Grey Power has warned the Central Otago District Council that at some stage people will just stop paying their rates, because they simply cannot afford them anymore.A second Grey Power Central Otago meeting to discuss rates was held in Alexandra yesterday, and this time Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan brought the chief executive Peter Kelly with him.The first public meeting back in June attracted about 150 people and was chaired by former ACT MP Gerry Eckhoff, and attended by MPs Todd Stephenson and Joseph Mooney.This time only 30 people were at the meeting, but there were still plenty of questions and the council focused on what it was trying to do to bring the rates down, through districtisation.The community is being asked whether a district-wide approach should be adopted so that charges for services will be the same in each of the wards (Vincent, Cromwell, Maniototo and Teviot).“I’m a mayor that could do without another headache,” Tim Cadogan said to the meeting, before explaining why districtisation was so important right now.With further rates increases likely in coming years, it was a discussion that needed to be had, with a final decision being made by council on September 25.One question that was asked was how the council planned to make sure rates were affordable for people on fixed incomes, and Mayor Tim said by telling central government “you just can’t keep loading stuff on us that we can’t do”.“We are continually in the Government’s ear saying stop doing things, and I think they are starting to listen,” he said.New testing for drinking water standards that haven’t been needed up until now, was one example.“At some stage there will be people that can’t afford to pay it full stop,” one member said.The council was then asked what level of debt there was from people already not paying rates.Mr Kelly said the arrears were not as high as people thought, and some were now using direct debit payments weekly to lighten the load.“While we’re not seeing anything so far, it might be that people are turning off a heater or going without a meal, and that worries me sick,” Mayor Tim said.Public sessions on districtisation are being held throughout August, with the next one in Cromwell on Monday, August 19 from 7pm-8pm at the Presbyterian Church.There will also be a district-wide meeting on Tuesday, August 27 from 7pm-8pm online for those who may have missed the other ones.

A public excluded meeting for the Cromwell Community Board tomorrow will talk about the governance structure for the town centre project.The Central Otago District Council decided in May a report needed to come back to the board on where the governance oversight sat - the council or the community board.Board chair Anna Harrison said the aim of Wednesday’s meeting was to keep the board in the loop about the structure that has been set up for them moving forward.Cromwell's town centre project will be discussed behind closed doors at tomorrow's community board meeting. PHOTO: File“The board will be feeding local voice into decision making so that the project can be progressed and included in the 2025 [Long Term Plan] LTP process. It is a project largely driven by council, but they will continue to work in a close partnership with the board and other stakeholders.”Council approved the next stages of the detailed design for the Cromwell Town Centre project in May, but decided as a result of the current economic climate and the increased cost of building the town hall, it would consult with the community in the Long Term Plan (2025-34).In a separate resolution, the council also decided that negotiations for property purchases for the project should cease until the various options for the town centre were worked through and approved by the council, and that those options would form part of the LTP.The Cromwell Town Centre project is part of the Cromwell Masterplan that commenced in 2018, which approved the process, funding and procurement approach for the project. Four workstreams were identified - the spatial framework, the Cromwell Memorial Hall, now underway, the town centre and the civic facilities.

Alexandra and Clyde can no longer be called retirement towns after latest population statistics reveal a huge increase in young families moving into the areas.A recent report to the Central Otago District Council (CODC) from Arrowtown-based economist Benje Patterson showed 30% of the Vincent ward (Alexandra and Clyde) population was in the 30-49 year-old age group.This compared to just 22% in Cromwell, Maniototo and the Teviot Valley.  Over 65s were now the lowest in the Vincent ward (20%), compared to 28% and 26% in the Teviot and Cromwell wards respectively.Population growth in Vincent (2.4% pa over the past five years) has also sat well above the national average (1.3%pa).The population of Alexandra and Clyde is significantly younger than elsewhere in Central Otago. PHOTO: SuppliedCentral Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said anecdotally he’d also heard Alexandra was “going absolutely gangbusters,” particularly in the 30-49 year old age group.“Alexandra is now not the retirement village anymore,” he said.He said he understood St Gerards Primary School has reported its highest roll ever.Principal Julie Flannery confirmed the school roll was its most significant in 20 years.“We have many new families, not only new to Alexandra but also new to New Zealand. Our expanding cultural makeup and diversity enrich our community. “Overall population growth across Central Otago remains fastest growing in Cromwell, averaging 4.9% in the past five years - more than three times the rate of population growth nationally.In 2018 Cromwell had 8310 residents and that had now jumped to 10,580. The Vincent ward increased from 10,430 to 11,720, while the Teviot increased only slightly from 1820 to 1930 and the Maniototo from 1660 to 1810.Central Otago’s population overall increased from 22,200 to 26,000 during that same time period.The economic development report from Benje will form a new 10-year economic strategy that will reflect the region’s potential for both business and community, by the CODC.The independent report highlights economic and social changes in the community at district and ward levels over the past five years since the current economic strategy was commissioned. It also includes global mega-trends that are slowly changing the broader environment for our economy and will need to be considered in the development of the new strategy.

Curlers, including police officers from as far as Wellington, are continuing to make the most of Central's cool conditions.The group of police officers recently gathered in Naseby, including three from Wellington, while others travelled from Dunedin, Cromwell, Wānaka, Alexandra and Queenstown, to compete against locals for The Umbers Trophy. Among those also competing was Senior Constable Jess Owens, of Ranfurly, who organises the annual event - a role that came with his posting to the Maniototo.The tournament is held in memory of Senior Constable Peter Umbers who was killed while attending an armed robbery that had taken place at the Poolburn Hotel on May 27, 1990.Taking part in the memorial curling tournament are Senior Sergeant Clint Wright (left) and Constable Jeff Haig, both from Alexandra Police. PHOTO: Jess OwensCold, but perfect conditions greeted police and locals to Naseby's Jock Scott Family Ice Rink for the Umbers Trophy recently. PHOTO: John GrantOn his way to the scene, about 5km out of Ranfurly, Snr Const Umbers pulled over the vehicle he believed had been used in the robbery, but was later found dead beside his police car with the lights still flashing.The 19-year-old offender was eventually sentenced to life in prison for Snr Const Umbers’ murder.The late Senior Constable Peter Umbers. PHOTO: NZ PoliceSnr Const Umbers was a valued member of the Mount Ida Curling Club, prompting the community to establish The Umbers Trophy tournament, which is played at the Jock Scott Family Ice Rink.Maniototo Adventure Park manager John Grant said it was an event that was a “very worthwhile tribute”.“It’s cool that his legacy lives on through this and other things and we’re very happy to be involved.”Snr Const Owens said the event, which attracted a total of 40 curlers, resulted in a win for the locals, as was usually the case.The locals had eight wins and 85 points, while the police had two wins and 61 points."It was a great day to remember Peter, share some stories and even throw a few stones down the ice. We’re looking forward to next year already."

An “incredible” number of volunteers have put up their hands to help raise money across Central this Daffodil Day.Up to 350 people across the district have registered as street collectors for this year’s appeal, taking place on August 30. Southern Cancer Society head of funding Jonet Warhurst was grateful to all of those who had provided support, either as a volunteer or by making a donation towards the cause which has been running for 35 years.In that time, it has raised $25 million, which has gone towards supporting people affected by cancer throughout New Zealand.This year the Cancer Society has a nationwide target of $5.5 million, while Central residents who donate will be contributing to a South Island target of $1.4 million.Jonet said money raised goes towards supporting people in their homes and helping them through their cancer journey. The demand for the service has increased over the years and is projected to keep climbing, as statistics indicate the current one in three people with cancer could double in the next decade.As a result of the current statistic, this year's campaign is titled 'The 1 in 3 Could Be Me' and emphasises the urgent need for collective action.The funds raised are directly allocated to cancer research, early detection, and education programmes. It also allows the Cancer Society to increase its reach throughout the South Island, offering practical and emotional support, free accommodation, and transport services. To support this year’s appeal as a volunteer register online at daffodilday.org.nzJonet talks more about this year’s upcoming Daffodil Day appeal on The Outlet podcast.

Community boards will remain “crucially important” if districtisation goes ahead.That was the message Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan presented at yesterday’s Maniototo Community Board meeting after members noted there had been a lot of talk on the matter across the district.Mayor Tim’s comments came ahead of a districtisation meeting in Ranfurly last night, the first in a series being hosted throughout the district by the Central Otago District Council.The meetings call for feedback on setting a district-wide approach for funding and decision-making (districtisation) for the majority of services regardless of which ward they live in.At the moment, 82 per cent of rates for water, roading and waste, are collected at a district level, and 18 per cent of rates for property, parks, cemeteries, pools and community grants (except museums) are collected at a ward level.The community is being asked whether a district-wide approach should be adopted so that charges for services will be the same in each of the wards i.e., Vincent, Cromwell, Maniototo and Teviot Valley.Mayor Tim said one potential downside if districtisation was to go ahead, was people thinking there was no point being on the community board because “they don’t do anything, which is 100 per cent wrong”. “I know, as mayor, I’ve tried really hard for eight years to get around as much as I can, but I still don’t know people in this community like you guys do and I never will - it’s impossible.”He said it was important to have a community voice, like that of the Maniototo Community Board represented at the council table “telling us what’s what”.Without that representation, the district would be “much weaker”, he said.“So, the boards are still crucially important if districtisation happened. It’s just their functions are going to change a bit. I still think when it comes down to it, the boards are going to have, not a determinative voice, but they are going to have an incredibly loud voice of what happens in the future.”There are three options for the community to consider:Option 1: Full districtisation of property, parks, cemeteries, pools and museums – every ward pays an equal share.Option 2: Districtise property, parks, cemeteries, pools and museums but include a rating adjustment for the Teviot Valley ward to offset pool charges (as the ward does not have a council-run pool).Option 3: Status quo, no change. Property, parks, cemeteries, pools and museums continue to be funded by ward rates.Public sessions will be held throughout August, which will begin with a brief presentation, followed by the opportunity to ask questions. The next public sessions will be held at the following times and locations:Teviot Valley: Monday, August 12, 7pm-8pm at the Memorial Hall in Roxburgh.Alexandra and surrounds: Wednesday, August 14, 7pm-8pm at the Memorial Hall, Skird St, Alexandra.Cromwell and surrounds: Monday, August 19, 7pm-8pm at the Presbyterian Church, Cromwell.Districtwide: Tuesday, August 27, 7pm-8pm online.

Alexandra’s Iceinline and the Maniototo Adventure Park are both reviewing their helmet policies at their rinks, after the tragic fatality of a teenager last week in Christchurch.IceInline secretary Dianne Elliot said that helmets are already provided for skaters to use in public sessions if they wish, but they had updated their signage so the public can see them more clearly.“It is already compulsory for all school students to wear helmets when attending the rink with their classes for tuition,” she said.The committee has also written to Dunstan High School to reinforce the message that helmets must be compulsory when visiting as a group. However, the committee had not yet made any hard decision on what they intend to do regarding the general public, whether to make them compulsory or not.  Discussion is ongoing with other rinks around New Zealand such as Tekapo, Gore, Queenstown and Auckland to see what their stance is.“Some have had policies in place, but were finding it hard to enforce, especially in public sessions,” she said.The challenge would be convincing experienced skaters to comply with any ruling that may be made.Iceinline said the last thing they want to do is discourage skaters from coming to the rink, but they are aware that they have an obligation to do everything they can to make sure skaters are safe.The Maniototo Adventure Park has also changed its helmet policy and now strongly suggests everyone wears them. PHOTO: FileManiototo Adventure Park manager John Grant said because of the other luge activities that take place in Naseby, helmets have always been made widely available.But following a committee meeting this week, a quick change of policy meant staff would now “strongly suggest” rink helmets be worn by the public when on the ice.“Unless they are a really strong skater and have their own skates . . . and if there are any strong objections to wearing them. It’s an individual choice.”The rink was still yet to decide what its long-term policy would be on wearing helmets, but said the uptake with young children was 100 per cent anyway.“And we’ve even had some people who wear them for curling.”

Woolworths staff have voted to strike, including some Alexandra employees, over low wage offers and unsafe staffing levels.Nearly 10,000 FIRST Union members who work at Countdown and Woolworths stores nationwide have voted to take three initial strike actions.FIRST Union noted the move comes following nine days of bargaining with their employer who is “ruling out” a living wage and is not negotiating productively with workers to address chronic understaffing issues.Connie Prins, who is a union worker at Woolworths Alexandra, said it was not a traditional “down tools strike”, but more about raising social awareness regarding staffing conditions.Connie Prins with the sticker staff will be sporting, calling for fairer wages and improved staffing conditions. PHOTO: SuppliedShe said the move also addressed the need for increased rates for working weekends and evenings.Connie is among those involved in the action who will be “proudly” wearing a sticker to raise community awareness.She was one of the 10,000 staff who were surveyed nationwide and felt the store was understaffed.FIRST Union national organiser for retail food Ross Lampert said more than 95 per cent of strike ballot respondents had voted to take three initial strike actions, with a smaller group of members across 10 key Woolworths stores nationwide also voting for an additional action. A list of the conditions FIRST Union members want Woolworths to address. IMAGE: Supplied"This is a case of one of the largest and most profitable businesses in New Zealand deciding that their workers no longer deserve a fair deal and must accept whatever they put on the table - it just doesn’t work that way."Our members are seeking a living wage, safe staffing minimum standards and fair compensation for giving up family and leisure time to work understaffed night and weekend shifts."The current Woolworths start rate is $24.93 per hour, while Costco is paying new staff $27 per hour and Foodstuffs sites like Pak’N’Save Kilbirnie have a start rate of $26 per hour.FIRST Union's recent survey of supermarket workers showed that 90.8 per cent of respondents said their stores were understaffed, either "sometimes" (36.2 per cent) "regularly" (30 per cent) or "continuously" (24.7 per cent).Woolworths New Zealand managing director Spencer Sonn said the organisation had brought a strong offer to the table in its discussions with FIRST Union.“We know we pay near the top of the market already and we offer a range of benefits to our team. We’re also investing over $45 million in making our stores safer for our team and customers.”He said the supermarket was disappointed First Union has tabled claims on behalf of its members totalling nearly $1 billion over 1 year, which was unsustainable. “Our offer includes a 6.6 per cent increase for our store team on average over two years, and we have a genuine focus on helping our team have long and meaningful careers with us.“In the current economic environment, we have to balance increasing costs and providing value for customers, but making sure our team earns more is also a key priority for us.”He said Woolworths would continue to engage with FIRST Union in good faith.

The Central Otago District Council has recognised there is a disparity with its districtisation proposal towards the Teviot Ward.At the Cromwell Community Board meeting yesterday, Mayor Tim Cadogan said there had been a change in direction from where they had originally gone with districtisation.“We have been contemplating a binary or all or nothing solution, but we have put in an option two now.”The Teviot Valley Community Board’s submission outlined that it was unfair its ratepayers would have to pay an extra $233 a year for other pools in the district, if they were all council owned.Option two was for the districtisation of property, parks, cemeteries, pools and museums but included a rating adjustment for the Teviot Valley ward to offset pool charges.For the Teviot Valley under the revised proposed districtisation option, the new $2.7 million Ida MacDonald Trust pool would continue to be owned by the community, and only supported by ratepayer funding from its own ward - as would the Millers Flat pool.It would also mean Teviot ratepayers would not have to contribute to the running costs of other pools in the district such as Alexandra, Cromwell and Ranfurly.This would mean average rates for Cromwell would change from being $52 less a year to just $35 less a year, with the cost of the new hall still spread right across the district.Formal consultation about the proposed changes with the community will start this month, with numerous town hall meeting sessions, followed by hearings and deliberations.Council planned to rate certain activities across the district rather than by ward level, as it was particularly challenging in the less populated areas to maintain services - given the fewer ratepayers in these areas to spread the cost across. In the mid 1990s roading was changed to a district rate rather than a ward rate, and in 2015 council engaged with the community to change the funding of three waters to be at the district level rather than at the ward level.A final districtisation decision will be made on September 5..

Things will start to get very real in Central Otago with regard to rates if the Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) is notified at the end of October, Cr Gary Kelliher says.Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan spoke out on Friday saying a total ban on water-based disposal of treated wastewater will make costs so exorbitant that requirements will become totally impossible for local authorities.Federated Farmers led the charge last week saying the ORC had kept people in the dark with the costs of more than $110 million for Alexandra and Clyde, but Mayor Cadogan said it had actually been publicly available for some time.The ORC has acknowledged receipt of a new letter from Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds seeking further information around costs involved with the proposed plan.But ORC chair Gretchen Robertson said they hadn’t sought detailed information on the potential costs of land-based wastewater discharge, “as land-based treatment is not a specific requirement of the LWRP.”“We are aware of previous work completed by Central Otago District Council (CODC) which presented costs and options to their council, however this was a process led by that council unrelated to the LWRP,” she said.But she acknowledged through the ORC’s current regulatory role that costs for water infrastructure were a significant challenge for councils in general.She stood by the claim that while Otago had some excellent water quality in Otago, like other regions, there were also significant “degradation challenges” for both urban and rural areas. “Leaving it too late risks further environmental degradation in Otago, given our current plan has been widely acknowledged as no longer fit for the task at hand,” she said.Cr Kelliher said if Otago’s waterways were so bad that they needed this “king hit plan” that will basically destroy the economy of rural Otago, then ORC needs to be very specific on where water was in such a state.  “But we know that the science is vague, and water quality is improving and, actually, it’s improving from a largely good base anyway, it just has some hotspots that need focus. This doesn’t need the ruination of life as we know it in Otago.”He said the draft LWRP ideologically preferred discharge to land, but there wasn’t science supporting this stance.  “And ratepayers will have to foot the bill for all Central Otago towns having to find new land sites to discharge to. That is no simple exercise when at the moment treated water simply flows by gravity from existing plants. So, if residents have been worried about current rates rises, wait until billions need to be factored across all of Otago. And the worst thing is, there's no actual visible situation in dire need of fixing that justifies this. Which is why I am totally opposed to it.”The plan was currently at Stage 4 with stakeholder consultation involving iwi, and was on track to be notified on October 31, despite the new National government saying it wanted regional councils to halt all water plans.

Work to bring Roxburgh’s Entertainment Centre up to standard is tracking well.The centre has been closed since June, to allow a wide range of works to take place for the overall benefit of the facility.That work is going well, helped by the fact it wasn’t weather dependent so cold, wet conditions had not affected progress.The Roxburgh Entertainment Centre will have a new lease of life in the coming months. PHOTO: SuppliedCentral Otago District Council (CODC) has confirmed the fire alarm upgrade is already complete, along with installation of high-level LED lighting.A CODC spokesperson said work to finish compliance items for fire and accessibility to meet today’s standards was still underway.Work has also started on the southern wall, which has deteriorated over the years.The work has been in the pipeline for a few years and, once completed, the building will be brought up to a required standard to help increase capacity, which is currently limited. Due to the ongoing work, the hall is not expected to be open until September or October.

It was standing room only at IceInline on Friday night for the Alexandra Ice Skating Club’s (AISC) annual Ice Show, with people filling the entire perimeter of the rink.The club has 18 competitive skaters, and this season an impressive 56 children were enrolled in the Kiwiskate programme - learning all the basic skills on the ice by coaches Rebecca Cowley and Sam Kuri. The end of season show is a long-established club tradition, and a great opportunity for skaters to take to the ice and display their skills. Kiwiskate coach Rebecca Cowley opens the show with the tiny tots group.Watch coach Sam Kuri’s routine here. For the first time in several years AISC has a synchronised team. Watch their performance here. The 2024 show had a Disney theme with many parents and whānau assisting with costumes, decorations and behind the scenes organisation. Sylvie Ridd puts on a show for spectators with her solo performance.Hazel Rivers (9) getting ready for her group routine ‘Under the Sea’ by The Little Mermaid. Some of the senior skaters performed their solos and Sam the AISC competitive skaters’ coach, a former European champion, also laced up her skates and gave spectators a glimpse of her artistic talent.“I wanted to take out the seriousness and make it a fun and dramatic expression of what you can do on the ice,” she said.“I wanted to show what figure skating is about without all the technicalities and show how artistic it can be.”Weather conditions were perfect compared to last year's ice show, which was delayed 40 minutes by wind and rain. This year was also the first time under the new $1.6 million roof, and it was a perfect crisp and clear winter’s evening.The season usually ends mid-August but this year because of the roof, it will continue for an extra two weeks, giving competitive skaters more ice time to train for end of season competitions including the South Island Championships and nationals for those who qualify. Read more: Meet Alexandra’s new figure skating coach Read more: Clyde’s Bridey Sangster makes NZ figure skating team PHOTOS/VIDEO: The Central App

More small-scale private hydro power schemes have been declined by the Otago Regional Council (ORC) in recent weeks, according to councillor Gary Kelliher.Lowburn resident Jack Davis attended the public forum of the ORC’s recent Cromwell meeting to share his concerns about his water permit being declined to set up his own hydro power scheme.Cr Kelliher questioned Jack at the meeting “why did you even ask?” knowing full well his consent was tied up in red tape through the current Land and Water Regional Plan.“Since Mr Davis presented to council I have been made aware of other very similar circumstances, including one that was declined by council staff that same week,” Cr Kelliher said.He said the ORC was becoming almost “hypocritical” in its evolving stance towards those schemes.  “There has always been a very strong bias against water use and irrigators, but in these latest situations like Mr Davis', ORC now want to further the bias and red tape towards continual no for these applications, when all these people are trying to do is improve efficiency for themselves and their activities.”Jack has a permitted water take from the Stratford Creek but wanted to divert that water through a PowerSpout turbine.However, the council has informed him his existing consent does not technically allow him to take water from the creek and put it to work turning a turbine.The ORC confirmed last week there was no option under the current regional water plan to change on a consent how water is used, or to add in an additional use for the water, such as hydroelectricity.However, there was the option to swap out the existing permit for one that included hydroelectricity as a water use - but he would need to go through an application process to do so.Cr Kelliher said the new Government promised to reduce red tape but councils like the ORC were determined to add more.“The ORC are utterly determined to require resource consent for as many activities that use natural resources as it can. It has ballooned into a regulatory authority that wants control and ability to charge and set conditions against activities that often take well-meaning people by surprise, and immediately sets them at odds with council.”He said this was “totally wrong and needs to be halted.”Cr Kelliher along with Cr Michael Laws have been staunchly against the proposed Land and Water Regional Plan, that is due to be notified in October.The pair back the Government’s request for delays so a more realistic land and water plan can be established, so that Jack and others were not dragged through a bureaucratic minefield of cost and grief, with no certainty of an outcome.

A Teviot Valley resident keen to build a shed on their property has run into more problems than just consent and supply issues.The owner of 1190 Teviot Rd has discovered a part of the land he planned to build the shed on was not in fact his, it is owned by the Central Otago District Council (CODC).The issue was discussed at this week’s Teviot Valley Community Board meeting, in a bid to rectify the situation.A builder was called to the site in 2023 to begin the associated consents when he noticed the proposed site for the new shed appeared to encroach the legal road.The property is a lifestyle block that consists of two parcels of land.A surveyor has since been to the property to identify the true legal boundaries, which has confirmed the proposed shed site, and some existing outbuildings, gardens, hedging and a fence, all encroach onto the legal road.A plan of the encroachment, to the left of the hedge, and the true legal boundaries, are shown. IMAGE: SuppliedAfter the encroachment was identified, the property owner contacted CODC to discuss stopping the parcel of legal road between the hedge and his legal boundary.However, CODC team leader statutory property Linda Stronach said due to the formation of the road, if council had agreed to stop the area of road that he is occupying it would have left a legal road that was only about 3m wide, and “not much at the actual formed road”.The formed road follows a straight line through an area of the road, which zigzags. As a result, the northern span of the formed road has been constructed more to the east of the legal road, and in part over 1205 Teviot Road. In comparison, the southern span of the formed road has been constructed more to the west and in part, over 1190 Teviot Rd. This means the formed road encroaches onto three parcels of private property. Linda said when the road was formed it didn’t follow the survey.“You would have to go back to the 1870s to find out what the purpose of that was.”Both owners at 1190 and 1205 Teviot Rd have been working with CODC to rectify the situation.Teviot Valley Community Board members, earlier this week, agreed to legalise the road as formed between rapids 1190 and 1205 Teviot Rd, and to stop two parcels of unformed legal road, as shown in figure 5 (the Legalisation Plan), in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Act 1981, subject to a range of conditions.Conditions include the owners of 1190 and 1205 Teviot Road paying $15,000 and $1985 plus GST (if any), respectively, as the net value of the stopping and legalisation of the western side of Teviot Rd.

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan is pleading for motorists to turn their headlights on in foggy conditions.He raised the issue during the Teviot Valley Community Board meeting earlier this week, where sole charge constable for Roxburgh Reece Harpur was in attendance to discuss recent happenings.Following Const Harpur’s report, Mayor Tim asked: “Are you going to do anything about the bright sparks who are driving around without their lights on in fog, because jeez they are dangerous”.Const Harpur agreed that motorists were taking serious risks by failing to have their headlights on while driving in foggy conditions.“I even flash my lights at them, and they still don’t turn them on, so I know what you mean.”Mayor Tim explained that he recently flashed his lights at a motorist in the hope it would make them realise they needed to turn their’s on.“They flashed their lights at me and gave me a wave because they thought you [police] were up the road. It’s a real danger.”He urges motorists to take the “simple” measure, for everyone’s safety.“It is such a simple thing to turn the lights on in a car and doing it could avoid a crash and serious injuries. I really don’t understand why so many people fail to do this simple thing. Perhaps some people still don’t realise that when lights are put on auto, they will only fire up the park lights which are just slightly better than useless in fog.”

Central Lakes Trust (CLT) is increasing its financial support to the arts community, providing much-needed assistance to local organisations during challenging economic times.That funding boost means groups can now apply for a grant through the Arts Support Scheme for up to $2500.The limit was previously $2000.CLT grants manager Mat Begg, who shares his insights on The Outlet podcast this week, said that increase reflects rising costs and would hopefully allow groups to do a bit more.Projects that have benefited in the past include workshops for felting, model making, writing, dance, theatre and exhibitions, among others.He said sometimes it’s the “little things” that can make a big difference to a group, such as the Ophir hall, which was granted a small amount to purchase trestle tables.“People used to have to bring their own to the hall. This has just enabled a better community experience.”He said the hall serves many groups, from young farmers to bowlers.A grant from the Arts Support Scheme has also helped keep some groups going, including the Alexandra sewing group.“A small grant enabled them to continue their room hire because the costs were just starting to get on top of them. The group largely consists of seniors, and it was all about the social connection, a shared passion around improved wellbeing and just that passion around sewing, which was fantastic.”To hear more from Mat tune into The Outlet.

Fleeing drivers and opportunist thieves in the Teviot Valley have had their criminal activity halted thanks to the work of local police and their counterparts.Roxburgh’s sole charge constable Reece Harpur attended yesterday’s Teviot Valley Community Board meeting to provide an update on the latest happenings across the district.He said a wide range of activities had been keeping police busy in the area, including fleeing drivers, search warrants, and car break-ins.Const Harpur said many of the offenders were from outside the district, including someone who had been breaking into vehicles and fraudulently using credit cards.“Through CCTV we were able to solve that case.”Police tracked the vehicle and the culprit in Invercargill, and subsequently returned stolen property to its owner.“That just shows you [some offenders] are mobile.”He said it was possible the problem was mainly associated with youth offenders.“I’m keeping my eye on that.“It just shows you these things are happening and the unfortunate part then, is our leads are very limited if you don’t get forensics . . . but we have had some good results of dishonesty [offending].”Police also had a strong presence across the Teviot Valley during the roar and duck shooting season, targeting back roads, areas that are not monitored as often as others.“A lot was educational around firearms safety. It was a good overall result.”Const Harpur said police had also conducted multiple search warrants in the area, primarily for the misuse of drugs act.“As a result of that, we’ve got a large quantity of cannabis.”He said it was valued at between $12,000 to $14,000, and now it was off the street it had taken that harm away from the community.“So, it shows you it’s happening . . . it happens in every community.”Another drug related incident saw police charge and prosecute a Roxburgh resident for supplying methamphetamine and cocaine.Police have also been busy conducting educational programmes in the event of a school lockdown scenario to help limit the risk of harm, through armed offenders training.He said even if someone only remembered one aspect of the training, it could be the difference between life and death.Const Harpur said police also recently had a check-point where 230 vehicles were stopped and posed no problem.“It was really good - pleasing to see.”However, speeding motorists were still a problem.He said while it is an issue in the Teviot Valley, some of the higher speeds in recent times have been clocked in other places like the Maniototo, with speeds in the 160km/h to 170km/h range.

The Teviot Valley Community Board (TVCB) has joined Cromwell in submitting against districtisation, but the Vincent Community Board is in support, while nothing has been said from the Maniototo.The Central Otago District Council (CODC) agreed today to carry out formal consultation about the proposed changes with the community during August, followed by hearings and deliberations.In a report to council from staff, it was noted that over the past 20 years council has engaged in consultation to the community to rate certain activities across the district rather than by ward level. This was because it was particularly challenging in the less populated wards to maintain services given the fewer ratepayers in these areas to spread the cost across. In the mid 1990s roading was changed to a district rate rather than a ward rate, and in 2015 council engaged with the community to change the funding of three waters to be at the district level rather than at the ward level. The report said any decision to further districtise services will not impact level of services in each ward, these would remain the same levels as they are now until there was a decision by council to alter those.The Cromwell Community Board has expressed several concerns about the proposal, and chair Anna Harrison also spoke at the meeting.The submission stated they were concerned that ‘wealthier’ wards such as Cromwell will subsidise the rest of the district, which will result in potential perceived loss for Cromwell ratepayers.Teviot board members' concerns included an example using the recently completed Punawai Ora pool project, where $2.7 million was raised to ensure the community had a safe place to swim.“The Ida MacDonald Trust Pool is just one of the many recreational facilities the Teviot Valley is proud of. How could TVCB support CODC taking ownership of the pool to capitalise on the depreciation of the asset and spread the financial benefits across the district, and then charge the very people who worked to build it an extra $233 per year in rates for the privilege?” the submission from Teviot Valley Community Board members stated.The Vincent board supports the proposal and notes the challenges of the current economic climate and the challenges of the current rating system.“The board is, however, concerned that there is a risk that the importance of community boards is diminished,” Vincent Community Board members stated. However, they did stress that council and community boards will need to work in partnership to meet the needs of the community, so they do not become a voiceless advisory group.The final decision will be made at the council meeting on September 25.

A collaboration of many minds has brought Kāmoanahaehae - the meeting place of the two rivers in Alexandra to be celebrated through the Riverside Park project.The Vincent Community Board was treated to a presentation from members of the Alexandra Riverside Park Trust, the designer involved in the staged project and Aukaha - representing mana whenua.Led by local businessman Rory McLellan, the trust along with the Central Otago District Council has managed to secure $1.275 million for the $1.46 million project, which is still on track to be completed this summer.“It was a big undertaking with meetings every fortnight. No stone has been unturned,” he told the board yesterday.Anderson Fencing and Earthworks together with their landscape architect Neville Stewart Landscaping as construction partner won the council’s open tender to design and complete the work.Starting with the removal of the willows between the lower end of Tarbert St and the Alexandra Bridge, a new plaza area will feature seating, shade trees, and a river access pathway leading off a viewing platform overlooking the confluence of the Manuherekia and Clutha Mata-Au rivers.Kāmoanahaehae - the Alexandra Riverside Park is a joint effort with council, community business leaders and iwi. IMAGE: SuppliedA 6m high sculpture or pou whenua will be commissioned to welcome visitors to the area and drawing their attention to Kopuwai on the Old Man Range.A resin product etched into the path woven in traditional Maori design will light the pathway at night, and it was hoped the plaza space would attract food trucks and open performances.Aukaha representative Kitty Brown said bringing people to the water was important “so we can be closer to the environment.”It was also a special privilege for iwi to be able to place a ‘marker’ on an area of such cultural significance as Kāmoanahaehae.Read more: Funding confirmed for first stage of Riverside Park Plaza project