A new councillor reference group has been formed by the Otago Regional Council in the lead up to reviewing its Air Quality Strategy next year.At a meeting in Dunedin last week councillors Alan Somerville, Kate Wilson and Gary Kelliher were appointed to the group to help guide staff on its decision making.Manager of strategy Hilary Lennox told the meeting that while the reference group made no decision or gave any direction on the air quality strategy, they would monitor milestones throughout the process ready for endorsement in August 2025.The old air quality strategy was last updated back in 2018, and whilst it provided a good foundation for the current work, the implementation had been strained when funding was exhausted, her report to council said.Regional council staff were engaging with counterparts from other regional councils to share and understand learnings, opportunities, and emerging expectations around improvements to air quality management in New Zealand.“It is well recognised that effective air quality management requires regional councils to understand and target the causes of poor air quality. “Often a combination of regulatory and non-regulatory approaches is used. For example, the success of a rule requiring the community to only burn dry wood depends on the community’s understanding of what dry wood is, and their access to dry wood.”The report said a certification scheme for firewood retailers to demonstrate their wood was dry had been successful in other areas. ORC was exploring these types of approaches as part of reviewing the strategy.Staff recommended the reference group consist of four councillors, preferably with representation from Central Otago where some of the towns with the poorest air quality were located.Cr Kelliher argued that direction would be better coming from all councillors than just three or four, and voted against the motion.This was challenged by Cr Bryan Scott who said they only had limited time and the point of the reference group was to keep council staff honest, “so they don’t go rogue” on the issue.

Alexandra Airport’s first commercial hangar is in progress.The hangar, leased by Tinshed Aviation Ltd, is a new purpose-built aircraft restoration and maintenance facility that will support the aviation industry, while also fulfilling a key aspect of the Central Otago District Council’s Alexandra Airport Masterplan.It is being built on a site leased from the Council and is hoped to be finished by the end of the year.Co-owners Bryan Jones and Arron Cooper have already been operating the business with permission from the Council on a temporary basis out of a private hangar at the airport.Since opening the business in October last year, work had been steadily increasing, and to see the new build underway was ‘awesome’, Tinshed Aviation company director/maintenance manager Arron Cooper said.“Alexandra was our preferred location . . . We are looking forward to continuing to grow and contributing to the local community.”The build of the purpose-built aircraft restoration and maintenance facility in progress at Alexandra Airport. PHOTO: SUPPLIEDThe masterplan specifically identified an area at the airport appropriate for an aircraft maintenance and repair company. Council had been aiming to attract this type of business to the airport, property and facilities manager Garreth Robinson, said.“The vision of the masterplan was that the Alexandra Airport would be a safe, user friendly and efficient facility for aviation related businesses, aircraft operators and lease holders.“The idea is that the airport will provide for the growth of compatible aviation activities that support tourism, innovation, research and training opportunities in a way that meets community well-being. ‘’Seeing operations like Bryan and Arron’s get established is helping make the strategic vision a reality.”The business also plans to offer flying training based out of the new hangar.The Airport runway surface is scheduled for reseal over the summer and council is working through the design and procurement process for this project.

I could be accused of breaking a promise to myself by having this last column on The Central App today as I had promised myself that, on ceasing being Mayor, I would not become one of those ex-politicians who clings to some self-delusion of continued relevancy by writing columns or Letters to the Editor well after their time is up.  But as I’m writing this while I am still the Mayor, I reckon I’m not breaching my own rule. As you read it though, I could well be in the skies already heading to our new life in Wellington.  I am sometimes a betting man, and I don’t reckon there is anyone would give me odds that I won’t be a bit of a mess, the only question is how much.  And that’s ok, because I am leaving a job and a place I love deeply. All week I have been having an internal battle between my logical brain and my emotional brain.  Logically, I know that leaving the role of mayor now is the best thing for the council and for me and my family.  For the council, having someone committed to running for the role of Mayor next year leading the LTP is the only thing that makes sense.  For Linda and I, it’s time for a new challenge, and some more time together.  And all that falls to pieces as soon as emotional brain perks up, but that’s who I am and there’s not much I can do about that. Thank you so much for the honour of being your Mayor and of being part of this magnificent community for the last 30 years.  Life has its ups and downs and I’ve been through my share of both in the three decades here, but along that journey, I have always remembered how fortunate I have been to face life’s challenges in such a great place with such great people.  I think that’s something all of us in Central Otago should remind ourselves of on a regular basis. Take care and see you in a few years.

The Dunstan ward will have an extra seat around the Otago Regional Council (ORC) table come the next local body election. At its meeting in Dunedin last week, the regional councillors voted 12-0 to increase the number of Dunstan ward councillors from three to four.The Dunstan ward - which covers Central Otago, Queenstown and Wanaka - is represented by Councillors Alexa Forbes, Michael Laws and Gary Kelliher.At the same time, the Dunedin constituency was stripped of one seat, dropping from six councillors to five.The change was made as part of the regional council's required representation review for the region - including how many councillors there are and the areas they represent - which occurs every six years.Population data supplied from Stats NZ indicated that following population growth since the last representation review in 2018, the Dunstan ward fell outside the +/- 10% margin of the average across the region, no longer meeting the legislative requirements for fair representation. Making up the full quota of 12 Councillors, there are two in the Molyneux ward and one in the Moeraki ward. The constituency boundaries did not change.The Otago Regional Council constituency boundaries. Dunstan Ward has gained an additional councillor while Dunedin has lost one in the latest representation review. IMAGE: OTAGO REGIONAL COUNCIL

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said it has been an incredible privilege to serve the district over the past eight years, “and it’s hard to let go. But it’s time.”Reflecting on his tenure, Mayor Tim told The Outlet it had been a very strange feeling since making his announcement two weeks ago.“A lot of my time as Mayor I have looked at people who cling to privilege and I’m not going to,” he said.He’s had dinner with the Prime Minister and opened A&P shows, appeared on national media many times and chatted with little old ladies in the coffee shops - and enjoyed it all.“But I’ve started to become a bit of the person I don’t want to be and it’s grinding me down a bit,” he said.Mayor Tim said he’d learned how to handle criticisms and was always one for a good quote “only let the criticism of those you respect affect you."“But obviously there are those times I have got it wrong.”While blessed that he never had to declare a state of emergency, he said the Roxburgh floods came close and of course there were the tough times of Covid-19.It had been challenging working in a small council “that runs on an oily rag,” and admits they’d get a lot more done if they had more resources.There was only one person working in economic development, for example, and it was constantly a frustration for not only himself but the community, that things were done slowly.But he said Central Otago was blessed that it wasn’t involved in ‘party politics’ like other parts of the country, and people were willing to listen to others' points of view.“I’ve only had to use my casting vote once in eight years,” he said.Listen to Mayor Tim’s last podcast with The Outlet hereIf travelling this long weekend, keep an eye on Road report

A refresh of strategic direction is on the cards for the Otago Regional Council, as it signs off and releases its Annual Report this week.Chair Gretchen Robertson said it has been a busy year, but in looking to the future, the organisation recognises there’s more work to be done.“Our focus was not only on delivering efficient services to the people of Otago, but on supporting community-led environmental initiatives for positive outcomes,” she said.The Annual Report will be considered by councillors at a full meeting in Dunedin tomorrow.Cr Robertson said during the year council refreshed ORC’s strategic directions, setting clear goals and focus areas to realise its vision for Otago — "where our environment and communities thrive, ki uta ki tai (from the mountains to the sea).”“To the backdrop of a challenging economic climate, and with proposed Government legislative changes still underway, we placed a strong emphasis on delivering a long-term plan which achieves organisational efficiencies, ensuring we give value for ratepayers’ money while continuing to sustain healthy and connected communities.”The development of a new Land and Water Regional Plan had been a priority for the regional council, with a work programme in place to achieve a notification decision this month.However, a shock Government announcement yesterday stated the Government would add an amendment to the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill restricting regional councils’ ability to notify freshwater plans.The move saw ORC cancel today's voting on the matter.The Manuherikia River near Alexandra. More community-led environmental initiatives are on the cards for the Otago Regional Council in the next year. FILE SHOTIn ORC’s environmental monitoring and regulatory roles, Cr Robertson said staff completed 1411 compliance checks, including consent audits, dairy inspections, and forestry site visits, while the Pollution Hotline handled 1095 incidents, with 101 formal enforcement actions taken in 2023-24.She was “really pleased” that the annual ECO Fund was fully subscribed, again, this year, which supported targeted and general community environmental projects.“We’ve also actively fostered community-led catchment management initiatives in the Catlins and Upper Lakes,” she said.“Our valued partnership with mana whenua in Otago continues to underpin much of our work programme, with positive water enhancement work continuing through these partnerships.”For the year ahead, Cr Robertson said climate change remained a crucial focus area for the regional council.“This year, councillors endorsed the draft Strategic Climate Action Plan, and we’re now looking forward to seeking community input on this important initiative.”The regional council’s work on a variety of natural hazards adaptation programmes continued for South Dunedin, the Clutha Delta, and Glenorchy/Head of Lake Whakatipu, while climate resilience projects for its flood schemes have made significant progress, she said.Chief Executive Richard Saunders said that while he was pleased 48 targets were achieved overall, it showed there was more work for the organisation to do in setting its work programme and delivering those things for the community. “We did however achieve some great results in the face of challenging and changing times throughout the year, and especially in the Safety and Resilience sector, which met 11 targets, and missed none,” he said.He noted that under Safety and Resilience was management of Flood Protection and Emergency Management, both of which were under duress earlier this month around coastal Otago and some places inland, but both were reported to have functioned well and helped keep communities safe.He said of the 25 targets not achieved, a number were linked to the deadline for the final delivery of reports, reviews and plans, many of which had since been completed and were pending formal delivery.

The Central App has an interim editor Shannon Thomson during Alexia Anderson’s maternity leave.She hit the ground running, covering a plane fire over the weekend in Cromwell, and readers may have already seen her byline popping up. Shannon brings a wealth of experience as a journalist, photographer and editor as former Central Otago bureau chief for the Otago Daily Times and The News - Central Otago and Wanaka.Having lived in Cromwell previously, and her children attending Cromwell College and Dunstan High School - and with whānau residing in Clyde - Shannon has knowledge of the district and strong ties to Central.“There is an element of coming full circle, as I was employed by The Central App as a journalist when I returned to the industry six years ago.“I’m passionate about our community, its people, places and what matters to them.‘’Leading a team to deliver reliable and balanced news, tell cracking yarns and share the stories that resonate and matter to our readers is something I love to do.”Outside of her editorial role Shannon is a mum of two (her son Asher is in his final year of high school, while her daughter Charlize has just returned to Central Otago after two years overseas), she volunteers with not for profit organisation Red Frogs and enjoys spending time at the lake and beach as well as getting out in nature for walks.Shannon said anyone wanting to contact her about The Central App’s news can email [email protected]

After a decade of protecting Lake Dunstan, the Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust will move into hibernation this summer. The move comes after trustees decided to step down with nobody new to replace them.Originally the Guardians of Lake Dunstan, the group was successful at lobbying and tightening up regulations of Lake Dunstan, using $1million in Government Jobs for Nature funding to tidy up the lake shore.Their work prompted new resource consent obligations on Contact Energy, which operates the Clyde Dam - with much of the work focused on the Kawarau Arm of the lake, from the Cromwell Heritage Precinct to Bannockburn.For years silt and driftwood had clogged the Kawarau Arm and combined with invasive weeds, made it difficult for boats to use the area.The Trust's Bridge to Bridge project focused on restoring native species and improving recreational access/use from Lowburn Bridge to Deadman’s bridge.Former chairman Duncan Faulkner said the Trust put the call out for new trustees recently however nobody had come forward and as a result would have to wind up operations for now.That also meant this year’s annual spring clean, which would’ve prepared the lake edge for this coming summer, was also cancelled. The clean up had been happening since 2010, but relied on new volunteers to help.A lakeside clean up at McNulty Inlet in Cromwell. PHOTI: SUPPLIEDDuncan said the trustees had fulfilled their five-year commitment and now with the Jobs for Nature funding finished, it was a perfect time for them to step back.“The hard work’s been done really. The commitment to LINZ (Toitū Te Whenua - Land Information New Zealand) was a four-year project, so naturally we wanted to see that through to completion.”All of the trustees were from professional backgrounds and had different skills to offer to the Trust, so were able to make change quite quickly, he said.But with no new fresh blood to step up and take over, the group would go into hibernation for a year.He said the trustees all had family and work commitments that were now more of a priority.Looking back over the past few years, Duncan said there had been some surprising challenges within the community.When the 12,000 natives were planted around the lake shore, some of them began to be ripped out and go missing and initially the Trust couldn’t understand why.Then they realised it was certain “retirees” who were upset about the potential of losing their lake views, and the Rural Fire Service got involved.The logic from the residents was the trees were a fire risk, but Duncan said the fire service told them they’d done a really good job of the plantings with a good choice of species.After negotiations between the fire service and affected residents, the Trust replaced some plantings in areas in front of those properties with other species that were less of a risk.“In reality we just saw it as Tall Poppy Syndrome, which is a shame really,” he said.Contact Energy began its Kawarau Arm beautification project in 2023 to co-design improvements to the Old Cromwell area, as part of its revised 2019-2024 Landscape and Visual Amenity Management Plan.Further engagement has been underway with Linz, the Central Otago District Council and local iwi.Read more about this in our follow-up news story next week.Read more: Old Cromwell beachfront on the cards 

Santana Minerals Bendigo-Ophir gold mine is one of the 149 projects selected for the government’s one-stop-shop Fast Track Approvals Bill.However, not everyone is happy with Sunday’s announcement, with one Tarras community group vocal in their opposition.The Bendigo-Ophir project is an open pit and underground mine on Central’s Bendigo and Ardgour Stations, with completion and remediation expected in 2065. Regional development minister Shane Jones said the 11 mining projects would make a major contribution to the government’s resource objective of doubling the value of mineral exports to $2billion by 2035, extracting coal, gold, iron sands and mineral sands. “They will deliver measurable benefits to regional and national [gross domestic product] highly-skilled and highly-paid jobs in the regions, and other associated benefits like the retention of regional infrastructure,” he said. Sustainable Tarras, a small advocacy group of people from Tarras and across New Zealand, has been outspoken in opposition to the project.Boil water notice for Omakau and OphirSpokeswoman Suze Keith said the group was dismayed but not surprised the project was included in the list. “This is a development with a lifespan of 150 years and a perpetual liability in a toxic tailings dam. As a community we have many questions about the mine that we fear will be left unanswered and that the local community will be excluded from any decision-making, despite being those most impacted.”Suze said information presented to date had a long way to go before the local community could be confident the benefits outweighed the mine’s environmental, social and reputational impacts and long-term risks.She said concerns were impacts on the local aquifer system, the tailings dam facility which likely contained significant levels of arsenic, and electricity and diesel use that would generate emissions. Time pressure to meet the fast track approval submission timeline was another factor Sustainable Tarras said “hugely exacerbates potential long term risks”.“This is in a place which New Zealanders prize for its natural beauty, its dark skies and tranquillity. “In return it’s promising a little over $1 per person each year in return in royalties and a toxic tailings dam which will loom over the Tarras Primary School and village for the next 100 years. “No one is marching in the streets demanding a gold mine – how about fast tracking the Dunedin Hospital? Or the remediations needed to protect South Dunedin from the next massive downpour?”The inclusion of mining projects was applauded by industry pundits with mineral and mining industry association Straterra saying mining did belong on the fast track list.Straterra chief executive Josie Vidal said when manufacturing and processing plants were closing in the regions, mining brought much needed jobs and money into regional communities, and exports to boost trade deficit."We urge people with any concerns about mining or the fast-track bill to do their research, talk to experts, and think about life without mining those minerals in New Zealand. We don’t have an economy to sustain importing everything.The Fast-track Approvals Bill is currently before the Environment Select Committee which will report back to Parliament by October 18.The Bill is then expected to go before Parliament for its second reading in November, and passed into law before the end of the year.Once the Bill is passed the fast track projects can apply to the Environmental Protection Authority to have an expert panel assess them and apply conditions.The Government is recommending to the Environment Select Committee that expert panels have the ability to decline approval for projects.“The expert panels will include members with technical expertise relevant to a project, expertise in environmental matters (and where relevant, conservation), and the Treaty of Waitangi.”Santana Minerals is holding community drop in sessions in Tarras and Cromwell during the next few weeks. Find dates and times on The Central App’s What’s On page.Read more: Santana Minerals supporting three Cromwell initiatives. Read More: Sustainable Tarras submits against Santana Minerals.

Deadline day is looming for the Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) contentious Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP).On October 23, Councillors will vote whether to notify the plan, or consider a new option of delaying until the new national policy statement for freshwater management (NPS-FM) was underway.Water NoticesAt another extraordinary meeting late last week, the council shared the latest option from Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds, to pause its plan and instead become part of initial planning in the new Government framework.The option is a huge change from the stance Minister Simmonds and others took on September 12 when ORC representatives met with them in Wellington.Ministers restated their strong preference for the regional council not to notify its LWRP, and the new option of becoming involved in influencing policy direction, has been described as extending an olive branch.The recent letter from the Minister following the Wellington meeting, proposed that ORC participate in targeted engagement on the review and replacement of the NPS-FM between October and early 2025. This would also provide ORC early access to the direction of the new NPS-FM, and allow that to be incorporated into the ORC draft plan (LWRP).But the regional council would also have to delay notifying its own plan (LWRP) until at least early 2025, and up until now a majority 7-5 split have continuously voted to push on with it.In her letter, Minister Simmonds said the Government understood there could be unintended consequences, particularly for water take and discharge consent holders if the ORC delayed its plan."The Government will work with you to make sure unintended consequences do not negatively impact resource users or unnecessarily burden ratepayers,” the letter stated.Cr Gary Kelliher said the olive branch from the Ministers recognised that the ORC was quite advanced with its plan.But he said the regional council was putting themselves at huge risk if they didn’t take up the offer, and pause all work on the LWRP immediately.Some councillors were dubious about the offer and said they weren’t sure they could trust the Government to be true to its word.Chair Gretchen Robertson said what she got from the meeting in Wellington was that they all needed to understand each other and have trust.But Otago had significant issues that the council was trying to address through its LWRP, “and that is costly, and not getting it right is costly,” she said.The council voted 7-5 to consider the Minister’s new option and adequately consider all of the advantages and disadvantages as part of the decision-making process at its October 23 meeting.

Land development in Alexandra is starting to take off, with two new resource consent applications underway - including a new one for the old William Hill Winery site on Dunstan Rd.Russell Ibbotson, of Molyneux Lifestyle Village (MLVL) - the company which was developing the William Hill site, had his private plan change application turned down by the Central Otago District Council (CODC) in 2021.The Alexandra developer will make his third attempt at developing the 16ha site in the next month.Russell said he had already spent in excess of $500,000 attempting to develop the site - firstly back in 2017, and again four years later.Under new changes to the District Plan, the land has since been rezoned from rural residential to large lot residential, allowing for his 1500sqm sections.“The risk is much higher now but I have an obligation to the people and it would be a shame for the town if it didn’t go ahead,” he said.Alexandra developer Russell Ibbotson is about to lodge a resource consent application for the William Hill lifestyle development in the next month. FILE SHOTSupportive of Ngāi Tahu’s plans in The Pines, he said it was a positive sign for the town to see residential development taking place.Ngāi Tahu Property’s 14.4ha residential subdivision in The Pines Alexandra will eventually offer sections ranging in size from 320sqm to 2175sqm.The resource consent application currently with the CODC proposes to be rolled out in seven stages, offering 189 sections and including five “super lots” for future comprehensive development.General manager Blair Forgie confirmed the five “super lots’’ within the proposed development will offer purchasers a range of options for various residential housing typologies.“With the expected variety of section sizes, there will be opportunities for anyone looking to purchase a section,” he said.The new Pines development on the north side of Alexandra. PHOTO: The Central App The consent also includes associated infrastructure servicing and roading and earthworks, for implementation of the subdivision, and including the extension of Wildflower Way.Pre-application discussions between the council and Ngāi Tahu on the restricted discretionary activity have already been underway, with the land rezoned medium density residential under the new Plan Change 19.“Ngāi Tahu Property is looking forward to delivering this residential development to support the growth of the region over the years to come.”Russell said it was most unfortunate that it has taken seven years to get his lifestyle subdivision advanced, “and the situation is especially difficult to understand when the public demand was reflected in it twice selling out off the plans, and within a very short timeframe.”He said the “questionable” decision made by the Central Otago District Council on his plan change in 2021 meant the Alexandra community not only missed out on a $50 million economic flow on boost, but it also had a significant detrimental financial impact on a large number of people.

Work is underway to remove the poplars and willows for the $1.6 million Riverside Park development in Alexandra.The tree clearing is a collaboration between the Central Otago District Council (CODC) and the Otago Regional Council (ORC).  Riverside Park Trust chairman Rory Mclellan said it was great being able to walk down to the end of Tarbert St and see the riverside project getting underway. “Even better, we’ll be seeing the vista of the Clutha/Mata-au and Manuherekia rivers open up before my eyes.“It’s been a long time since people could look across to the Roxburgh canyon from this angle, because of the trees,” he said. "It’s going to be so good seeing this area get cleaned up and utilised.”He said the tree removal project was a great example of cooperation, “that the two councils can work together with us as a community to get this preliminary work done,” he said.CODC is working closely with mana whenua-owned organisation Aukaha to promote kaitiakitaka, the mana whenua value of environmental stewardship. Aukaha has provided a Kāi Tahu cultural design integration that reflects Kāi Tahu values, narratives and traditional place names specific to the area."Kaitiakitaka is a world view for takata whenua in that we have a role to protect the mauri or life force of our natural environment. By removing these introduced species (poplars and willows), we have an opportunity to restore the awa, rebalance the ecosystem and encourage wildlife back to this scenic spot," an Aukaha spokesperson said.  ORC river engineer Scott Liddell said the tree removal had already been on the ORC’s works schedule.“ORC had vegetation removal planned in this riverside area as part of ongoing maintenance. The timing of this was changed to fit with the project which will contribute to connectivity to the river.”The carpark will remain closed for the next week while the tree work takes place.The site itself is of cultural importance to mana whenua. Kāmoanahaehae is the name of the junction of the rivers Manuherekia and Mata-au, and a way finding marker in the path of the Mata-au system.Work recently commenced on stage one of the project, which includes formation of a new entry to The Warehouse carpark. 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.A new plaza area will feature seating, shade trees, and a river access pathway leading off a viewing platform overlooking the confluence of the two rivers.A 6m high sculpture or pou whenua will be commissioned to welcome visitors to the area, with the aim of drawing their attention to Kopuwai on the Old Man Range.

The Hawkeswood Mining company has been forced to pay back royalties to the Crown and make a donation to charity, after illegally mining at Millers Flat before its permit had been granted.In April, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) filed charges in the Dunedin District Court against the company, when it was found to have conducted gold mining on a permit that only allowed exploration activities – an offence under the Crown Minerals Act 1991.The mining company refutes the claims and said MBIE was “aggressively” targeting illegal operations, and felt they had been mistakenly targeted.Hawkeswood Mining operations manager Simon Johnston said the company initiated what they considered an exploration test pit project in November 2022. The Hawkeswood dredge ready for operation. PHOTO: SuppliedFrom their perspective, its permit covered the scope of the test pitting activities being undertaken. “However, MBIE interpreted the scale of our test pit differently, classifying it as mining rather than exploration due to the volume of material involved,” he said.In a statement by MBIE, it said a diversion agreement delivered a resolution that benefited all parties, including reparation to the local community.New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals national manager of compliance Phil Latimer said the vast majority of its mining operators here in New Zealand understand and meet their responsibilities but unfortunately, as with every sector, there are a few exceptions. “An exploration permit grants the right to explore for identified minerals to evaluate the viability of mining those resources. Typically, the types of activities involved aren’t significantly invasive.“We became aware that Hawkeswood Mining had been mining prior to being granted a mining permit when we saw satellite imagery of the site showing large-scale opencast mining. At the time Hawkeswood Mining had an exploration permit," he said.“Following an investigation, which included detailed site analysis by ministry geologists, we discovered the company had screened a large volume of material and recovered a considerable amount of gold. The work was of a nature and scale not authorised by an exploration permit."New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is seeing an increasing number of operators undertaking mining activity under exploration permits. Three operators are currently before the courts on charges related to illegal mining.“We are a fair regulator, and we are focused on supporting the sector to get to work but make no mistake, there is no room for cowboys in our sector,” Phil said.“To their credit, once MBIE became involved Hawkeswood Mining took no further action at the mine, and engaged positively with the investigation, and has now accepted responsibility for the offending.”Simon said while the company took some responsibility for its “shortcomings,” he’d observed significant changes in the consenting processes across New Zealand since 2020.“I strongly believe that it's critical to thoroughly understand the resource in the ground, especially for a project of this magnitude like the Millers Flat alluvial project, before proceeding with the expensive and lengthy consenting processes. “It is my view that MBIE currently lacks a clear method for quantifying the specific volume that distinguishes test pitting from illegal mining, and this has unfortunately led to our situation. “The reality is, I stand by the fact that we were not illegally mining. The size and scope of our test pit were necessary to properly explore the alluvial resource and mining methodology at Millers Flat.”

The sad thing is there are no 'right' answers when it comes to depression, as everyone seems to have their own version of disappearing into the ‘kumara pit’ or being chased by ‘The Black Dog.’The ideas in this document are not meant to replace seeing a GP, going to a counsellor, or contacting qualified mental health services.Is work the right place?When someone is severely depressed, the only thing they can do is focus on getting out of bed and surviving that day. They have lost all concept of the future, and chances are they are sad/angry that they are in this state and sad/angry/fearful that they will never get out the other side.I understand that going back to work and staying busy does sound like a good option, because staying at home, doing nothing, and 'marinating in your own juices' may worsen your mental health symptoms.I also understand why an employer might be petrified that they could say or do the wrong thing when addressing an employee’s mental health concerns.What can you do?Here are a few things to think about beyond calling in Workplace Support or Employee Assistance Programmes:Look after yourself and other team members. Supporting a person through mental health issues can be harrowing and trigger your own problems. Look out for early warning signs, such as not sleeping, sleeping too much, not eating, eating too much, using alcohol or drugs as escapism, or being unusually obnoxious.Talking to the worker If they raise the issue of their mental illness, here are some helpful strategies:Things you can say:Start with “I’ve noticed…” then just listen.Use reflective listening techniques.Tell me more…And, what else…So, you think that…If they have experienced mental health conditions before, remind them that they did get through it before (hope is important).Help them get the support they need (see the list of resources at the end).Things to avoid:Making it all about you: “I/my friend/another worker went through the same thing…”Telling them they just need to “get over it” or “think happy thoughts” (that’s like telling someone with an amputation to stop bleeding).Changing the topic or dismissing it: “It’s not that bad; we need to focus on the next project.”Key steps moving forward:Have an open discussion with the worker, acknowledge their mental health concerns, and express that they are a valued and important member of the team.Every morning, ask them how they are doing on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being ‘I want to go back to bed’ and 10 being everything is awesome.If they give a low answer, ask them if they want to be at work or go home. NB: If you send them home, make sure you let their ‘emergency contact’/'next of kin' know.Give them tasks that are easy to achieve, where they are working with someone else or within line of sight.Play the 'I noticed' game; no matter how small, celebrate the wins. Building back their self-confidence and showing them that they are valued/valuable is an important part of mental wellbeing recovery.If they talk about 'topping' themselves, call their emergency contact and let them know immediately.Other warning signs are giving away prized possessions, "tidying things up" (emptying locker, paying off bills, organising for animals to be looked after) as if they were going on holiday, or being falsely 'over the top' happy for no apparent reason.If they are on medication for mental health conditions, as they get better, explain that if they are going to go off the meds, they have to let their manager know so they can support them. Going cold turkey can cause a catastrophic relapse.ResourcesIf you or someone you know needs help right now, you can free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor through NZ Telehealth Services.You can also call:MATES in Construction 24/7 Helpline 0800 111 315 or free text 5353Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP)Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)Healthline – 0800 611 116Samaritans – 0800 726 666Health Improvement Practitioners via your GP should be available to see you the same day to discuss mental healthThese websites might also be useful:Mental health services for ongoing illness: WorkwiseMike King's foundation: Key to LifeSuicide support and prevention: NZ Mental Health FoundationManaging mental health concerns at work: WellPlaceNZSupport for young people: The LowdownFeeling supported at work: Depression.org.nzWellbeing strategies: Umbrella Wellbeing

Districtisation of services will become a reality in Central Otago, despite 75 per cent of submitters being opposed to council’s proposal.The Central Otago District Council (CODC) voted by a majority today to go ahead with a district-wide rating of property, parks, cemeteries, pools and museums, but with an adjustment for the Teviot Valley ward to offset its new pool costs.There were 336 submissions on the proposal and results showed respondents overwhelmingly indicated a preference for the status quo to remain.The majority of respondents were from Cromwell Ward, with 231 out of 336 (68 per cent).Deputy Mayor Neil Gillespie said it was unfortunate that the process had been “hijacked” by an interpretation of some of the information that was out there.He was referring to the accusations from many Cromwell submitters who believed the process was just a “land grab” by council of its endowment land.But Mayor Tim Cadogan said if that was council’s intent, “then this conversation would be largely us going to the minister to do just that. But it’s not a consideration because if it was, we’d be doing it.”Submitters who spoke at council in support of districtisation included Alexandra businessman George Collier, who said Central Otago had some big challenges ahead, “and we need to think as a district - as one district.”He thanked councillors for their work on districtisation and wished them luck on their difficult decision.Councillors were surprised just how few submitters actually chose to speak to council about their views, with only 14 out of 336 fronting up either in person or online on Tuesday evening.“I feel defeated,” Mayor Cadogan said, when the public gallery was virtually empty, for what was one of the most important decisions council has had to make in years.The CODC held numerous public meetings to consult the public on its plans to districtise services; 12 people attended the Maniototo session, 49 in the Teviot, only eight in Alexandra and 91 in Cromwell.Council has undertaken districtisation of activities previously, namely three waters and roading, and while having varying impacts on rates across the wards these have advantaged smaller and more rural areas. Both the Cromwell and Teviot community boards did not support the proposal to further districtise services, whereas the Vincent Community Board did. The Maniototo Community Board did not express a formal written view of the proposal. Read more: Community boards vital amid districtisationRead more: Big discussions had around districtisation

A Wellington cafe is offering customers the chance to save money by using a little bit of te reo Māori - something which could help the normalisation of the language.For te reo speakers, going out for lunch often means leaving a language bubble - but as te reo gradually becomes more normalised, cafes and restaurants could become spaces where hearing thelanguage is common.Karaka Cafe on Wellington's waterfront offered customers a chance to knock 10 percent off the price of their meal during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.All they had to do was say a te reo phrase when paying: "Tēnā koa poroa te tekau paihēneti o te utu", or "Please trim 10 percent off the price".Cafe manager Cam Cuff said this was the first year the cafe had run the promotion for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori but it had been trying to promote te reo to customers and staff."We've had a lot of customers come in and give it a go and it's been really, really interesting. We've had all kinds of people give it a go, we've had foreigners, we've had tourists, we've had people whoonly speak a little bit of English give it a go."I would say for this week 70 percent of our customers have wanted to give it a go."Plenty of tourists have given it a go, perhaps even more than New Zealanders, Cuff said.He said no one had tried to game the system by asking for a discount of rima tekau paihēneti (50 percent) yet."No one has yet tried to pull us on that one. There has been groups that will put forward their Māori person to come and offer for the group but we are very strict on saying if everyone wants to get [thediscount] everyone's got to give it a go."Only a small percentage of customers speak te reo but the discount provides customers the chance to try it out, he said.Karaka Cafe is looking to use the campaign to slingshot the use of te reo in store, with staff pushing to increase the use of te reo, he said.Staff will say kia ora and mōrena more than hello and good morning and the menus are bilingual as well."Even outside Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori people are ordering the Māori option off the menu before even ordering the English..

A Maniototo group seeking community board funding, has cited a drop in visitor numbers and spending as a key concern.Hazel Harrison, of the Naseby Information and Craft Centre, presented the group's case to the Maniototo Community Board yesterday, requesting $4500 from the community grant pool to assist with running costs.The money would be put towards insurance, lighting and heating, office and administration costs, and telecommunications.Hazel said the Maniototo Community Board had assisted the group with funding for the past 35 years.“That’s how long we’ve been operating, which we are very proud of, and we are also very grateful that the board has always funded us.”Hazel said the group was getting short on volunteers, which had limited the number of large-scale fundraising events it could host.And, as many groups had found, costs had gone up and people were spending less.“A couple of weeks ago we had 15 people through the centre - not one bought a thing and that is unusual.”She said visitor numbers were also down.The Maniototo Early Settlers Museum has also asked for $8300 to go towards annual operating costs.Tiaki Maniototo has requested $1437 from the board’s promotion grants fund, which it would put towards portaloos during its Taiari Wai River Festival in January next year.The board agreed to give $4000 to the Naseby Information and Craft Centre, with the understanding they could apply for more in the next application round in the new year.The full amount requested by Maniototo Early Settlers Museum and Tiaki Maniototo were approved. 

Bendigo’s thriving wine growing area could also soon be home to Santana Minerals' large gold mining project.Santana Minerals is rapidly advancing its scoping study into the Rise and Shine gold exploration area near Bendigo, and is on track to submit a consent application in February 2025.Chief executive Damian Spring spoke to the Cromwell Community Board on Tuesday about the company’s plans, which expects to make $4.4 billion from gold generation over the next 10 years.The company will be employing up to 250 people both from within the wider Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts, as well as through expert consultants.He spoke at the meeting about what would happen if the Government was to review what royalties were generated by the company, and what portion would be offered to the community.This would include both Cromwell and Tarras, he said.“The Tarras community have let us know where they sit.”Sustainable Tarras - a lobby group set up to investigate the now shelved airport proposal has also been strong in its opposition to Santana Minerals' plans for a gold mine.The company will be carrying out a series of public consultation meetings in both Cromwell and Tarras in coming weeks, and also invites people to drop into their office in Chardonnay St.Questions were asked at the meeting about whether the company was doing anything proactive for accommodation, and whether this would be offered onsite.Damian said nothing long term would be established onsite, “but we recognise that bringing in 100 people into the area will bring in extra pressure.”A temporary camp for 80 people would be set up for those expert contractors who were travelling from afar to come and do their work, and who were only around for a short period.Mayor Tim Cadogan said there was also sensitivity within the wine growing industry about the proposed gold mining activity, particularly when Bendigo had been designated a wine growing area.“I think it’s too early to judge that right now, about the impacts on them,” Damian said.Drop in Sessions

Upgrading Alexandra’s Molyneux Stadium to a safe seismic standard and extending its life by 30 years would cost $5.6 million, compared to demolishing and building a new one for $15 million.But the Vincent Community Board agreed last week, before it could push on with a staged investment over the next nine years, it had to wait on the outcome of the districtisation discussion by the Central Otago District Council (CODC) first.CODC would be making a decision at its next meeting in two weeks, on whether a district-wide approach should be adopted for services across all of the wards (Vincent, Cromwell, Maniototo and Teviot).Council’s property officer Tara Bates confirmed the Molyneux building was still considered good/moderate according to a recent building condition assessment report, and there had already been $1.2 million budgeted for maintenance work in the draft Long Term Plan (2025-34).A further $4.43 million had also been budgeted for out of the Vincent Community Board Reserves for earthquake strengthening, asbestos removal, fire safety and accessibility compliance work in 2027-2028.Molyneux Stadium is a highly utilised community facility by many different sporting codes, but a detailed seismic assessment rated it under 20 per cent of the new build standard, making it a very high risk in an earthquake.The report said asbestos was found in various parts of the building, and this would need to be removed before the seismic work began.The building also lacked adequate accommodation for people with disabilities, which meant modifications were required and the fire safety systems upgraded with new alarms, lighting and a sprinkler system.