The Cromwell public is invited to two workshops on Sunday April 16 to consider the lake edge and foreshore area from the junction to the Butcher Drive car park, and produce designs for how these areas should be used. The workshops are to be facilitated by Queenstown organisation Shaping Our Future (SOF). “Over the last couple of years, the community has identified what they want from their lake margins,” SOF executive officer John Glover said.“Now is the time to review the wishlist and see what can be incorporated into this area.” Workshop participants will be presented with a summary of what has previously been discussed and determine which facilities could go where on large overhead maps. The list includes pontoons, swimming areas, playgrounds, performance areas, interpretation museum outposts, and areas for market stalls. John said people in the Cromwell community are best to make these plans because they understand the area, know what will and won’t work, and are here for the long term. Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust chair Duncan Duncan Faulkner said: “What the workshops intend to do is to give the community a chance to have their input on what they would like to see developed and created; really it’s a blank canvas at this stage.” “We, as a trust, are encouraging people to get involved. The community’s been asking for many years to be heard, so this is an open invite for anyone who wants to get involved,” he said.Contact Energy is funding the workshop and production for the plan. Contact Energy has recently had its plan for managing landscape and visual amenity values along the Kawarau Arm of Lake Dunstan approved by the Otago Regional Council.The two workshops will be held at the Gate on Sunday April 16, from 2-4pm and 7-9pm.PHOTO: The Central App

Representatives of the Tarras community remain undeterred in their opposition to plans for an international airport in their town, despite being denied the chance to present a case against expanding New Zealand’s air travel sector to the government.Sustainable Tarras, a group formed after Christchurch International Airport Ltd (CIAL) proposed a new airport for the area in 2020, has actively opposed the airport proposal as not environmentally sound.Group spokesperson Suze Keith was outside parliament in Wellington last week, hoping for a chance to ask the government to halt the development; however, the group’s concerns were to remain unheard. “We were asking to meet relevant ministers while in Wellington with good rationale for not developing the airport, but we were declined,” she said. Sustainable Tarras say the message they had hoped to deliver is clear cut; a government invested in both airports and the national airline can’t support the industry’s expansion while pushing for a 50 per cent emission reduction goal by 2030. The government holds a 25 per cent share in CIAL; Sustainable Tarras want it and the 75 per cent stakeholder Christchurch City Council to put a stop to the Tarras proposal.   “In New Zealand, aviation accounts for 12 per cent of all CO2 emissions, and if we incorporate other harmful aeroplane emissions, this could double its warming impact”, Suze said.  “It’s a contentious discussion about aviation’s contribution to climate change. It will be a tough conversation that needs to be handled with care and in an inclusive way.”Sustainable Tarras says while hundreds of thousands of dollars continue to be spent on the airport proposal, the group will continue to represent the majority view of the Tarras community that the airport should not proceed. CIAL continues developing plans for a future airport on the 750-hectare block of land it purchased outside Tarras.   

Funding support towards a roof for Alexandra’s ice rink is the focus of this year’s (2023/24) Central Otago District Council (CODC) Annual Plan consultation.Councils must consult with the public when they propose introducing anything new from what was consulted in their Long-term Plans.The only new item CODC proposes in the annual plan relates to a request for a $400,000 grant from Iceinline Central towards its project to construct a roof over its ice rink at Molyneux Park. If constructed, the roof would maximise rink use and extend its season. The cost will apply only to Vincent ratepayers if a grant goes ahead.Vincent Community Board (VCB) chair Tamah Alley said she was keen to hear from Vincent ward ratepayers in big numbers.“The board recognises that finances are tight for many of our residents,” she said.“We would love for everyone to give a resounding ‘Yes - we want this roof’ or ‘No, we just can’t afford it’ so we can make the best decision for our community. “We also need to consider that building costs are unlikely to get any cheaper in future years.”Central Otago mayor Tim Cadogan wants everyone to check out the annual plan consultation document and contribute to the decision-making process.“While the Iceinline roof proposal is the sole item for which feedback is specifically being sought, we have included an overview of what our community can expect in the year ahead, including what to expect when your next rates bill arrives and what’s driving our proposed district rates rise of 10 per cent,” he said.The public will have until 5pm on Monday May 1 to make their submissions. The Annual Plan consultation document and supporting information will be available online here and in hard copy at CODC service centres.

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) will meet on the last Wednesday of each month, adopting a more regular meeting schedule in line with other local authorities around New Zealand.Currently, CODC and community boards meet every six weeks allowing for ten meetings each calendar year.CODC explored two options to move to a more frequent meeting cycle. The first option was for a four-weekly meeting cycle. This option would allow for approximately 13 meetings per year. The second option was to have a dedicated day per month which would be a council meeting day. This option would allow for approximately 12 meetings per year. CODC chief executive Sanchia Jacobs said a core reason to consider changing to every four weeks was that items would cycle back before the council with more regularity.If an item missed one meeting cycle, it would be just four weeks before an issue was readdressed, not six weeks as currently occurs.“It would be beneficial to bring things back to council more quickly; although it would be extra days, there would be more benefits in that,” councillor Tamah Ally said.The community board meeting timetable will be adjusted for the trial’s length to avoid meeting timetable clashes. CODC will begin the trial following the adoption of the district plan in July. The trial duration is yet to be determined.

One Cromwell landlord has been left bemused after receiving a $180 bill from an electrical firm for changing three light bulbs in their rental property.The landlord, who wished to remain unnamed, was surprised to receive what they called “a hefty bill” for a seemingly routine low-skilled job of replacing light bulbs.The landlord said they didn’t want to name and shame the company concerned, but asked “does it require two staff to change a bulb”?The number of people required to change a lightbulb is the first line of many jokes, but there’s no joke to the Cromwell incident, the Central App discovered after a little research.A spokesperson for Master Electricians said the hourly rates quoted on the bill were about right for an electrician and apprentice.“People have to realise that once they’ve called out tradespeople, they’re paying for the time and materials needed to complete the job. Even if it is a case of replacing electrical consumables [bulbs],” the spokesperson said.If you have an electrical issue and call an electrician, a qualified tradesperson and an apprentice or assistant is likely to attend the call-out because they can’t be sure of the true nature of the job until they assess it in person.If a ladder is required to complete a task and it can’t be safely secured, Health and Safety New Zealand requires a second person to provide footing for added stability.“Consumers need to be sure they’ve done whatever can safely be done to determine if it’s an electrical failure or simply the failure of a consumable like a bulb before calling in the professionals,” the Master Electricians spokesperson said.

Armadillos manager Dai Johns believes his side can make it two from two this weekend following the team’s surprise 11 - 10 victory over Wakatipu in the first round of the club rugby season.The Armadillos are home to the Cromwell Goats, which started its season with a 34 - 12 win over the Arrowtown Bulls. “You know we’re very excited; we’re the strongest we’ve been for probably a good five years.,” Dai said.“We’ve got really good numbers, lots of young guys.“The enthusiasm’s huge; we’ve got more numbers and a bit of size, which is really good.”He said with Covid restrictions over, players are back to a normal season.“Last year, we only had about five or six games and this year, we’re going to have 12, which is great.“We’re expecting another good performance from our boys, and another win would be an outstanding start to our season.”  The Central App will cover the game on Saturday afternoon at Molyneux Park. We will bring you a video highlights package on Monday and a wrap of the other round two matches.

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) will present its draft Annual Plan to the public for consultation.The council must prepare a consultation document for public distribution if the proposed document is likely to contain significant budgetary differences from what was laid out in the Long-term plan for this year.The council says Inflationary pressures had pushed delivery costs for the 2023-24 year higher than anticipated when the Long-term plan was approved in 2021. Read more: Draft budget proposes 10.4 per cent rates increase Adding to the increase in planned expenditure are larger insurance renewal premiums and the revaluation of council property and assets, which has pushed up depreciation costs.  CODC proposes to meet the additional expense through an average districtwide rate rise of 10.45 per cent.The draft annual plan will be made publicly available and open for consultation from April  3 until May 1. Council and community boards will consider submissions from May 18-31, and the completed document will go up for adoption on June 28.PHOTO: The Central App

The AF8 (Alpine Fault magnitude 8) team are touring the South Island to speak about the likelihood of a large earthquake striking the Alpine Fault. Scientific research indicates a 75 per cent probability of an Alpine Fault earthquake occurring in the next 50 years.There is a four out of five chance it will be a magnitude eight-plus event. Scientists and civil defence personnel were in Cromwell to explain the science and inform of how the public can best prepare for a magnitude eight-plus earthquake on the alpine fault. Associate professor Caroline Orchiston says Cromwell is, relatively speaking, in a “nice area” if an event of magnitude eight should occur. “You will feel it outside and indoors. If it occurs at night, most sleepers will wake, small objects will shift or overturn, and pictures knock against the wall, and some glassware and crockery may break.“There might be blackouts and communication trouble for a while and supply chain problems for essential goods,” she said.Associate Professor Caroline Orchiston and Emergency Management advisor Derek Shaw take questions at this week’s AF8 public event in CromwellModelling of the most likely scenario indicates an eight-plus magnitude quake would be manageable in Central Otago, but severe damage would occur on the West Coast and around the Southern Alps. “We have to be aware that they’ll be a period that you will need to be conscious of disruption and potential infrastructure damage,” Caroline said. Central Otago Emergency Management advisor Derek Shaw stressed the importance of planning to cope with the likely disruptions following a large-magnitude event on the fault.“The plan doesn’t need to be extensive; it just has to be inclusive.” “Everybody in the family needs to contribute to the plan, and that’s right down to the children so they know they contributed and have ownership of the plan,” he said. Of the likely outcome for the Clyde Dam, Associate Professor Orchiston said the geotechnical work it takes to build a dam means that they are robust. “A lot of work is carried out to maintain dams and test them for all sorts of events. “If there was a landslide into Lake Dunstan, it could generate a wave that might overtop the dam. It would be a pretty low probability to happen, and it doesn’t mean the dam will fail,” she said. Listen to The Central App’s Brent Harbour talk to AF8 Programme Manager Alice Lake-Hammond on the latest Outlet Podcast for more information. Find out more about being prepared here. 

The recent rejection by the Central Otago District Council (CODC) of a residential developer’s application for a change to the district plan’s zoning rules has seen the council accused of favouring development in Cromwell over Alexandra. Plan Change 16 was denied in favour of the passage of CODC’s own Plan Change 19, a proposal that would see widespread changes in residential density zoning in Central Otago.CODC has been criticised for allowing a proposal by Fulton Hogan to proceed with lakeside development plans at its Parkburn quarry site while limiting development in and around Alexandra.CODC mayor Tim Cadogan today denied any favouritism when the Central App asked whether ‘deals’ were being done to progress Cromwell over Alexandra. Watch here

Central Otago Arts and Welcoming Communities Central Otago have partnered to bring renowned Melbourne-based street artist Matt Ling to the region. Matt Ling, who specialises in large-scale installations, will paint a mural on the Cromwell Football Club Rooms at the Alpha Street Pavillion. The two organisations are now looking for ideas for the mural; they want to know who or what locals think best represents football, cultural diversity and Cromwell/Central Otago. Cromwell junior and senior football clubs use the pavilion as their home ground. They are a culturally diverse group that contributes to the Central Otago community. The mural will celebrate this diversity and contribution. The empty canvas of the pavilion walls. PHOTO: The Central AppThe 8.4m x 2.4m mural will wrap around two pavilion walls, giving it high visibility to the local streets, into the adjacent park and across Lake Dunstan. The geographical, social and cultural information generated from the community for the mural will be provided to Matt Ling to be integrated into the final mural design. Email your ideas and images to [email protected] or leave a message or comment on the dedicated Facebook page. The mural is expected to be completed by the end of June (2023).See Matt Ling’s work here.

Excellent conditions throughout Central Otago saw in round one of the highly anticipated senior club rugby season.Cromwell was at home to Arrowtown, prevailing over the old rivals 34 to 12.Upper Clutha’s Rams dominated their clash against Maniototo, winning 27 to 11. Last year’s champs, Wakatipu, were left asking all the questions in a tight match going down 10 to 11 to Alexandra.The Central App was at the Cromwell Arrowtown clash to get post match comments from coaches and captains.Watch the video here.

Connect Cromwell has secured funding for secure e-bike docking stations it hopes will be installed in Cromwell once locations are confirmed, and the group receives the thumbs up from the Central Otago District Council. The docking stations are free-to-use app-activated bike racks that use technology from Europe to secure e-bikes while charging them at the same time.The locking stations can also cater for non e-bikesThe funding for the e-bike stations comes from the Department of Internal Affairs.Connect Cromwell facilitator Rosanna Ottaway said the docking stations were so secure there had been no thefts from units over the five years they’ve been in use in Europe and North America.“They run on mains power and have never been broken into, so It’s a secure place to leave your pride and joy while you go to work or do some shopping.“We are proposing two secure locky dock stations (10 bikes per station) for the Cromwell area,” she said.“Possible locations are at either end of the mall (Paper Plus and Thai Crom areas).  “However, with the inevitable mall redevelopment, the Fruit Sculpture car park and Cromwell Swimming Centre could be well-suited locations.”Connect Cromwell had not considered the Heritage area of Cromwell as a possible location as the stations’ modern look is not in keeping with the historical setting of old Cromwell.The stations are free to use“The main barrier car drivers frequently mention when considering switching their daily commute to an e-bike is fears of theft,” a spokesperson for the company distributing the stations said.“These locks remove that concern while recharging the e-bike simultaneously.”Further security is provided through CCTV at each station that users can access via the app, making it possible for commuters to check on valuable e-bikes. There are locky dock stations in Christchurch, with others in Wellington and Auckland coming online soon.

How council staff interact with the public will get a once-over in the coming weeks. They want to know how you feel about the service you got the last time you last made a request of them.Central Otago District Council’s (CODC) customer services team will be making contact with community members who have communicated with the council in the past six months to make a service request.A ‘service request’ is council lingo for when members of the public notify them of an issue with services or facilities or request information or maintenance.These could be made by phone, email, online or in person at council service centres.CODC community experience group manager David Scoones said he and customer services officers would contact a sample of those who’ve been in touch recently, inviting people to share their experience with the council.“We’re keen to find out what people’s experience with our service request process has been like to help identify where we’re hitting the mark and where there might be room for improvement,” he said.

Clear felling of the invasive pines at the Bridge Hill entrance to Alexandra should be undertaken during April-May and finished by the end of June. The logs will be harvested, and the remaining slash will be chipped on site, leaving a cleared area. A spokesperson for Central Otago District Council (CODC) said the “timeframe also fitted in with the government funding allocated for wilding conifer control and for the council to meet its obligations for control on its own land”. In addition, the felling would eliminate hazards posed by trees that needed immediate removal due to age and those undermined by pests. The estimated cost of removing the trees would be $110,000, less potentially $35,000 from the log sales. In November 2021, the public was shown a concept plan for the rehabilitation of the Half Mile Reserve could look like after the trees removal. CODC will use this plan to provide further detail, including the types of plantings proposed and the irrigation required to ensure plant survival.At this week’s Vincent Community Board (VCB) meeting (March 21), CODC’s position on wilding conifer removal on council-owned or managed land was confirmed.Read more: Pine tree campaigners critical of democratic process The VCB’s previous support of a staged approach to the tree removal could not be permitted under this existing council policy. VCB members agreed with this conclusion, meaning removing trees at the Half Mile Recreation Reserve would need to be conducted in a single operation and not staged.The VCB will contribute $20,000, and the Wilding Conifer Control Group $65,000 toward the tree felling and clearing up of the site.At its May meeting, VCB members will be presented with the redraft of the previous landscape plan to consider.The VCB will see a new landscape plan at its May 19 meeting.PHOTO: The Central App

Long-time scaffolders James Coates and Juan O’Sullivan thought of their Bombwell concept one day on the way home from work. The pair, both of whom have lived in Cromwell for a year, saw what had been done in the North Island and Immediately started along the path toward making it a reality on the shore of Lake Dunstan.Their proposed multi-layered scaffold structure would have platforms offering drops in two-metre stages - all the way up to 10 metres for those truly committed to testing their limits at an Olympic platform dive height.  The pair have been conducting market research through an online survey. So far, Bombwell has the support of 95 per cent of the 230 people who have completed the series of questions. The concept has the support of the Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust and has been described as “doable” by those the pair initially spoke to at Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and the Central Otago District Council (CODC).While both men are optimistic Bombwell will become a feature on the shores of Lake Dunstan, they know there is much to be done before securing resource consent and the permit required to set up on the lake. The site of choice for Bombwell is alongside the north end of Alpha Street Reserve, adjacent to the existing floating swimming platform where the lake drops away steeply.The duo thinks that If the planning and paperwork go well, the scaffolding could be going up in November and ready for a bombing-deprived public in December for the busy summer season.You can complete the online Bombwell survey here.

The government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, despite a cost increase four times larger than the original price proposed in 2006. The scheme would see water stored in Lake Onslow used when a dry period prevents or restricts hydro generation. Typically this loss of generation capacity is made up through burning fossil fuels.Lake Onslow would effectively become a battery of stored potential hydro energy, the preferred option for Energy Minister Megan Woods to the carbon-heavy alternative.   “Until we address the dry year problem, we will continue to rely on burning expensive and polluting fossil fuels to produce our electricity. That’s bad for the climate and our power bills,” Megan  said.Central Otago District Council mayor Tim Cadogan said of the continued government interest in the Onslow scheme that “uncertainty remains around the Lake Onslow project”.“My immediate thoughts go to the landowners who may or may not be directly impacted by the project and the potential further delay through to the end of 2026 to know the outcome.“That degree of uncertainty must be difficult for them, as it will be to a lesser degree for the Teviot and wider Central Otago communities,” he said. Investigations show a pumped hydro scheme at Lake Onslow would take approximately seven to nine years to build, with an estimated cost of $15.7B.“A lot more work is required to understand the full environmental, cultural, social and commercial impacts and the engineering requirements,” the energy minister said.“We will continue to work with our key stakeholders, including mana whenua, landowners, and technology experts.”Alternative energy options also being explored include biomass, flexible geothermal energy, and hydrogen.A detailed business case is expected to be developed by the end of 2024, followed by a final investment decision, which should take a further two years.

Work is continuing on the Sugar Loaf Scenic Reserve to ensure it remains an outstanding feature of the Central Otago landscape for future generations.Last June, phase 1 of planned work was carried out: the removal of wilding conifers from the Central Otago District Council (CODC) owned reserve near Cromwell.In the coming weeks, phase 2 will begin at Sugar Loaf.This will involve the eradication of briar roses, which are becoming established within the reserve. Briar roses will be sprayed in the coming weeksIf left unchecked, they will rapidly spread to cover the whole reserve as they have done through other parts of Central Otago, such as the Kawarau Gorge, CODC parks and recreation manager Gordon Bailey said.“By carrying out this next phase of work we’re doing our bit to protect the region on the land that we own.”Over the next few weeks the council will undertake spraying of the briar rose bushes along the faces fronting the Cromwell to Wānaka highway. The roses on the southern faces of Sugar Loaf will be dealt with at a later date.PHOTOS: The Central App

Contact Energy has finally delivered a plan for managing landscape and visual amenity values along the Kawarau Arm of Lake Dunstan that meets with the approval of the Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust (LDCT) A final version of the Landscape and Visual Amenity Management Plan (LVAMP) has also met with the approval of the Otago Regional Council (OCR).Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust chair Duncan Faulkner said the trust is really happy with the plan. “It’s taken several years of robust meetings and lobbying along with major support from our advisors and the wider community, but we believe the new plan now represents significant positive change for the Kawarau Arm.”The plan represents significant positive change for the area “Around a year ago, we saw a transformational change with Contact Energy whereby they really started to listen to the trust’s concerns and community feedback,” he said. The plan lays out actions to improve biodiversity and vegetation along the lake edge; a co-design project to enhance the Old Cromwell area; what Contact Energy plans to do to manage driftwood, terrestrial and lake weed; and actions to be undertaken to improve the landscape and amenity values within the lake margin.The plan has clear and measurable objectives and timelines that Duncan Faulkner said the LDCT would be watching to ensure these are met by Contact Energy.Lake weed management is covered in the plan “I believe the new plan sets the benchmark for New Zealand in terms of managing the negative effects of hydro and that Contact is on track to meet their vision of being a good neighbour,” Duncan said.ORC compliance manager Tami Sargeant said “the targeted approach to focussing on existing recreational areas along the riverside should result in positive outcomes for the lake, its environment and the community”.Contact Energy head of hydro generation Boyd Brinsdon said Contact was grateful to all the contributions to the latest plan. “In line with our tikanga, we aim to be a good neighbour, which means respecting others and the natural resources where we operate so that future generations can enjoy,” he said. The LVAMP is required of Contact Energy under consents held around its Clyde Hydro scheme.A review of the Contact Energy consent condition for the landscape and visual amenity plan was initiated in August 2022. It is a separate process and is said to be tracking well.PHOTOS: The Central App

Central Otago District Council (CODC) staff are preparing a report for the council investigating options that may see museum costs shared across each ward in a process known as ‘districtisation’.Staff presented the CODC with an update on their progress in assessing the district funding model for museum investment at the March council meeting.The current funding method for museums is considered overly complex, having developed over time to suit needs as they have arisen. Today museum activities in Central Otago are funded from ward and district funds and cover operational and property costs. Under this funding model, Vincent ratepayers pay more because three museums are in the ward; districtisation would see all Central Otago ratepayers equally contribute.   An option currently being developed for consideration involves ‘districtising’ museum operational funding while keeping property ownership separate.This would avoid complications arising when the museum is part of a larger community facility, such as that proposed for Cromwell.CODC mayor Tim Cadogan raised his concern around funding, stating that within five years, “if we carry on down this path, we’re gonna have three museums within 30 kilometres, two of which are brand new [Clyde and Cromwell]; chances are telling the same story.” He described this scenario as “utter madness”. Tim said he looked forward to the release of the full report and recommendations at the next council meeting in April.