Alexandra’s Molyneux Park will likely host four Super Smash domestic T20 cricket games this summer after a previous broadcast deal had seen games moved to Queenstown.For at least the next three years, TVNZ has secured the television rights to broadcast all home internationals and all 64 matches of domestic T20 cricket Super Smash cricket. In an application to the Vincent Community Board (VCB) for a $10,000 annual grant to assist with broadcasting costs, Otago Cricket CEO Mike Coggan said the broadcasting deal “was a game changer”. “Under the previous Sparks Sports coverage deal and with less than 40 per cent of matches viewed free to air during the last three years, domestic cricket’s reach and engagement has surpassed all other professional codes played in New Zealand, including Super Rugby, NRL, a league and the ANZ netball,” Mike said.“That's the power of free-to-air television versus pay-per-view.”Otago Cricket believes there are many regional promotional benefits to free-to-air broadcasts throughout New Zealand and internationally.  Eight countries broadcast Super Smash Cricket, including Australia, the United Kingdom, India, Bangladesh, South Africa, Southeast Asia, the USA, and Canada. The Otago Cricket boss said he expects a continued increase in spectators with the popularity of T20 Cricket, bringing economic impact to the region with about 20 per cent of the spectators travelling into the district for matches. “We will promote the matches in schools providing family and school promotions, including free entry to children and coaching clinics from our men's and women's teams while based in the Central Otago region.“We see this as a win-win for Otago Cricket and the Central Otago region,” he said. The VCB granted Otago Cricket’s request for $10,000 subject to the council approving the CODC Annual Plan in July. 

Two options for replanting Alexandra’s Half Mile Reserve presented to the Vincent Community Board (VCB) became three options at yesterday’s (Tuesday May 2) board meeting.After discussion the board chose a third option which included more community consultation.The pine trees on the site have been deemed a pest under the Central Otago District Council wilding pines policy and will be removed in June.While some members of the community continue to agitate for the trees to remain, the council and community board have moved on to assessing replanting options.On yesterday’s agenda were two options for replanting the Half Mile Reserve after removing the existing pines.Option A included allowing for shelter plantings along the western boundary consisting entirely of kanuka, manuka, pittosporum, and native beech.Overhead image of option A showing native plantings on the western boundaryWith irrigation, these plants should be between two and five metres in height after eight to 10 years, the council report estimated. The planting would be tiered, with kanuka, manuka, and pittosporum providing shelter from ground level to mid-height, and the beech providing higher protection.Native grey shrubland plantings proposed in and around the rock formations would be in keeping with what was on the site originally and are plants known to grow in the local environment, the report said.Several areas in the reserve have been set aside in the plan for various community plantings which council said are often requested.Option B has the same native plantings as option A, but the planting would be moved five metres off the boundary line to enable a row of poplars to be planted to provide a more rapid-growing shelterbelt.Option B showing the alternative shelterbelt in placeAfter years eight to 10, the initial shelterbelt would be removed, leaving the semi-mature native shelterbelt to mature and provide long-term protection from wind and sun, the report said.The VCB preferred option B, but with the addition of community engagement on the choice of trees for the shelterbelt and around the walking tracks on the reserve.Board members said they felt there needed to be more flexibility around preferred planting options and that there needed to be further discussion over tree species. There are also some restrictions to planting close to the rock structures within the site to ensure the council complies with the approved Lizard Management Plan.After the meeting, Central Otago District Council community experience group manager David Scoones said staff were looking forward to talking to the community about planting options and moving on to the project's next stage.The council will let the public know how they can give feedback in the near future.

A trio of local athletes represent their country in disciplines that couldn’t be more different, but their collective commitment to training and hard graft is beyond dispute.Students and staff of Cromwell College joined the three young athletes and their families this week in a special assembly to mark the significance of their achievements.  Jono Hansen (year 7) gained fourth place at the Oceania bmx championships and third at the BMX national championships.  While at the nationals, Jono trialled for the BMX mighty 11s, where he placed third. Jono is looking forward to June when he and his three teammates head over the Tasman to test their talent against the Australians in Sydney.“We're there for 10 days with the team, and it's the third and fourth round of the National series at MacArthur BMX track,” he said.“We're gonna be racing in a team, so four of us New Zealanders and four of Aussies in the same race. “The plan is to beat them,” he said.Netballer Grace Tiko joins the school haka performed in honour of her and her two sporting colleaguesShyla Mulholland (year 9) has trained and competed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for seven years. Shyla won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships in Los Angeles before the Covid-19 shutdown. Shyla has at one time or currently held every single regional title in New Zealand, along with both North and South Island titles and five National titles.She has the most wins (64) by any female in NZ (including adults) in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and she is competing in her first-ever kickboxing fight this weekend in Timaru.Shyla will compete at the 2023 World Champs in Texas this year in July, aiming for a gold medal.“My original intention when I took up Jiu-Jitsu was for self-defence.“Now I’m doing it to take it as far as I can push it, she said.”Grace Tiko (year 11) started playing netball at primary school as an enthusiastic eight-year-old and immediately loved the game. Grace worked incredibly hard to have the opportunity to trial for the New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) netball team.“To be honest, I wasn't very confident I would get in the side because the girls I played with were so amazing,” she said. “Getting selected for the national team has opened my eyes to netball as a possible career path.“It still feels like a bit of a dream.”Tomorrow the Central App will look further at Grace Tiko’s talent on the netball court and her selection in the national secondary school side.   PHOTOS: The Central App

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) will soon begin the first stage of the Half Mile Recreation Reserve redevelopment near Alexandra. The work will start in the first week of June, with the removal of the trees expected to take two weeks. The Half Mile Reserve was identified as a key seed take-off site in Alexandra and a priority to limit the future spread of wilding conifers.The tree removal sparked criticism of the council’s decision-making process and led to a redraft of a section of the wilding pine policy.The public had been on quite a journey with this project, Vincent Community Board (VCB) chair Tamah Alley said in a statement.“I want to acknowledge the community interest in this project and the passion shared by many on both sides of the argument. “While we might not all agree on the approach, what we can agree on is that the council has a responsibility to manage pests on its own land and not leave the burden to future generations.“VCB members have been working closely with council staff to ensure the long-term outcome for the community is a positive one, I look forward to reviewing the proposed redevelopment plan.”The proposed landscape plan will be presented to community board members for consideration tomorrow (Tuesday May 2). The plan includes options for special projects and community gardens, retaining the informal trails and native plantings and using exotics as a windbreak while a native shelter belt is established. Central Otago District Council community experience group manager David Scoones said the site would be cleared of all wilding conifers. “Every effort will be made to ensure natives and non-wilding trees that have been planted on the reserve over the years are retained. “The team have worked closely with key stakeholders such as the Department of Conservation (DOC), Waka Kotahi and Aurora.“Despite lines going through the site, contractors have confirmed there will be no planned disruption to power supply.”David said a lizard management plan would be in place to ensure the unique lizard habitats on the reserve are cared for.A CODC spokesperson said the logs would be sold to offset the project costs, and the remaining slash will be chipped on-site and removed.The reserve will be closed to the public while the trees are removed. 

Cromwell’s rugby side went through the gorge, optimistic they could reverse last year's final result against a resurgent Wakatipu. But it was not to be.Wakatipu lifted themselves from the lower rungs of the competition ladder with their win last weekend over Maniototo in Ranfurly, and they continued that winning form convincingly, putting away their old rivals by 23 points. Watch the match here.  Matakanui were embarrassed by Alexandra at Molyneux Park in what the Central App predicted would be a competitive clash between neighbouring unions. It turns out we couldn’t have been more wrong as the Armadillos roasted the Mudfish 78 to 12.Maniototo were denied their long-awaited first win of the season with a 26 - 26 draw to Arrowtown.This is how the table looks after five weeks of competition: The Central App proudly brings you week-by-week coverage of the Central Otago Premier Rugby Competition.

Central Otago households have been commended for their vigilance over what they are burning to keep warm over winter.There were just 16 instances last year in Central Otago where the national PM10 standard was exceeded in Alexandra (4) and Arrowtown (12). PM10 and PM 2.5 refer to particles of less than 10 micrometres and fine particles of less than 2.5 micrometres in the air we breathe. From 2017 to 2021, the number of exceedances has steadily fallen from 57 to 31- the average for those five yearsHowever, home heating emissions around parts of Otago continue to exceed national standards in some places, according to the Otago Regional Council’s (OCR) annual air quality report for the 2022 calendar year.Monitoring in Alexandra and Arrowtown showed 16 exceedances of particulate matter 10 (PM10) during the winter months last year.“Around Otago, the main source of particulate matter is home heating emissions in winter,” ORC land team leader Ben Mackey said.“Recent research provides evidence that air pollution is dangerous at lower concentrations than previously thought and supports the lowering of existing guidelines.“The limit for PM10 is an average of 50 micrograms per cubic metre over 24 hours, with the maximum in Alexandra … 89 on one day.”Ben said while the ORC monitors in particular areas where air quality is degraded, “everyone should be aware of what they are burning as it can have an impact”.Long-term exposure to particulate matter can contribute to the risks of developing cardiovascular and respiratory conditions or exacerbating preexisting conditionsORC has implemented work programmes as part of its air quality strategy to improve quality in targeted towns leading to the long-term reduction in PM10 concentrations in Alexandra, Cromwell and Clyde.Continued vigilance over what households burn is encouraged.

Central Otago residents have just a few more days left to share their ideas and views on the Central Otago District Council’s (CODC) Annual Plan and long-term brainstorming.For the past month, people have been able to give their feedback either in hard copy or online via the council’s consultation platform, Let’s Talk. As of this past Monday (April 24), the council had received 134 ideas online in response to the Annual Plan 2023-24. The plan features a proposal to give a grant to Iceinline Central to construct a roof over its ice rink at Molyneux Park, Alexandra. For the long-term brainstorm consultation, which gives guidance for projects over the next 10 years and beyond, the council has received just 18 ideas online so far.The consultation for both closes this Monday (May 1) at 5pm. Until the closing date, people can still go to Let’s Talk and give their ideas.All ideas will be reviewed by staff, councillors and community board members. The long-term brainstorm project page and the council’s communication channels will provide an update on the status of the ideas. Community boards and councillors will consider submissions between May 18-31.Hard copies of the Annual Plan document and survey are available from service centres, and hard copies of the Long-term Brainstorm are available from CODC service centres and libraries.

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted to lift rents on the majority of the 98 elderly housing units it owns throughout the district. As part of the Long-term Plan 2018 - 28, CODC considered subsidising rents. However, at that time council concluded that a substantial cost would be placed on the ratepayers.As a result, the CODC charges market rents by conducting annual rent reviews to determine the yearly new rents to charge. Rent on council-owned units in the district is between $80 per week for an older single unit in Ranfurly and $280 per week for a newer, larger unit in Cromwell.Central Otago Greypower president Margaret Hill said the rents charged by the council are “more than reasonable when compared to rents private landlords are charging”. “It’s next to impossible to find a house to rent in the district for under $400 per week.”She said it would be ideal if the increases were kept to a minimum; she believes elderly people on a fixed income would also appreciate further consideration of a rent subsidy in the future. “People that are solely reliant on [superannuation] struggle. They're struggling now with high grocery costs and high everything else. The council needs to keep rent increases as low as possible.“It's not easy for anyone, and having council houses and pensioner flats is a real bonus; we’re lucky the council has retained so many,” Margaret said.For the coming year, rents are set to rise between $5 and $10, depending on the units' location and age.The recommended market rent increase is $5.00 per week for older housing units in Alexandra, all Roxburgh units, and the newer larger units in Ranfurly. The older units in Ranfurly have no recommended rental increase. All Clyde and Cromwell units have a recommended rental increase of $10.00 per week. 

After a short working week, Central Otago rugby fans can look forward to another weekend of high-energy rugby in week five of the competition this Saturday (April 29).There’s the highly anticipated replay of the 2022 final between the Cromwell Goats and Wakatipu Premiers in Queenstown.Wakatipu will be coming off the back of a hard-fought first win of the season against Maniototo in Ranfurly last weekend.They had to push hard to overcome the Maggots 22 to 16, keeping the men from Maniototo at the bottom of the competition table and hinting at the sort of rugby that made Wakatipu champions in 2022.Cromwell head coach Mike Cunningham harbours no illusions about his side's task when they travel through the gorge to Queenstown.“We're certainly looking forward to this weekend’s challenge after last year's final. We’ve had a little talk about that, and there's a bit of motivation, but we know a win won’t come easy.” He believes his side had had a good start to the season with three wins from three outings. “We’ve had a better start than last year when we were probably a little bit behind the eightball.“We’ve worked hard this year right from preseason straight after Christmas. We got some of the bigger guys running and tried hard to work on everybody's fitness, and we have the luxury of a big squad. “We've introduced some newer or younger guys who have had a couple of runs, which is fantastic.” Maniototo will be hoping for redemption in other week-five clashes as the team faces off against the Arrowtown Bulls in Ranfurly. The Alexandra Armadillos play host to Matakanui in what should be a close match between the neighbouring unions.Central App will be in Queenstown to bring you coverage of the Wakatipu – Cromwell match, and we’ll wrap up the round on Monday.  

A group of leading academics which has spoken out against a proposed airport in Central Otago has now grown to 77 members and includes peers from around New Zealand and the world.University of Otago professor of sustainable tourism James Higham originally brought the group together and said it grew swiftly after the Christchurch Airport company dismissed its concerns in February. Airport executives had stated that the group’s call for a stay on the project was “premature” and its “assumptions are wrong”.“To have nearly 80 leading academics - many of them professors and associate professors - now speaking out against an infrastructure project on the grounds of science is no small matter,” he said. “We have not done this lightly. We are all very concerned that significant, established science is being ignored, and this project should not proceed.”Concerns cited include the “significant environmental, social, cultural and economic as well as political and reputational consequences” of failing to reduce carbon emissions by building a new airport during a climate emergency.  The group also pointed to the need to move “away from the volume-based growth approach” to tourism, which “underpins the airport proposal”. Professor Higham says the research index represents decades of research covering multiple relevant topics. Significantly, it includes dozens of peer-reviewed papers which point to the decarbonisation of aviation being “a long way off” and highlight significant concern around the airline industry talking of achieving “zero carbon aviation” or “net zero” based on technologies which currently do not exist. “There is wide scientific consensus that there is still a lot of work to do and many years - probably decades - before the industry could have any hope of significant decarbonisation.“Zero carbon aviation is even further away. It is far from being a likelihood and certainly not a done deal.“We’re speaking out because, against this backdrop of research and data, building a new international airport in Tarras, or anywhere in New Zealand for that matter, is nonsense and would be wrong for many reasons,” Professor Higham said.PHOTO: The Central App

Whether it was a dawn parade in Ranfurly or a wreath-laying in Cromwell, the commemorative spirit was shared across Central Otago yesterday (Tuesday April 25).    This year marks the 50th anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam so it was appropriate that the veterans of this conflict in Cromwell were first to lay a wreath in the memory of fallen comrades.Cromwell Vietnam RNZAF veteran Tub Rodgers regrets that with each year that passes, fewer mates are joining him at Anzac commemorations.“Anzac Day is more important to me with every year that goes by, more and more mates aren’t here,” Tubs said.RNZAF veteran Tub Rodgers remembers his mates no longer with him on Anzac Day This Anzac Day is pretty raw for Tubs as he lost a good mate just last week. “He once flew with bleeding feet in Vietnam; I miss him,” Tubs said.  The combat veteran is saddened by ongoing global conflicts, especially the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine with its World War I trench-style warfare.“It’s like we haven't learnt anything from history,” he said, shaking his head.Cromwell College prefect Shayla Tamakehu and a fellow student had the important task of reading out the names of the fallen from Cromwell in both world wars. It was her second Anzac parade, and she was happy to see the number of young faces in the crowd. “I was reading out the names of those who sadly passed, and it was really good to step up and be able to read those names in front of a massive crowd.” Student Shayla Tamakehu, Pastor Bruce West, Anna Harrison and Cromwell RSA President Denis Ryan Cromwell Community Board chair Anna Harrison noted the “amazing turnout, which is fantastic to see from all and fabulous to see so many children and families here”.Clyde School students Mason Livingston (7) and Jameson Kidd (5) with his great grandfather’s medals from WWII at the Clyde service“Young people have a new understanding, they understand the notion of remembrance, and they also know that it's not about glorifying war. “It's about remembering those who served and making sure we don't repeat the errors of history,” Anna said. PHOTOS: The Central App

The game under the Central App spotlight this round is the bottom-of-the-table clash between Maniototo and Wakatipu in Ranfurly.Maniototo coach Nick Love is not overwhelmed by the job at hand against last season's champion Wakatipu side; he says his side is hungry for their first win of the season.He summed up the Maggots’ three games this season. “We played well against Upper Clutha. We were a bit underpowered with the players available that weekend, so we performed reasonably well with a depleted team sheet. We were right in it until the last 10-15 minutes,” Nick said. He admits his side played poorly against Cromwell the next outing, followed by a “not too bad” performance on their visit to Alexandra last weekend. “We had a shot at winning it there at one stage, but they got away from us in the end. “Wakatipu has had a couple of upset losses, so they'll be hungry; we're certainly hungry, so it should be a good game.“You're working with the players we've got, so basically play to their strengths and play a simple style of footy,” he said.Nick is lamenting the lack of depth within the squad and the preseason injuries to key players.“We've got a pretty small squad, so yeah, it's a week-to-week issue; who's going to be available to play?“We've still got guys out with injuries; we had three good players that would be in our starting 15 missing from all three of our first games in the competition. They all got hurt during the preseason.“We're down another player this week. So yeah, we're tight enough with our available players.”The Central App will be in Ranfurly with our camera for the match and will bring you delayed coverage and a full round-up of the other games on Monday.The Central App is proud to bring you coverage of Central Otago’s premier rugby competition.

Soon Alexandra and Clyde residents will be able to turn their taps on, and the water flowing through their plumbing system from the street will meet the highest standards. The existing water supplies for Clyde and Alexandra did not comply with the newly introduced nationwide drinking water standards. The Lake Dunstan Water Supply Project (which included installation of a pipeline to carry the water from Clyde to the treatment plant in Alexandra) was consulted on in the 2018 Long-term Plan. Three bores on the edge of Lake Dunstan will supply the treatment plant feeding Alexandra and Clyde. Installing a new bore and upgrading a second will bring the bore field in line with new regulations. The existing bore that feeds Clyde will be upgraded once the treatment plant is commissioned in May. These upgraded bores will be able to pump water to the raw water tank at up to 160L/sec.Central Otago District Council (CODC) water staff and contractors Fulton Hogan are adding the finishing touches to this significant infrastructure upgrade.CODC staff and volunteers planted 500 plants into the bunds around the new water tank site near the Clyde Lookout Tuesday (April 19). Members of the CODC Water Services Team planting out the bunds surrounding the water storage tank above ClydeA CODC spokesperson said the benefit of the upgrade would reduce the lime in Alexandra’s water supply, and the upgraded treatment process will ensure the continued supply of safe drinking water.The project is expected to be concluded and the water treatment plant fully commissioned in May, with May 18 pencilled in for an official first tap turning piping safe, clean drinking water to both Clyde and Alexandra.

The Upper Clutha Rams had Highlander Josh Timu on the playing roster but you get the feeling the team would have prevailed over the Mudfish if he’d not stepped foot on the playing surface.The final score (64 – 3) will never look good in the Mudfish's history books, nor should it, as every effort made to breach the Upper Clutha Rams try line was rebuffed.Putting that aside, for now, let's look into other round-three action. Wakatipu Premiers returned from the bye and the Easter break only to fall to the Arrowtown Bulls 15 to 22. The Alexandra Armadillos recovered from their low-scoring loss to the Rams in round two to edge out the Maniototo Maggots in an honest tussle 29 to 21.The Central App spoke to the winning coach Garry Hape after his side pulled off the victory of the season so far. We asked him about the game and what it was like to have Josh Timu on the roster.Watch the full match here 

The Central App team would like to offer a huge welcome to the 19 new Kiwis who chose to make Central Otago their home.The new New Zealanders had their citizenship formally recognised by Central Otago District mayor Tim Cadogan in Alexandra on Friday (April 14).Our new citizens are Robert Andrews (UK), Lorna Atkins (UK), Mark Atkins (UK), Martyn Dunnett (UK), Lok Fu (Hong Kong – SAR), Nelly Gunn (Philippines), Zofi Hammer (NZ – parents Czech), Martin Hammer (Czech Republic), Barbora Hammer (Czech Republic), Jonothan Hankinson (UK), Birgit Krippner (Austria), Katie Morgan (UK), Karin Odendaal (South Africa), Natalia Olssen (USSR), Margaret (Meg), Paulin (Scotland), Andrew Riddell (Australia,) Lynda Smith (UK), Robert Wiltshire (UK), and Deborah Beange (USA).

The group operating the three Tony Quinn-owned motor racing circuits in New Zealand has appointed the first female pro driver to its line-up of hot lap drivers and driving instructors.Multiple kart racing championship winner and recently turned GT4 race car driver Rianna O'Meara-Hunt will spend time professionally driving at Highlands Motorsport when not racing in the United States.Her appointment comes after an exciting 12 months during which the 21-year-old switched from competitive karting to car racing after she won the 'Heart of Racing' driver academy.  "The move to cars was a pretty quick turnaround, and it was a bit harder than I thought at first," Rianna said."But by the end of last year, I got on top of it.” That led her to America for an international shoot-out competition for a seat in an all-female race team to contest the 2023 SRO GT4 championship.Rianna will make her pro drive debut for the team at Highlands, where she’ll get behind the wheel of the Ferrari hot lap car, the Highlands Taxi, and offer instruction from the passenger seat in the U Drive Ford Mustang muscle car or the Radical sports car.Between tripping to America to race in the SRO GT4 championship, Rianna sees the track time she gets as a pro driver as an advantage for her racing."Still being in a car when I'm not actually able to race is important. It kind of lets you hone in on your driving skills while you're doing these hot laps; even though it's at a slower pace, it still means you have to get the key points right."Highlands CEO Josie Spillane says Rianna’s appointment comes at a milestone time. "We are delighted to be welcoming Rianna to the group. She's incredibly talented, a hard worker and really passionate with the special x-factor we are always looking for in our team," Josie said.Rianna will head to NOLA Motorsports Park in Arizona in a fortnight for the second round of the SRO GT4 championship.

An independent audit of vital processes around daily Central Otago District Council (CODC) expenditure has revealed problems.  CODC conducts internal audits to ensure compliance and avoid risk. For the 2021-22 year, an audit of the procurement processes and policy was one of three audits CODC contracted New Zealand Company Deloitte to undertake. Procurement covers every activity involved in obtaining the goods and services CODC needs to support its daily operations.Seven complex contracts the council undertook were put under the auditor's microscope. The contracts ranged in value from $0.13m to $4m.The audits of these contracts rated CODC as having informal/inadequate controls or, in layperson's terms, two out of a possible five stars. This rating means a controlled environment exists within CODC, but it’s informal or has important gaps, with certain aspects below good practice or doesn’t compare favourably to other models.There were two key findings in the Deloittes report: Inconsistencies in the implementation of policy and execution of procurement activities; and a lack of monitoring, reporting and record-keeping on procurement activities.Deloitte concluded of the overall procurement policy: “The policy appears to us as a relatively extensive document, and management should consider its practicability.” “The policy should be fit for purpose and provide sufficient and clear guidelines for staff to refer to when making any procurement decisions.” CODC business support manager Saskia Righarts said the purpose of an audit “is always to help us identify where we are working well and, importantly, where we can do better”. “We accept both the findings in the report.” Mayor Tim Cadogan likened the audit process to, “going to a doctor for a checkout, sometimes you might not like the news that you get, but when you take action with that news, the outcome’s always going to be much better.”“The report showed that the procurement policy is just way too complicated and, like many a complicated thing, got left to one side too often because it was just too hard to use, and we'll be making changes that need to be made to make it more functional,” he said.

Bridge Hill tree preservation activist Ken Churchill wondered why he wasn’t getting regular Facebook updates and other important information from Central Otago District Council (CODC).Then he found out he had been blocked from the CODC Facebook page. “I’m blocked from their Facebook page, so that stops any notifications that I might see about bins or road closures or anything like that.” Ken relies on CODC Facebook and the Central App to see what’s happening around the district.Ken says he’s had no formal notification about the block or its reasons. He was left dumbfounded until he said he bumped into a CODC staff member in town. “I found out more accidentally, I ran into a staff member, and they confirmed it; they said that I was spreading misinformation and I was discourteous to some of the people.” CODC voted to have the pine trees on The Half Mile Reserve cut down as part of its wilding pine policy. Ken is an outspoken supporter of the retention of the trees.Some of the trees Ken Churchill thinks may have got him banned from CODC social mediaHe speculated that the block is possibly because he refers to CODC mayor Tim Cadogan as “two-vote Tim”. During a March council meeting, the mayor used his mayoral casting discretionary vote on the final decision to remove the pine trees. Regarding the accusation of misinformation, Ken can only think of one instance: “I referenced the planting of the trees somewhere that the council had opposed when they hadn’t.” Ken admits to “hammering them [CODC] on Facebook. I’ve got no apologies for that.” “Yeah, I think they’re highly F***** O** with me.”He’s written to the Privacy Commission to seek the information that triggered his blocking from CODC Facebook. Ken is asking for all text, emails, and any electronic Information that CODC might hold concerning his blocking. CODC has acknowledged the receipt of his request for the relevant information.CODC has yet to respond to the Central App’s requests to either confirm Mr Churchill’s ban from accessing council Facebook or the nature of his breaches of CODC’s social media communications policy.PHOTOS: The Central App

Changes to Three Waters announced yesterday (Thursday April 13) see the number of entities controlling water infrastructure lifted from four to ten; a name change to ‘More Affordable Water Reforms’; and an extension of two years to the handover process.There are no changes to 50/50 co-governance with iwi, but there would be Central Otago representation in the new Otago Southland Regional Group.  Central Otago District mayor Tim Cadogan said he “can’t get terribly excited about the changes”. “What we’ve gained is a guaranteed seat on the regional representative group, which sounds good, but the regional representative group actually has little influence over the board, in my view.“The boards will actually be the drivers of how these regional entities operate.”He thinks there will still be financial advantages in the changes to the overall cost of what gets done, “but it’s not going to be as great as it would have been”. Initially, a primary reason for the reforms was to put all assets and liabilities for water infrastructure into four entities to create better economies of scale when raising capital. With the number of entities increased, those economies of scale will shrink significantly, meaning ratepayers pay more for water services long-term. “So we’ve got a little bit more influence for a significant reduction in the supposed financial benefits. “So for me, it’s not that exciting a trade-off,” Tim said.Tim believes the change that will have the most impact is extending the transition date of council assets and liabilities to the ten entities. The asset/debt handover that was to happen on July 1, 2024 will now take place on July 1, 2026.“We now have to work out how we’ll keep doing work that’s in our planning when everything we planned for would be off our books in just over a year. It’s now in just over two and a bit years.” But Tim says Central Otago is in a far better position than many councils, “councils who are absolutely maxed out in their debt and were living on life support until the three waters debt got taken off them, now they have to wait”. “And, of course, we’ve got an election coming up which could change everything,” he said.