorts of things, not just for books, Helen said.“To connect, inspire and captivate is what we want to do in libraries.”PHOTOS: The Central App

Vincent Community Board (VCB) voted in its meeting yesterday (Monday June 12) to approve road names for the Sunderland Road subdivision in Clyde and for the Clyde Retirement Village subdivision.  The developer for the Sunderland subdivision submitted four names taken from an approved list of Māori names endorsed by Aukaha, a manawhenua-owned consultancy firm.The names chosen were all New Zealand native birds with specific references to the Central Otago region.Pateke Drive was named for the brown teal, of which the single record in Central Otago came from nearby Earnscleugh Cave; Koreke Lane was named for the now extinct New Zealand quail which was only commonly found in the South Island; Kiwi Close was named for the distinctive flightless bird because Kiwi Park in nearby Queenstown runs a breed-for-release programme that includes kiwi; and Pukeko Way was chosen because of the population of pukeko or swamp hens in nearby Ida Valley.The board unanimously approved the names, with board member Jayden Cromb saying it was good to see use of Te Reo Māori in the selection.For the names of eight roads in the Clyde Retirement village, the developers submitted names that commemorated local families who have all been a large part of community life in Clyde and contributed through work and clubs. The families supplied written information to support each name. Rabbitt Avenue was named for the Rabbitt family, of whom the current residents are fifth and sixth generations after their ancestors arrived from Ireland between 1858 and 1862. Lines Drive was named for the Lines family who were owners of Dunstan Motors for 50 years. Tweeddale Drive is named for the Tweeddale family who were owners of Clyde Butcher Shop. David Tweeddale was deputy chief of the Clyde Fire Brigade and still lives in Clyde with his wife Carole.Van Boxtel Crescent was named for the van Boxtel family who were owners of a poultry farm on what is now Hazlett St. Frans and Cis van Boxtel arrived in Clyde in November 1952 after a six-week voyage by boat from the Netherlands. Bogue Lane was named for the Bogue family who purchased what was Hollows Orchard on Hazlett St before the land was sold off. In Mike Bogue’s submission, he said his father Garry eventually landed a permanent job with the New Zealand railways which entitled them to a railway house, which was the family home for the next 40 years.Parks Lane was named for the Parks family who farmed a small holding on Hazlett St prior to residential subdivision. Maurice Parks worked for Vincent Country Council as a mechanical operator for 30 years and was an ardent supporter of various sporting groups in Clyde. Gregory Lane was named for the Gregory family who owned the Clyde Dairy. Son Wayne is still in the area working as a painter/decorator. Grenfell Lane was named for John Grenfell, who was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to the Fire Service and is currently patron of the Otago/Southland Provincial Fire Bridge Association. Karen and John are both very active community members.  Board member Dr Roger Browne said the names “seem to be appropriate given that it is a retirement village and residents will have that association with the family name”.The names were approved unanimously.In an aside, board chairwoman Tamah Alley commented that the list of approved War Memorial names lacked any women.“Maybe it is something we can have looked at and have the names of some substantial women added,” she said.

The Cromwell Youth Trust was one of many community organisations to recently receive a grant from the Central Lakes Trust in the trust’s first round of funding for the financial year. The youth trust received an operational grant of $208,868 as part of a multi-year grant for January 2022 - December 2024.Cromwell Youth Trust manager Geoff Owen is new in the role, about to head into week six helming the trust, but he brings both professional and personal skills to the job.Geoff became a police officer when he first left studying and worked for the police for almost 20 years, before moving into more administrative roles. He has always been actively involved in his own childrens’ activities, both coaching and mentoring. Cromwell young people give back to the community by joining a mass planting of native floraHe is passionate about the need for the youth trust in the community.“It’s filling a role. It’s there to support our school and support our college and help transition our youths to be in the best space they can be.“We aim to be a community where young people are vibrant and optimistic through being encouraged and supported to take up challenges.”The team at Cromwell Youth Trust is made up of a professional counsellor, a social worker in schools, three youth coach/mentors, and of course, Geoff.The Hangout Youth Centre provides an after-school drop-in safe space for young peopleHe said the counsellor helps youths through tough times and gives them coping strategies, the social worker in schools is another listening ear and specifically helps in the transition from school to college, and youth coaches/mentors are more involved in practical activities, while also offering a safe space for young people to talk.“It’s another adult who engages at an activity level to engage local youth.”In addition to holiday programmes, youth mentors also run Te Toki o te Ara Tutuki - a group-based mentoring and adventure-based programme.“The youth mentor spends time with a small group of young people helping them navigate who they are, who they want to be, and how to get there.”Supporting mental health is a primary focus for the youth trust, particularly for those that identify as Pride kids, Geoff said.“We are here to provide a safe adult environment where young people can come and feel safe. It’s about them being able to have conversations they might not be able to have in other places.”Another programme - Level Up - teaches such skills as physical fitness, wellbeing, and budgeting, “to give them an insight of what it might look like when they have to fend for themselves”.Ultimately, the aim is to help young people transition to become good adults, “in whatever guise that might be”.The youth trust also runs the Hangout Youth Centre - a space for young people that opens from 3-5pm, Tuesdays through Thursdays.“It’s a space that kids can drop into after college and hang out with their friends in a safe space,” Geoff said. “It’s that one space for kids who aren’t chasing sports or other things where they can gather on their way home.”Geoff acknowledged the support of organisations such as the Central Lakes Trust, who he called a cornerstone of the community, and collaboration the youth trust has with the schools in the area.“It takes a village to raise a child, and we’re part of that village,” he said.

The axe, or rather the chainsaws, have finally fallen on the pine trees at Half Mile Recreational Reserve, more than a year after the Central Otago District Council (CODC) first tried to have them felled in late 2021.In that time, passions have flamed for and against the felling, pitting resident against resident and leading to a last-minute legal bid to halt the process.Council had planned to fell wilding pines on the 14ha reserve in November 2021, but that plan was aborted when it became clear there had been no consultation with neighbouring Bridge Hill residents. Council quickly scheduled a drop-in session to present a landscape plan for the reserve, and community consultation began.Since then, a popular walking and art track was created in the reserve, jibes and fervent opinions have been bandied about on social media, and two knights of the realm have added their opinions to those of the many Alexandra residents vehemently for or against the trees’ removal. Heavy equipment is in place at the Half Mile Recreation Reserve for logging of the pinus radiata trees. PHOTO: Ken ChurchillVincent Community Board voted for a staged removal of the trees, then sought clarification from CODC as to whether that was permitted under the council’s Wilding Conifer Control Policy. After a spirited debate, mayor Tim Cadogan used his casting vote to decide it was not, seeming to signal the death knell for the contentious pines.In a last-ditch legal manoeuvre, Bridge Hill resident Chris Winter presented a lawyer’s letter on behalf of the Alexandra Half Mile Reserve Community Group to the council at its meeting last week (May 31), threatening legal action over a breach of the Reserves Management Act 1977.CODC community experience group manager David Scoones responded late on Friday (June 2) that council had sought legal advice, which affirmed that their decision to proceed with the removal of the pine trees was lawful and it would proceed as scheduled. Chris said today (Wednesday, June 7) that the community group was still having legal discussions with the council as they were not satisfied the council had acted lawfully.

The Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust is happy with revised resource consent conditions Contract Energy must focus on around its Clyde Hydro Scheme, chairman Duncan Faulkner says.The recent consents review and subsequent new conditions provide a revised focus on Contact Energy managing public amenities along the Kawarau Arm of Lake Dunstan, specifically addressing the effects its power generation has caused upstream.Duncan said the trust requested the review, and was happy to have been listened to and to work alongside Contact Energy to review the previous conditions, which he said were “very, very lax”.The narrow scope review of the consent conditions was focused on Contact Energy’s Landscape and Visual Amenity Management Plan (LVAMP), within the wider consent conditions.Conditions included Contact Energy identifying actions to address landscape and visual amenity effects arising from its activities, including driftwood removal, terrestrial weed removal, planting and activities involving sediment excavation. Future LVAMPs must also include summaries of existing landscape attributes, river processes and geomorphology and changes and actions taken to maintain the landscape and visual amenities.It was a good opportunity for Contact Energy to be the good neighbour it wanted to be, Duncan said.“Thay have an opportunity to create a green energy source and also minimise the effects upstream.”The new conditions addressed all the effects that were not previously noticeable, Duncan said.“Silting has always been happening, but a lot was happening under the water level previously and now it is becoming noticeable and affecting use of the lake.”Separately, Contact Energy lodged a resource consent application on May 8 for the dredging of sediment around the Bannockburn Inlet. It is yet to be determined if the application will be publicly notified.

Long before Penny Sinnamon was ordained in 1997, she questioned the existence of God and the place of religion.“I was a bit of a non-believer for a long time and I thought I had to find out if it were real or not,” she said.“The God I knew was a stern-faced old white figure who sat up in the sky and was feared by everyone. You can’t love someone you fear.”Her research and studies led her to know a God much bigger than how he, or she, is defined.“He is a word we use, but God is plural - male and female,” she said.Penny had always been involved in her Central Otago and Omakau communities through community organisations.and becoming a vicar made her contributions easier, she said.“It gave me permission to do what I could do anyway.”Penny obtained her qualification by correspondence to become ordained as a volunteer vicar for the Anglican Church performed her duties as a vicar with Dunstan Parish across most of Central Otago, volunteering for many years, and receiving 25 per cent of a vicar’s salary for five years. She is well regarded for connecting personally with people in her community, assisting them in small and impactful ways, from social visits, support through grief, to financial assistance or food in times of hardship. She supports seniors and the vulnerable, visiting them while sick, arranging support, providing social visits and outings. Penny volunteered as chaplain at Omakau School, where she worked with children struggling in the classroom or feeling left out, also providing support to the children’s families where needed. She organised the school’s ANZAC Day commemorations, leading services and involving students. Within the wider community Penny has been club captain of Omakau Golf Club, held all offices with Valley Hockey Club and her local Rural Women branch, been a member and performer with the Omakau Musical Society, and has been president of the Omakau Citizens Association.She said she found the King’s Birthday Honour “very humbling” but there were many people in the community just as deserving as her.“There are a lot of people around who do a lot of good work,” she said.Penny will turn 80 in October and still leads a service at Ranfurly and said she would continue to work in the community “as much as I can”. She fears, however, that communities are not gathering together as they used to.“We used to meet for all sorts of things,” she said. “There were groups that brought everyone together - not as Catholics or Protestants but as individuals. We all met together and if you knew someone had a problem, you would help.”

A proposal to support IceInline with a grant towards the construction of a roof over its ice rink at Molyneux Park in Alexandra received strong support from the community in the annual plan considerations.At its meeting on Wednesday (May 31), Central Otago District Council (CODC) considered the 2023-24 Annual Plan submissions following a recent public consultation.This year, there was only one consultation item - a roof for IceInline. At Wednesday’s meeting, elected members agreed to the recommendation from the Vincent Community Board that the roof be funded by a loan of $400,000, to be fully rate funded over 20 years.The council received a total of 175 submissions through its Let’s Talk consultation platform, with 111 in favour of this funding option, which would mean a 0.76 per cent rate increase for Vincent ratepayers over the 20 years.Some councillors reiterated the feedback that had come through from the submissions: Build this and build it now.A full breakdown of the 2023-24 Annual Plan Consultation Document and comments can be found on the agenda.The council also agreed to a recommendation from the Cromwell Community Board on the draft 2023-24 Annual Plan that the council consider including Cromwell’s Sandflat Road in its road sealing programme.Council also noted the previous resolution from the April 19 meeting to increase the water supply operational budget for 2023-24 by $310,445.40. This increase reflects the new monitoring and sampling drinking water requirement required by the Drinking Water Quality Assurances Rules which came into force on 14 November 2022.The 2023-24 Annual Plan will be presented at the June 28, 2023 council meeting for adoption. Cromwell Pool to benefit from proposed reallocation Cromwell Pool may receive an unexpected funding boost with a last-minute inclusion in Central Otago District Council’s Three Waters Better Off Funding projects. At the meeting on Wednesday, council considered the Three Waters Better Off Funding project update. On April 13, 2023, Minister of Local Government Kieran McAnulty announced changes to the water services reforms; that the government had decided not to move ahead with the $1.5B Tranche 2 Better off Funding. The council had a number of projects earmarked through the Tranche 1 funding. This included the $50,000 set aside for Iwi/Māori Engagement for Tranche 2 funding. However, as this was now no longer going ahead, council approved a reallocation of the $50,000 to the Cromwell Sand Filter Project for the Cromwell Pool. An application to reallocate the funding will be made to the Department of Internal Affairs. 

Central Otago District Council (CODC) staff have expressed delight at the community response to a call for ideas to feed into the council’s long-term planning process at Wednesday’s (May 31) council meeting.The council reviewed 33 comments relating to district-wide activities at the meeting, many of which aligned with work that was already programmed for the future and the comments would be fed into those workstreams.In addition, staff would investigate the development of a climate and biodiversity plan for Central Otago, and solar and wind energy conversion opportunities for the district, so that these can be included for consideration in Long-term Plan budgets and work programmes.Six ideas presented at the meeting related to activities the council was not involved in and those would be passed on to the lead agencies and/or landowners for their direction.A total of 58 suggestions plus comments were received from the community. Community boards would review ideas that related to their specific wards at their upcoming meetings.Once completed, all comments and feedback would be displayed on the Central Otago Let’s Talk community engagement platform.