A new and innovative mentoring initiative across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes is building on the work already started by Volunteer South.The initiative called huddl has partnered with The Mentoring Foundation of New Zealand to deliver a six month leadership in governance mentoring programme aimed at strengthening leaders within community organisations across the region.The programme is designed to increase effectiveness in community governance by developing capability, connection and confidence among participants. Mentors with strong not-for-profit governance experience will match up with mentees and be supported by programme coordinator Fiona Reeve, who will be leading the initiative.The organisation is governed by members of Alexandra Community House, Central Lakes Trust, Central Otago District Council, Cromwell & Districts Community Trust, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Sport Central, Volunteer South and Whakatipu Hub. “Volunteer South have done an amazing job of delivering the the governance mentoring programme for the last two years and I’m looking forward to continuing to support mentors and mentees in their governance journey with this year’s cohort,” Fiona said.The programme provides ongoing support and advice to help leaders in their personal development.“It’s also a fantastic way to foster connections with other leaders in the sector,” she said.Everything from sports groups to hobby groups as well as new not-for-profit organisations who don’t know where to start, will be involved in the initiative.Fiona used to work for the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce as the membership and development manager and was also involved in running training programmes.Once mentors are signed up, a community needs survey will help gauge exactly what tools and services huddl needs to deliver across the district. Starting in August and running through until April 2025, registrations are now open for individuals who would like to be mentees or mentors. Applicants will then be shortlisted and interviewed, with the final cohort to be confirmed for an orientation at the end of August. For more information or to register contact Fiona Reeve on [email protected]

An impressive lineup of figure skaters from around Otago and Southland took part in the Alexandra Ice Skating Club championships yesterday morning.More than 40 skaters entered the annual competitions, and for the first time in many years the club also held a demonstration of synchronised skaters.It is also the first year the competition was held under the new roof at Alexandra IceInline - but there was no rain or wind to worry about, with the hoar frost making conditions near perfect for competing. Some of the skaters have been training up to 10 hours a week in preparation for the competition, and the club’s top skater Bridey Sangster (14) has already been named in the New Zealand team following her impressive win at the Clucas Cup in Dunedin in mid-June.The Alexandra skaters range in age from 10 to 30-plus with a strong adult skating contingent also competing this season. The Alexandra Ice Skating Club’s synchronised skating team showed guests their routine. VIDEO: The Central AppClub president Angie Sutherland said the day was a great success, “and the strong entries show there is still a lot of passion and dedication in a precision sport that involves many cold mornings out on the ice with early starts, and a huge commitment from everyone involved.”Coached by Sam Kuri, a total of 16 competitive figure skaters from Alexandra will head to Gore next weekend for the Otago Southland championships, hosted by Ice Sports Southland.Read more: Clyde's Bridey Sangster makes NZ figure skating teamRead more: Meet Alexandra's new figure skating coach

A five month process of desludging Roxburgh's wastewater ponds is complete, creating a temporary pyramid of geo bags for drying.SiteCare completed the project using a dredge at the two wastewater ponds on behalf of the Central Otago District Council (CODC).Sludge extracted was pumped into geo bags and now, with the project complete, a pyramid of the bags will be left on site for about 12 months, or until they achieve the necessary level of dry solids.Once ready, they will be disposed of.The process of desludging was an important maintenance activity for waste stabilisation ponds because sludge accumulation reduces treatment capacity and can result in an increase in odour transmissions.CODC project support infrastructure Laura McLellan said there was no specific frequency for the process to take place.Geo bags full of sludge taken from Roxburgh's wastewater ponds. PHOTO: Supplied“This varies based on factors such as population, size of pond, survey report information and behaviour of what people are flushing.”She said the community could help reduce the amount of sludge that accumulates by ensuring they only flush the three Ps: pee, poo and paper.“This practice minimises both the quality and quantity of sludge in the ponds. After all, the less that goes in, the less that needs to come out, right?”Laura said although the community would not notice a day-to-day difference now that the work is complete, it was essential to recognise that effective treatment would positively impact overall operational performance.“Without this effort, the consequences could have been significant.”Last year, a screen was also installed at the inlet pipe of the Roxburgh wastewater treatment plant to help filter out objects such as rags, plastics and any other foreign matter that isn’t in the wastewater.“Despite this improvement, it remains crucial for the community to continue adhering to the three Ps rule.”

High pressure is continuing to cause frosty starts and foggy valleys across Central Otago, with temperatures dropping as low as -6.5°C this morning.MetService meteorologist John Law said that low was felt in Omakau, while Alexandra dropped to -3C.He said the high pressure sitting over the country had brought the perfect conditions for widespread frosty mornings, and in some cases valleys had become hidden beneath a blanket of fog.A look at what the weather has in store for Alexandra over the coming days. PHOTO: MetService“In the best of the sunshine today and tomorrow we will see temperatures reaching 9C or 10C but where the fog lingers longer, temperatures will struggle.”Among the areas that had struggled to see any sunshine yesterday due to fog were Cromwell and Wānaka.John said the high would hang over Central Otago throughout the weekend, so the forecast was for a “continuation of the story”.“It’ll be a similar story for Sunday before we start to see some slightly less cold nights next week.”Check The Central App weather updates daily under Weather & Reports

Santana Minerals has established itself in the Cromwell community and has several new joint initiatives underway.Teaming up with the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust this week, the company will help bring the World Gold Panning Championships to Cromwell in 2026.Santana Minerals is also a sponsor of the Light Up Winter event in August, and this season gained naming rights to the Central Otago Football League, by becoming the official sponsor of the competition.The league has been running for 17 years and attracts many migrant workers including from Vanuatu, and the sponsorship will enable games to be live-streamed, so families of Recognised Seasonal Employer workers can watch back home.Santana Central Otago Football League organiser Shane Norton approached chief executive Damian Spring about the company being involved.“What they do is great for Cromwell as is football, and it was a good opportunity for them to get their name out there in a positive light in the community,” Shane said.Damian said his own sons had both played junior football in Queenstown, but he didn’t realise the growth of the Central Otago competition, which now had many teams from Queenstown, Wanaka, Cromwell, Alexandra and right through to Roxburgh, playing in two different divisions.“We’re hoping they can livestream at least one game this season and then fund their own next year with one game a week. There is a fair amount of cost involved with getting the season underway and referees to turn up,” Damian said.Santana is looking to employ more than 200 staff when its Bendigo gold mine gets up and running, and some of those skills from tradies playing in the football league could be transferable into mining jobs.“But there was no direct relationship with that. Our workforce will be from the same geographic area that the football league is based in, and we’ll be looking at putting on a bus service from Alexandra, Wanaka and Queenstown to allow people to get to work. But it’s still in the concept stage.”Damian said the company was definitely ‘Cromwell-centric’ and had approached both the heritage trust and Cromwell Promotions about helping sponsor those events.“There are plenty of funding models available in Central Otago and we're not looking to replace those, but just wanting to have a presence in the community.”It had already set up an office in Chardonnay St in March this year, with six people working both in house and remotely.

Otago Regional Councillor Michael Laws is pleased that the latest representation review will see an extra person allocated to the Dunstan ward.With significant growth in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, the ORC is proposing to reduce the number of Dunedin councillors and add a new one into the district at its next election in October 2025.Cr Laws (Cromwell) along with Gary Kelliher (Alexandra) and Alexa Forbes (Queenstown) currently sit on the Dunstan ward, and the public is invited to make submissions on the new proposal.Every six years councils must review how communities are represented in the make-up of their council. Michael said Dunedin-based councillors and staff have dominated the ORC for many years, and he believed they had no real understanding of the issues in our area.One thing many ratepayers didn’t realise was that they were paying for public transport in Dunedin, and also the proposed new $60 million ORC building, he said.However, more rates come out of the Dunstan ward than in Dunedin because the value of our land and houses was higher, he added. As a result, there was taxation without representation, which was a bit of a grievance here in the ward, he said.“[Think of] all the rabbits you could kill, all the conservation work you could do, all the lagarosiphon.”Cr Laws’ other gripe with the ORC is the plan to ban all wood fires in Central Otago to help our air quality.He said wood fires were “what kept Central Otago alive” during winter and with the exorbitant electricity prices, it was fast becoming the most expensive place to live.Check out this week’s The Outlet podcast to hear more about what he has to say.

Decisions on major Cromwell projects must still be made using the voice of the Cromwell Community Board (CCB), despite the Central Otago District Council’s plan for districtisation.A submission from CCB chair Anna Harrison, on behalf of the board this week, made it clear that Cromwell board members were not happy about the proposal.All community boards have been asked to make submissions on the proposal to move functions of the council to a district-wide funding model, and away from the current ward-based model.Council said in its report, the effect of the proposal was to bring the management and funding for parks and recreation, cemeteries, community facilities, swimming pools, museums and property in line with other functions already managed district-wide like roading and three waters.  The intention was to make rates equitable across the region, accounting practices more efficient and rates bills more straight forward for the community. The CCB believes these claims of intent have been made with no supporting evidence to back them.“The board is concerned about the speed with which these changes are being implemented and the number of changes being made concurrently. What will this materially mean for the ability for our board to represent the interests of the Cromwell community in a meaningful way when council decisions are being made for functions, services and projects in Cromwell?”The CCB was outspoken several months ago when it accused council of making predetermined decisions about the way that boards would function in the future through the Delegations Register.“The Board considers that future functions, vision and ways of working can only be addressed through clearly defining delegations. Delegations must establish the ways that council will partner with the board and must be explicitly written to ensure strong local voice is included in district wide decision making.”Cromwell Community Board chair Anna Harrison. PHOTO: FileThe submission stated that the board’s voice on major Cromwell projects and the maintenance or changes to any level of service must still be heard with defined and tangible influence.“Big projects like the town centre redevelopment must have a community voice. Recent decisions that effectively removed the board’s voice in the development of the Cromwell town centre project and the loss of the funds that were put aside in the last LTP (Long Term Plan) for this project have already happened, and the discussion at the workshops on continued districtisation appear to indicate that this is an assumed outcome of these changes.” The CCB submits that a ward-based opinion must be included in reports to council for ward-based projects, and the board must receive formal reports so that input can be sought at meetings before the report goes to council for decision. The CCB along with the Cromwell community would like an assurance that representation and local voice will not be diminished as a result of changes to a district funding model and that the very real needs of a town with a rapidly growing and changing population will be given full consideration by council.“It is still unclear what the board stands to lose and hence it follows that the district does not understand what it stands to gain because of these proposed changes.”

Roxburgh Golf Club is one step closer to a significant upgrade to its clubhouse thanks to a $6346 grant from the NZ Community Trust.Club secretary Becky Slade said the grant was gratefully received, as the refurbishment project was well overdue, and the funding would help nudge the project forward.“It will go a long way to getting our carpet and curtains, and we’ve got more to do with toilets and painting,” she said.The refurbishment will feature an internal overhaul, with the aim of making it more user friendly for club members, visitors and people who want to use the facility for other functions, including birthdays.Due to the amount of work that needs to be done to the clubhouse, some members prefer to go to a cafe following their games, particularly during winter.Becky said the project has been on the drawing board for a long time and it was hoped the work might be completed in time for the club’s upcoming tournament on August 23 to 24.Further down the track, work was also planned on some outside features, including the men’s toilets.NZ Community Trust has distributed $30,668 in its latest funding round, with the Roxburgh Golf Club being the only group to benefit in Central Otago. It was also the group that received the biggest grant this time round.All other grants were given to groups across other parts of Otago, including Surf Lifesaving NZ, Gymsports NZ and Otago Blind Indoor Bowling Club, among others.

Central Otago police ticketed almost 100 motorists last weekend for speeding, with four drivers clocked travelling between 136km/hr and 150km/hr.Alexandra Police Senior Constable Graham Perkins said officers issued 61 tickets in Ranfurly, 24 in the Cromwell/Tarras area and a further 16 around Alexandra.Three licences were suspended and the roads were certainly busier, with many motorists coming through for the ski fields, he said.On July 6, a semi-professional snowboarder was stopped at Ranfurly where she was seen driving on the wrong side of the road for about three kilometres.Snr Const Perkins said another motorist videoed her driving and when the police officer stopped her, she was clocked speeding at 114km/hr.The snowboarder, who was visiting New Zealand for the month, was allegedly seen cutting corners as well as driving on the right rather than the left, “but didn’t expect it was a problem,” he said.She faced dangerous driving charges and is due to appear in the Alexandra District Court this month.The man using his umbrella in the Queenstown Gardens last week as a fake pistol decided to repeat the incident a second time.   The first incident sparked an armed police call out and evacuation of the area.Snr Const Perkins said the man has been referred to mental health services.Police were unable to lay charges because he was in a public place with an umbrella, not a weapon, and other than talk to him, there was little they could do about it.Also in Queenstown last week, an offender known to police jumped into a parked car that was left running outside the Night ’n Day, and sped off towards Arrowtown.CCTV footage located him heading out of town towards Gorge Rd.Snr Const Perkins said road spikes would’ve been deployed near Avalon Station but the man sped up to 181km/hr making it too dangerous to do so.He was followed by police to the Wanaka waterfront after they found the vehicle still running with the door left open, as the man continued his getaway on foot.He was eventually arrested near the jetty and faces charges, including four unrelated for other matters, including theft and unlawfully entering a building.He has been remanded in police custody and is awaiting a court appearance.

ACT MP Todd Stephenson says he is still committed to finding adequate public healthcare solutions for the region, a topic he was happy to discuss while passing through Alexandra yesterday as part of his winter tour.Todd, who is touring on the ACT bus, started the nationwide tour in Invercargill on Monday.He met up with former ACT MP Gerry Eckhoff who remembered the inaugural ‘mobile’ tour of the country 20 years ago when he was involved with the party.“It’s so good to see the bus back,” he said, while waiting to talk with Todd about the ongoing rates issues across the Central Otago district.Todd is a list MP and has eight portfolios including health, and recently teamed up with Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan and Queenstown Lakes Mayor Glyn Lewers, who wrote a joint letter to Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora asking for solutions on adequate public local health care.ACT Party MP Todd Stephenson (left) catches up with former ACT MP Gerry Eckhoff during the Alexandra leg of his nationwide tour. PHOTO: The Central APPBoth councils have been advocating regularly to the Government about lack of investment in local provision of publicly funding health services and are concerned there has been insufficient progress.“It’s about understanding what the private sector is trying to do and what is happening in the public sector too. We need to have the whole picture,” Todd said.Mayor Tim has long pushed for an inland hospital in Cromwell as a centralised hospital that met the needs of the whole area, bringing both public and private health providers together.Now on their way to Dunedin and Christchurch, Todd and his ACT team of four have been meeting with small businesses and rural enterprises and encouraging people to tell them what challenges they face.“We just wanted to get out of Wellington and talk to people,” he said.

Former Alexandra Hato Hone St John Youth cadet Kohan Carden is taking his passion for the organisation to the international stage.The 18-year-old, who is now youth leader with the Bishopdale/Cranmer Youth Division in Christchurch, is one of 10 New Zealanders who will travel to Hong Kong for the Asia Pacific Cadet Competitions taking place from July 26 to 29.They will compete against teams from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Canada in ambulance and home nursing first aid events. Kohan said aside from testing his first aid knowledge, the event would be a “fantastic opportunity” to reform some of the international connections, which were lost due to Covid.The team of 10 competitors and three managers from around New Zealand who will attend the competitions in Hong Kong from July 26 to 29. PHOTO: SuppliedAs part of the selection process, each team member had to submit a written application, supported by a CV, which was reviewed by a series of people before the managers finalised the squad.Since then, the team of 10 have had numerous training sessions online due to members being spread across the country.However, they will bring their skills together for the first time in Auckland before leaving for Hong Kong on July 23, supported by three managers.Kohan, who is studying law at the University of Canterbury, has remained dedicated to St John since moving to Christchurch, but the Alexandra division “will always be home”, he said. “I started St John by having my parents stop outside of the Alexandra St John station and saying that my sister and I were going to try something new. That was roughly 11 years ago and I have stuck with it since.”His current role with the Bishopdale/Cranmer Youth Division is voluntary, but he has big plans to remain loyal to the organisation, even while holding down a busy law career.He hopes to always have a role within the youth programme and would love to one day be the national youth manager but has no plans to be a member of the operational staff.For now, he has his sights set on Hong Kong where he will showcase his skillset among some of the best in the business, a trip he has fundraised for.“The amount of support I received from my community has been amazing. I am incredibly grateful to both family, friends and members of the public alike who have helped support me with this trip.”

A 24-year-old football player from Christchurch was clocked by police travelling at 170km/hr near Bendigo last Wednesday.Alexandra Police Senior Constable Graham Perkins said the man and his two passengers were in a big rush to make it back to Christchurch for football practice.Motorists noticed the driver was overtaking dangerously and nearly caused a head on crash with another vehicle, before police were called.Snr Const Perkins said the men, who were returning from a weekend in Queenstown, had their vehicle instantly impounded, leaving the players stranded on the side of the road with all of their gear.Earlier last week, a visitor from Amsterdam realised the Lindis Pass was closed with snow, so decided to detour back around via the Danseys Pass, but he lost confidence on the ice.Snr Const Perkins said he then used his satellite phone to call emergency services and locals were called in to help rescue him.He spent the night at Palmerston and police had “a serious conversation with him about his actions”.On July 27 another tourist tried to cross the Lindis one-lane bridge without stopping for other motorists, and caused a three-vehicle crash.  He was charged with failing to give way to oncoming traffic.The 25-year-old Japanese cyclist killed by a motorist in Wānaka at the weekend was riding on the wrong side of the road on Plantation Road, and was also not wearing a helmet.Snr Const Perkins said the motorist veered to the left to avoid the cyclist travelling at speed towards the vehicle and hit the driver’s door.   No charges will be laid because the driver was not at fault. He said during winter when there is limited light and the days were darker, people needed to take more care on the roads and not be complacent.

Peregrine Wines’ latest subdivision at Bendigo Loop Rd has been declined by the Central Otago District Council.The company noted in its application that viticulture use of the site was more productive than its current agriculture use and confirmed it had already purchased sauvignon blanc vines to plant within one of the new lots.But the hearings panel agreed with planning consultant Olivia Stirling that the receiving environment, which is currently characterised by its open space natural character, will be compromised by further incremental subdivision in that location. Peregrine Wines first started a three-lot subdivision at Bendigo Loop Rd in 2021, then subdivided a 30ha lot into a further two lots a year later.The initial piece of land subdivided was 38.9ha - split into three lots (5.46ha, 4.29ha and 29.17ha).The 29.17ha lot was then split into a further two lots (3.47ha and 25.72ha), and now the company wanted to split the bigger piece that was left into a further 23.7ha and 2.005ha.Olivia recommended in her planners report that the subdivision be declined because the surrounding landscape had already reached a density that was unable to absorb any further fragmentation without significantly undermining the rural character, amenity and open natural landscape values of the Rural Resource Area.Although no change of land use has been made, nor any residential activity proposed on the bare land, one submitter said the application was sending mixed messages in recognising the possibility of future housing on the sites.The panel also considered that while the applicant has indicated that there is no intention to establish residential activity on the site, in separate ownership there would still inevitably be multiple buildings or structures of some sort on both sites. 

A contingency plan to protect Naseby properties from potential wildfire is making progress.Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz), along with Naseby Vision, called a public meeting in the town last Easter to provide information so the community could limit the risk and help people prepare.One hundred people attended the meeting in the Naseby Town Hall, including residents and holidaymakers, keen to learn more and find out how they could assist.The meeting included information around defensible space, a term used to describe the careful selection, location and maintenance of vegetation and other combustible materials on the property.It also featured a series of short videos, which showcased the importance of being prepared, particularly when there was risk of embers, which could travel hundreds of metres.Those who provided their contact details at the meeting have been contacted by Fenz again this week, providing an update and plan going forward.Fenz advisor risk reduction Otago district Mark Mawhinney said Fenz would continue to help the Naseby community with further wildfire risk reduction.“You’ll see us around, but we can’t do it without you. An engaged and resilient community is also better prepared to face and recover from any other emergency that may present itself; earthquake, storm event [etc].”Mark said how Fenz works with the Naseby community was something it needed to discuss further with its residents.“To start, we would like to establish a small group who would represent the Naseby community. This group would regularly meet with us to develop a plan and help deliver good achievable outcomes for the wider community,” he said.“We know that if we don’t get good engagement from the community, we don’t get good outcomes.”Fenz has already had interest from members of the community, and the opportunity was still open for others to share their thoughts or who want to be part of the group.“Those with an interest please get in touch by the end of July. We are looking to develop a bespoke plan for Naseby that could be started before the next wildfire season.”Fenz’s community risk management team also plans to work with the community by helping with smoke alarms, fire appliance access into properties in the event of a house fire, water supplies for firefighting operations, along with Firewise and Fire Smart programmes.The Naseby meeting was recorded, which can be viewed online through Naseby Vision Inc.Read more: Naseby community answers the callRead more: Naseby residents urged to attend Fenz meeting 

Further testing of rivers across Otago over the 2023/2024 summer found that high bacteria levels were most often associated with moderate to heavy rainfall two days before sampling.The Otago Regional Council's (ORC) Contact Recreation Monitoring Report 2024 was released last week, following the annual summer monitoring programme, assessing recreational water quality at primary sites.Water quality scientist Helen Trotter prepared the report for the environmental science and policy committee, and six river sites across Otago have been graded ‘poor,’ including the Manuherekia River at Shaky Bridge, and the Arrow River at Cornwall St.The ORC said increased run-off from urban and rural land carries contaminants to waterways and was associated with elevated bacteria concentrations.In the 2023-2024 season, 560 routine samples for faecal indicator bacteria were taken at 33 primary contact sites, and 93 per cent of samples had water quality that was ‘suitable for swimming’ at the time of sampling. For 15 samples (3 per cent) across 10 sites, bacteria concentrations indicated the site was ‘unsuitable for swimming’ at the time of sampling and a health warning was issued.   This included the Manuherekia River at Shaky Bridge.A further 21 results (4 per cent) across seven sites, met the ‘caution advised’ guideline due to slightly elevated bacteria concentrationsThe report noted that the Manuherekia River flows were low throughout the summer period. While high bacteria levels were observed following rainfall, they were also persistent throughout the low flow period.  Staff indicated that it was likely irrigation by-wash was a key source of bacterial contamination during low flow periods.But Otago Regional councillor, farmer and irrigation company owner Gary Kelliher said the report was frustrating as it indicated irrigation bywash was the cause of the ‘caution’ ratings during the swimming season on the lower Manuherekia.But he said from his questioning of staff, they had no evidence of that whatsoever, “it was just an assumption.”He believed they were also mixing up bywash (where a scheme releases water back to a waterway), to runoff (where irrigation flow travels across land and re-enters a waterway).  Gary said the one-in-40-year drought experienced last summer meant there couldn’t have been runoff either, “as for much of the season irrigation flows were very low.”“The farmers in the Manuherikia are constantly wronged like this by council and others. The report could have mentioned the Omakau sewage outfall that would have been discharging its normal flow all season, but it didn’t. It also hinted avian may have been a contributor but didn’t specify to what extent.”The 2024-2025 contact recreation monitoring period will commence in December 2024. Future work directions include exploring options for real-time monitoring to improve reporting efficiency, targeted sampling programmes for sites with frequent exceedances to investigate potential contaminant sources, and reviewing sites and procedures ahead of each season to ensure the programme maintains appropriate coverage across the region.

A no-stopping rule has been imposed along a section of State Highway 6 (SH6), near the entrance to the inflatables water park on Lake Dunstan.NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) announced the move, stating it would ensure a safer summer for those wanting to pull up to enjoy what the area near Lowburn has to offer.The move comes following consultation with the public on NZTA’s proposal to remove roadside parking near Kiwi Water Park.After considering all the views received, NZTA is now putting a no-stopping rule in place. The aim is to safeguard road users and Lake Dunstan visitors from highway traffic along a 1.3 km stretch of SH6 by discouraging people from parking on the highway around the entrance to the inflatables park and Lake Dunstan. NZTA’s team lead safety engineers Roy Johnston said the water park and people accessing Lake Dunstan have dedicated, safe parking on Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) land nearby, so there was no need for on-highway parking. “This change is essential given SH6 has a 100km/hour upper speed limit so anyone pulling out onto the highway is risking a serious injury crash or worse,” he said. The graphic above shows the no stopping at all times restriction area. PHOTO: NZTAA total of 20 submissions were received on the no-stopping proposal.Of those, eight were in support of the no-stopping rule, five were opposed, of which two related to the recently installed boundary fence and one related to the Kiwi Water Park operation.A further seven were neutral on the proposal or provided feedback on matters not within the scope of consultation, such as speed management and the intersection of SH6 and Lowburn Valley Rd. Signage will now be installed, prohibiting parking 24/7 along 1300 metres of SH6 south of the Lowburn Bridge.However, an education approach will be taken over the next month or so, prior to being enforced.As a result of the decision, a bylaw in accordance with the Land Transport Management Act 1998 is being updated.  An NZTA spokesperson said other issues raised in consultation related to speed management and improvements to the intersection of SH6 and Lowburn Valley Rd. Speed management will be considered once the Government has updated the setting of speed limits rule. The intersection concerns have been added to NZTA’s issues database to inform development of future work programmes. 

The latest water quality report for rivers and lakes across Otago from the Otago Regional Council (ORC) paints a poor picture for some tributaries in the Lower Clutha Rohe.The 2023 report submitted to the Environmental Science and Policy Committee last week, from water quality scientist Markus Dengg, showed that the state of river and lake water quality isspatially variable across Otago.The quality of river and streams at high elevations under predominantly native cover or conservation land such as Lake Hāwea, Wānaka and Wakatipu, and some tributaries of the CluthaMata-Au such as the Lindis, Nevis and Dart rivers, rated higher than those lower down the catchment.Sites at the bottom of catchments tended to have higher concentrations of E. coli than upper catchment sites, and testing over the past summer (2023-24) at the Shaky Bridge in Alexandra onthe Manuherekia River, found it was only recommended for swimming half of the time.The ORC currently monitors 105 river sites and eight lakes throughout the region, and E.coli is naturally present in animal faeces and in freshwater and can reach high concentrations by theaddition of wastewater or runoff from agricultural pastures to streams.High densities of E. coli indicate that the water has been contaminated with faecal matter and may therefore contain pathogens (such as cryptosporidium) that can cause illness.The lower Manuherekia River is classified as at the lowest end of the water quality, where ecological communities have undergone or are at high risk of a regime shift to a persistent,degraded state, the report said.There was also potential for acute toxicity impacts and significant, persistent stress on a range of aquatic organisms.

Winter has arrived across Central’s nearby ski fields.The wintry conditions, which swept across the district yesterday, have brought some relief to ski field operators as they prepare for a busy period over the school holidays from this weekend.The Remarkables received 50cm of snow in the last 48 hours, while Treble Cone received 50cm in the past 24 hours, Cardrona received 30cm, and Coronet Peak got 9cm.Snow Farm has also received a significant amount.A team member from Coronet Peak gears up for a busy day following a substantial snowfall on the mountain earlier in the week. PHOTO: Coronet PeakSkiiers and snowboarders make the most of fresh snow on Coronet Peak. PHOTO: Coronet PeakA report on its website described the conditions in one word - “wow”.“That’s about how we feel right now with over 70cm of new snow over the past 36 hours. We have our work cut out clearing snow around the base and getting trails open.”General manager Sam Lee said the ski field was “pummeled” with snow.Heavy snow falling over Snow Farm during yesterday's welcomed storm. VIDEO: Sam Lee“It’s a great problem to have - it’s a problem we like.“It’s the first time we’ve had a blanket of snow to kick the season off,” he said.“It’s Christmas up here.”Sam said yesterday’s conditions saw large snowflakes falling straight down, creating the feeling of being trapped in a snow globe.About half the trails are open today and Sam hoped more would be open over the coming weeks.He said holiday makers were expected to descend on Snow Farm from this weekend, particularly Central Otago families and Australian visitors.A report on Coronet Peak’s website is also referring to today as “powder day”, thanks to the arrival of new snow, which includes 20cm at the top and 9cm at the bottom.“Those snow dances have delivered. The low freezing level means we’ve also had the opportunity [to] run the snow guns for a nice little top up around the mountain.”Grooming was now underway putting the finishing touches to the slopes for a day of skiing and snowboarding.However, people are warned that the “soft sticky” snow from yesterday could prove tricky on the lower half of the mountain, but overall, it was expected to be a “great day”.Remember to check out The Central App for a Skiing and Weather report before hitting the slopes and its Roads to make sure you get there safely. 

Social service agencies in Central Otago are struggling to keep up with demand from families and individuals in need, including some of the 11 people who are currently homeless - some living in their vehicles.Alexandra Community House manager Carole Gillions spoke to the Central Otago District Council last week, sharing some sobering statistics across the 15 organisations that share the space.In her years as manager, Carole said the levels of stress and pressure had never been seen like they are now, and it didn't help that a number of agencies had Government contracts on hold.Alexandra Community House and the social service agencies focus on many areas of the community, from improving the housing stock in the area, to looking after seniors, and providing mental health support.Between January and June this year, agencies were working with 45 community members in long term need, 357 people experiencing financial hardship and using budgeting services, and there was also an average of 10 cases of family violence each week.The need was spread across Central Otago, with Alexandra residents currently making up 47 per cent of cases, the Teviot and Cromwell 20 per cent and Maniototo 6 per cent.Of those people, 55 per cent were renting, 22 per cent in home ownership, 15 per cent freehold, 1 per cent in public housing and 4 per cent with no fixed abode.Carole said of those, 11 people were currently homeless, and leading up to Christmas last year it jumped to 20 - between November and December 2023.Mayor Tim Cadogan said those figures were “astounding” and said much of the homelessness was unseen.The Central App was also made aware of a homeless man approaching people in a supermarket carpark last week asking for spare change.Carole said their first obligation to homeless people was to make sure that they were safe and try to get them into some emergency care.But, in three recent instances they’ve helped people living in their vehicles, to make their cars warmer, “so they can be warmer.”