Ōamaru is famous for its whitestone Victorian architecture, penguins and steampunk fans, has a new claim to fame: host to New Zealand’s inaugural personal development event designed especially for women to help navigate times of change. The event, called Way-Ward Women, invites women from around New Zealand and beyond to immerse themselves in a transformative four-day experience held at venues throughout Ōamaru from August 8-11th.Way-Ward Women gathers the considerable expertise of the Waitaki Region to deliver a programme of core features supplemented by electives so participants can tailor their own personalised experience.Feature sessions are led by Amanda Fleming, a personal development coach and leader with three decades’ experience, and Jenny Bean, a professional development expert.“This is destination education, an event designed for women who find themselves at a crossroads or are maybe thinking ‘what about me’”, organiser, transformational facilitator and curriculum lead, Amanda said. Jenny said,“We want to offer women a chance to take time out to think about their direction, in a safe and supportive gathering of women where we share some specific, valuable tools and expertise, and have a great ime doing it.”“From having a kid, to kids leaving home, retiring, changing jobs, moving town, health issues, loss, recovery, all of those turning points in life can leave women questioning, ‘where to fromhere?’”, fellow organiser and facilitator, Jane Thompson said.Women choose between over forty different electives “to explore who they are, what sparks their passion and develop some self-actualising muscle,” said organiser, Cara Tipping Smith. Attendees can expect a diverse range of topics including self-care, mindfulness, leadership, entrepreneurship, art, creativity, and holistic wellness, among others. Elective options include everything from creating a business plan to pottery, indoor rock climbing to creative writing, vegan cheesemaking to rollerskating, and so much more.“Ōamaru is renowned as a place of creative, visionary and free-thinking people,” Frances McElhinney, organiser and director of Ōamaru’s Opera House said, adding, “we’re delighted to be able to welcome comedian and writer, Justine Smith to perform on the Opera House stage as an exclusive feature of this event.” Stacey Pine, exercise physiologist and organiser and “We’re New Zealand’s home of steampunk, little blue penguins and pennyfarthing bicycles. We’re a place full of quirky ideas and vibrant people who think outside the square. It’s the ideal environment to welcome a group of women seeking time out to focus on their own dreams, goals and direction for the next steps in life.”“There is something for everyone,” organiser Tanya Ribbens said. “We’ve created a ‘cheat sheet’ you can print and share with your girlfriends, to help decide who wants to do what.” “We know that having a buddy helps cement learning and provides ongoing support and confidence in creating the life you want to make for yourself,” said Amanda. “That’s why we’re encouraging women to bring a friend and are enabling that by providing a discount for multi-person bookings.”Attendees will also have the chance to explore the charming town known for its historic architecture, vibrant arts scene, and stunning landscapes. From leisurely strolls along the waterfront to indulging in locally sourced cuisine, Ōamaru offers the perfect backdrop for a transformative retreat experience.Early bird registration for Way-Ward Women is now open, with special discounted rates available for those who register before June 21.For more information and to secure your spot, visit waywardwomen.nz

Central’s trail users are being called on to complete a survey to ensure the district’s ‘great rides’ get the funding they need in the future. The Roxburgh Gorge, Clutha Gold, Lake Dunstan and Otago Central Rail trails each rely on funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to help keep the popular tracks maintained.Roxburgh Gorge and Clutha Gold trails manager Shayne O’Connor said while the survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, it was a simple act in return for what was a free facility many locals and visitors to the district enjoy.“You don’t have to pay anything, but we’d love you to give us 10 minutes of your time,” he said.The surveys are connected to key performance indicators (KPI).“We have to get a minimum of 300 surveys each year, per trail,” Shayne said.“As long as we hit our KPI, MBIE will consider our funding application to do maintenance projects on the trails.”In April, the Roxburgh Gorge Trail had a great response to the survey with 307 completed, and it was hoped that momentum would continue, despite the cooler months and off-season.Shayne said anyone who uses the trails was encouraged to complete the survey every time they use one of them, including young families who only do a short section.The survey is accessible in a variety of ways, including via a QR code on trail maps and a QR code at various locations along each trail, often near interpretation panels.Trail providers can also supply the QR codes, or people can access the links via the various trail websites.Shayne said the information that comes back also provides a valuable insight into the demographics who use the trails, how much money is being spent domestically and where people doing the trails are from.Click to complete the survey for Clutha Gold, Roxburgh Gorge, Lake Dunstan, or Otago Central Rail Trail to ensure maintenance of the district's four 'great rides' can continue.To learn more about the many trails across Central, click on The Central App's Cycling l Walking button.

A total 33 environmental projects across Otago have been granted $854,733 in this year’s annual ECO Fund and Incentives Funding programmes.The funding supports community driven projects, which protect, enhance, and promote Otago’s environment, which now tops a total $2.58 million going to 166 organisations since mid-2018.Those to benefit across Central Otago include Mokihi Reforestation Trust, which received $29,520 for native vegetation, while Kyeburn Catchment Ltd received $48,540 for roundhead galaxias restoration, the Lower Manorburn Reserve working group/committee received $11,414 part funding), for its wilding conifer removal and native revegetation project, Otago Fish & Game received $5000 for the Bendigo Wildlife Reserve and the Alexandra Primary School received $2000 for native moth and butterfly habitat restoration. Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) ECO Fund Assessment Panel chair Alan Somerville said he was delighted the programme has been able to support projects across Otago - from the headwaters and Central Otago to North Otago, Dunedin and the Catlins. “Otago gets huge value from the ECO fund. Control of pests - sycamores, rabbits and possums - protects our natural landscapes and habitats. Native revegetation restores habitat and looks after our waterways. Traplines and control of predators further helps our native animal populations recover,” Alan said.Local groups also play an important part in educating their communities about environmental values and action.“It’s especially pleasing that we have supported environmental programmes in three primary schools. Those children can carry their attitudes of care for the environment into their adult lives,” he said.Alan highlighted the funds were bigger than ever this year, but ORC was still not able to fund all projects.ORC’s environmental implementation manager Libby Caldwell said the oversubscription again this year in-part, likely reflects the ending of the Government’s Jobs for Nature funding, which had supported many groups in past years.“Oversubscription reflects the ongoing need in communities for these important funding streams,” she said. 

Police have released the name of the person who died in a crash on State Highway 8, Alexandra on Tuesday morning.He was 19-year-old Sebastian Henry Waldron, of Alexandra.The Serious Crash Unit attended and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.Police said crashes of this nature were incredibly confronting, and they had arranged the appropriate support for the members of public who were first at the scene, as well as its staff.Acting Sergeant James McDonald and his team would like to thank everyone for their assistance and bravery."We understand an event like this sends a shock through the local community, and we send our sincerest condolences to Mr Waldron’s family."

Diversification is a key part of a wise investment strategy to mitigate risk without necessarily sacrificing returns.You could think of it as a form of insurance—it doesn't prevent market downturns, but it can soften the blow.Benefits of diversifying your investmentsWhile diversification cannot totally shield against systemic risks that affect the entire market, such as a global economic crisis or war. By spreading investments across various asset classes, sectors, and geographies, an investor can reduce the impact of any single investment that underperforms.Diversified portfolios can benefit from the lack of being invested in similar markets. Having different types of investment means even when one market zigs, another can zag, which helps smooth out the overall investment journey.Although it's not just about reducing the downside, it's also about capturing upside performance. Having a variety of investments allows you to participate in the growth of a wide array of industries and economies, some of which may outperform expectations.What you should know about diversificationHowever, diversification is not a one-size-fits-all solution or a set and forget strategy.It requires regular rebalancing to maintain the intended risk profile, as market movements can change the original asset allocation.Over-diversification can also reduce potential returns and lead to complex portfolios that are hard to manage.So, while diversification is a powerful tool, it must be used with care and be tailored to an individual's investment horizon, risk tolerance, and financial goals.The diversification settings also require reviewing and updating regularly to ensure the assumptions it was built around are still relevant and reflect any changes to an investor's life stage requirements, investment goals and objectives.SummaryIn simple terms having a diversified investment portfolio means not putting all your eggs in one basket. It's a strategy that accounts for the unpredictability of markets and the limitations of forecasting.For all investors, it provides a structured approach to managing uncertainty. It results in a more resilient portfolio making it better equipped to weather the storms of market fluctuation.A well-diversified portfolio is the foundation for long-term financial security, but regular review and adjustment of the portfolio are essential to keep a good diversification strategy that can adapt to changing market conditions and personal financial goals.At Collinson Wealth Partners we specialise in preparing investment portfolios and plans tailored entirely to the individual client, diversification being a key element of those plans. The information contained in this publication is general in nature and is not intended to be personalised financial advice. Before making any financial decisions, you should consult a professional financial adviser.Collinson Wealth Partners FSP 743091 believes the information in this publication is correct, and it has reasonable grounds for any opinion or recommendation contained in this publication on the date of this publication. 

Central Otago’s new rural liaison police team is starting to crack down on drink drivers across the area.In late 2023, five officers were appointed to the Central Otago rural team who have been actively canvassing the district and building up a database of information.Alexandra Senior Constable Graham Perkins said the team was out on the roads seven days a week stopping drivers, and in some cases tracing back information to the source, such as licensed premises that last served the intoxicated drivers.“There are still repercussions for where they are drinking the alcohol, and if it’s on licensed premises then they will go and speak to the owners.”A police checkpoint near Alexandra on June 9 stopped 250 drivers, and only one 32-year-old man was found over the limit with a reading of 460mcg.On the same night, a 40-year-old Cromwell man had his licence suspended after recording an excess breath alcohol reading of 837mcg.Snr Const Perkins said a friend then went and picked up his car keys, but they found their way back to the driver, who decided to head to Wanaka, where he crashed his vehicle and then sped off without reporting it.He now faces a driving while suspended charge, failing to stop to ascertain injury, and breaching both a police safety order and a protection order.On June 7, another drink driver was stopped on the Alexandra-Clyde road and a 22-year-old man was processed and returned a reading of 783mcg. On the same day in Millers Flat a driver was stopped by the rural team after swerving all over the road and then throwing a glass bottle out the window.On June 5 a woman in her late 40s was stopped for speeding near Omakau. She had an excess breath alcohol reading of 727mcg.A 47-year-old man was stopped in the Gibbston Valley on June 2 and had an excess breath alcohol reading of 1589mcg - almost four times over the legal limit. Snr Const Perkins said a member of the public alerted police to the driver who was swerving all over the road. He was also charged with dangerous driving.

Alexandra Police were called to a bb gun incident at Dunstan High School last Friday, which resulted in a Year 11 student being stood down for a day.Senior Constable Graham Perkins said the student turned up at school after purchasing a $5 toy gun from the Giant Department store, and when he showed it to a friend, the incident escalated.“The friend grabbed it out of his bag and started firing it at other kids.  He said ‘let’s go out into the field and pretend it’s a real gun’.”  The gun came with plastic pellets that can still hurt people when shot at close range, he said.Snr Const Perkins said that was the part that police were concerned about, because it could have sparked an Armed Offenders callout, as well as causing the school to go into a lockdown, and wasting a lot of time and resources.The students were sent to the acting principal’s office and the toy gun seized and confiscated, before police were called and three officers turned up to talk to them.“It’s just those comments that caused us some concern. It could have been quite a different outcome,” Snr Const Perkins said.The 15-year-old student who used the gun, not the student who bought it to school, was the one stood down, he said.Acting principal Bryce Clapham said while it was a low level incident, which had the potential to become a significant event, he was pleased with the way in which his staff responded.“The police were involved as I inquired about the legalities of the gun being used. As always, we took this opportunity to speak with the rangatahi involved and their whānau, about making positive choices and looked at what learning could be taken from the experience.”

After more than 600,000 kms and 12 years on the road, Central Otago Health Services greatly welcomes the upgrade of its Mercedes Sprinter patient transfer vehicle.Numerous community groups, too many to name, have generously donated towards the new replacement vehicle - a Mercedes Sprinter 315 MWB, at a total cost of $104,603, plus fit-out.Central Otago Health Services has been operating its own patient transport service (PTS) since June 2012.The vehicle gives the hospital a seven day a week capability to transport patients between Dunstan Hospital, Clyde and Dunedin Public Hospital.It is staffed by a team of five drivers and registered nurses from the Vincent Ward who transport between 20 and 35 patients per month.These patients require additional care that cannot be provided at Dunstan Hospital, including surgery or specialist diagnostic equipment and procedures. It is also used to transport recovering patients undergoing rehabilitation back from Dunedin Hospital to Dunstan Hospital so they can be close to home with friends and family.As well as this, there is occasional transportation of patients to aged residential care.  Nursing director Tina Gilbertson explained that this is in addition to the emergency St John Ambulance and the air rescue helicopter service that is used for patients that require time critical care, including ICU or urgent surgery. Planning for the transition from ‘Benzo’ the old Mercedes to the yet ‘unnamed’ new vehicle is underway and work continues to raise the balance of the remaining $50,000 funding to enable the final fit-out to be completed.The new hospital patient transfer service vehicle will need to be fitted out with medical equipment and stretchers. PHOTO: The Central AppThe Mercedes Sprinter will need a new floor, installation of overhead lockers, under bed storage for patients’ belongings, plus retro fitting of rear jump seats, light bar sirens, medical equipment and stretchers.An extra comfortable mattress ensures patients are well looked after on the 200km trip.“Our drivers are hugely committed, and they will go the extra mile, literally, under quite challenging circumstances,” Tina said.For people needing to attend appointments in Dunedin, there was another separate community health shuttle service run by Hato Hone – St John.“The hospital wishes to sincerely thank the many generous donors, contributing to this wonderful new vehicle, without their support we would not be able to provide this highly valuable service.” The donors and public will be invited to an open day to view the new transfer vehicle when work is complete. To keep up to date with what medical centre is on each weekend, click on our On Call this Weekend button.Read more: Book lovers stock up for good cause 

SH8 Closed, Alexandra on Conroys Road intersection.Police can confirm one person has died following a crash on SH8/Alexandra-Fruitlands Road, Alexandra, this morning.The single vehicle crash was reported to Police around 10.50am.The road remains closed while the Serious Crash Unit examines the scene.Motorists are advised to continue taking the alternate route.Police were alerted to the single vehicle crash at around 10.50am.Initial indications suggest there are serious injuries. The road is closed and diversions are in place.Motorists are advised to avoid the area and take an alternate route.Detour suggestion:Northbound traffic turn left onto Conroys Road then continue along Chapman Road then turn right onto Earnscleugh Road then back on SH8. Reverse for Southbound traffic.

Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery in Alexandra has had a strong year with increasing numbers of visitors coming through the door each month.A report from staff to the Vincent Community Board presented yesterday showed that average monthly numbers each month had increased from 2340 back in 2021/22 to 3127 people over the past year.As well as regular art exhibitions and six school holiday programmes, Central Stories also hosted several events during the year including science expos and an astro-tourism conference, as well as completing the redesign and refurbishment of the foyer and shop.Children enjoying one of the school holiday programmes offered at Central Stories. PHOTO: FileCr Martin McPherson noted the substantial growth and said staff were doing a great job.Central Stories made a profit of $27,000 over the past year, compared to just $11,000 and $13,000 in previous years, but still relies on funding from the Vincent Community Board each year.Alexandra District Museum Inc (ADMI), operating as Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery, received $108,667 from the Vincent Community Board for the 2022/23 financial year. Of that funding, $82,000 was its annual grant, which contributes to operational costs of the museum and art gallery. A one-off payment of $26,667 was also made, to align the organisation’s funding cycle to the board’s annual grant round (November 1).In the financial manager’s report, it was noted that at the start of the 2023/24 year they only had one fulltime employee and a part-time contractor, and to operate efficiently, and not be reliant on excessive volunteer time, the organisation required at least two full time equivalent staff.  There are currently 18 volunteers involved with the organisation.Central Stories has now secured funding from Lotteries for another part-time staff member and the team was planning for a sustainable future.The report said although the museum would prefer $167,000 in annual funding, it had been told to only budget for $82,000 in the next funding round.“Where we are at the moment is not sustainable in the long term,” administration and collections manager Andy Davey told the board.“It’s not just a museum, but more than that with the relationships we have been building up around Central Otago.”The Museum 100 project with the Central Otago Museum Trust and five other museums around the district coincided with its multi-year project to digitise the collection, with help from the volunteers.

Avid book enthusiasts have collectively contributed $20,000 towards Cromwell Rotary Club’s latest fundraising project.The money was raised during the club’s King’s Birthday Book Sale, with proceeds going towards a stretcher for the new patient transfer vehicle available through Central Otago Health Services.Book sale committee member Neroli McRae said while the club had a target of $25,000, the end result was “not a bad effort”.She thanked everyone who donated books and made a purchase throughout the five day event, which started on Thursday, May 30 and finished on Monday, June 3.The committee was still working through the figures to determine how many books were sold.While the committee felt there were less people in attendance than previous years, those who did make the most of it got a chance to buy some old classics, as well as more recent titles, magazines, children’s books and puzzles.Neroli said the money raised will be well spent, for the benefit of the wider community.The book sale is one of two the club hosts each year.The first on the calendar is the annual Summer Book Sale, which usually raises about $10,000.Money raised from the summer event goes towards local and international projects.Among the local initiatives the club supports are breakfasts in schools and distribution of illustrated dictionaries to children in classrooms.The club also supports ShelterBox, an initiative which provides emergency shelter and essential supplies to help communities devastated by disaster and conflict.

Significant amounts of rescued food from local supermarkets are helping the Combined Ministries Foodbank in Alexandra to stay well replenished.As the cost of living continues to rise, volunteers are noticing an increase in families in need, and it’s particularly those ‘every day people’ who often finding themselves short.Co-ordinator Diane Barbara said with the opening of a second supermarket in Alexandra in late 2022, the food bank receives plenty of meat, dairy, bakery items and fresh produce up to three times a week.The Alexandra-based foodbank has always operated out of a small space at the back at the Salvation Army, but now there are big freezers and pantries full of excess stock. “The community - their support is phenomenal in this area. Particularly over the past two years, they are recognising the need is there,” Diane said.When there is excess, Alexandra has been able to assist the other food banks in the area, including Cromwell, and a new one in Roxburgh attached to the Baptist Church.“To me the most important thing that if people are suffering hardship, they can call an agency in Alexandra and have access to the foodbank.”Families are given allocated ‘points’ by one of the social agencies, and depending on their size and need, can then use them in any which way they want.There’s also personal hygiene products, nappies, and other important items for families in need, “it’s about empowering the person to pick what they need,” she said.Open Monday to Thursday from 9-12pm, the foodbank never turns anyone away, and has eight volunteers helping out with parcels on a regular basis.

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is working to improve voter participation, a move Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan welcomes.LGNZ has established a new group focused on local electoral system reforms that drive greater voter participation and implement four-year terms.It’s a move Mayor Tim hopes will make a difference across Central, after the district experienced a voter turnout drop of 46.8 per cent at the last election.He said the previous election had a 56.7 per cent turnout and the national average was 40.4 per cent.“When there is not a mayoral election, as was the case in Central last time, voter turn-out does tend to drop away. For instance, in the Clutha District there was no mayoral election in 2019 and there was a 45.8% turnout, then in 2022 with a mayoral election there was a 53.4% turnout.”He said he does not understand why people do not vote in as great a number as general elections, “as what local councils do has a far greater impact on their day-to-day lives”. The LGNZ Electoral Reform Group will be chaired by Nelson Mayor Nick Smith.LGNZ president Sam Broughton said serious reform of the nation’s local electoral system was needed.“Currently, local elections are cumbersome and inefficient compared with the general election. We also feel there is too much time and money wasted by having short three-year terms. “Local government does important work and makes long-term decisions on behalf of our communities. It’s important we have a strong local democracy backing that, but we need to get the settings right,” he said.Four key areas of reform being considered are: increasing voter turnout, implementation and transition to four-year terms, considering the ways people can vote, who should administer local elections and how they are best run.“The decline in voter participation over the last three decades is a threat to the mandate mayors and councils have to speak up for their communities,” Nick said. “There are also questions over the viability of postal voting with the decline in postal services and most people doing their business online. “It is more important than ever, with democratic values being challenged internationally and growing disinformation on social media, that we refresh our approach to local elections. “This is difficult work as changes to our electoral law are best made by broad agreement. “I will be working directly in this new role with mayors, chairs, councils, and communities around New Zealand on how improvements in our local democracy can best be achieved,” he said.“I also look forward to engaging with the Government and opposition political parties on building support for positive reform.”

The biggest changes Central Otago communities will notice as a result of Plan Change 19 is more infill of inner residential towns.Deputy Mayor Neil Gillespie, who also led the hearings panel over the past two years, said this was particularly the case for his hometown Cromwell, which has a large number of thousand square metre sections, that will now have the ability to be subdivided.The message from submitters throughout the process had been to not go and intensify small towns like Bannockburn, Lowburn and Tarras.“Keep the town within its nominal town boundary . . . and intensify that and start there first. And, it makes sense because we're trying hard as a country to decarbonise and a whole lot of things to be better use of our fuels and stop burning carbon. So, if you have people living in walking distance to things or cycling distance then that's going to be a bit easier.”Cr Gillepsie, who features on this week's edition of The Outlet podcast, said the plan change process was about making sure that the district had a plan for residential land being available for the next 30 years. “So, we worked hard with our community to try and understand where they wanted the growth to happen and worked through that process.”When asked who the real winners in all of this were, Cr Gillespie said some developers might think they're going to be the winners because there's some land that they can now subdivide to different sizes to have different housing topologies.“And, hopefully, I guess you'd like to think that it means that people trying to get into a house of their own, or rental or whatever, have different choices and options available that they could be the winners if you like. But, I don't really look at it being winners and losers - it's about doing the right thing for your community to try and enable people to come back to and, in some cases, come back here.”Enabling smaller sized sections provided more people with certainty, and much of this spare land was privately owned, with council as just the ‘enabler’ of the plan.Cr Gillespie said the panel worked really hard to try and understand what the community wants to look like in the next 30 years, but admitted the reality was it would never be perfect.“We've done the best we can. Some people say that we should do this and do that, but you know we've been charged with having to balance all of those different views and work that through, and the expectation is that we are on the right track.”Tune in to this week's The Outlet podcast to hear more from Cr Gillespie.Read more: Plan Change 19 sets future direction

Pensioners will be forced out of their homes and young families will sell up and move elsewhere.  Rates increases are front and centre in many people’s minds, and those were just some of the comments amongst the 149 submissions that the Central Otago District Council (CODC) had to consider as part of its Annual Plan yesterday.Retired farmer and former Otago Regional Council Gerry Eckhoff started the day’s proceedings by stating that local government appeared to have taken on a life of its own, “with its own perception of what the public really needs.”Believing the council had become increasingly independent of its community, he asked the CODC to  “reflect the problems of society, not add to them in financial terms.”Gerry said rates affordability was at the stage where people could no longer afford either the CODC or local government as it exists - something he had taken up further with ministers.Asking for an independent review of council expenditure, “to give us some confidence about what is happening out there,” he was questioned by Cr Tamah Alley about who should pay for that? “I don’t want to see marches in the street or mortgagee sales but where does it end?” he said.Cr Alley pointed out that council was already independently audited and when Mayor Tim Cadogan asked him to guess how much that audit cost, Gerry started to talk about life being full of trade-offs.Chief executive Peter Kelly confirmed the amount was $180,000.Grey Power Central Otago president Stan Randle spoke about the struggles that elderly had with understanding all of the business administration that came from council - including the plans for consultation that were often hundreds of pages long.“You are not looking at your audience with who you are communicating with,” he said, further adding that was why voter turnout was also low at election time.With regard to housing, he outlined how Central Otago historically had a basic standard that everyone could afford, but that was no longer the case.Over 50 comments in the Annual Plan process related to rates increases, but Mayor Cadogan said unless anyone had a great idea on how they could cut costs better, the increase would remain around 18.5 per cent.He said they could look at the option of staggering the rates increase, as some other councils had done, but as costs continued to rise, it wasn’t going to change anything next year.“We could underfund depreciation and kick the can down the road,” but as Deputy Mayor Neil Gillespie said, that was pushing the responsibility onto others down the road “and that’s not how we do things in this council.”The Annual Plan and final decision on rates will be made at the council’s next meeting on June 26.

Teviot Valley residents will cut their power usage, medical care and food intake, and also opt for cheaper, less healthy grocery items.That was the message Gill Booth presented to the Central Otago District Council (CODC) during its Annual Plan hearing yesterday, in response to the cost increases being imposed on people within the ward.“The property tax increase will cause untold stress, especially on Roxburgh’s older and more vulnerable residents,” she said.Gill, who is a member of the Teviot Valley Community Board, but spoke to her submission yesterday as an individual resident, also expressed concern at the community’s proposed rates increase of 33 per cent.She, along with many other submitters from the Teviot Valley, requested a town hall meeting so people in the community could hear “what’s going on”.Gill said the drop-in session offered as part of the Annual Plan process in Roxburgh between 4pm and 6pm one Wednesday was not practical for many people, therefore was not the best form of consultation.Stephen Darling (bottom, right) presenting his submission at the CODC Annual Plan hearing yesterday. PHOTO: SuppliedCouncil, via its submissions document, acknowledged her feedback about the timing and length of the drop-in session.Councillor Stu Duncan, of the Maniototo, said during his time in council the feedback had been that people often thought consultation happened too much.“You had four submissions come in from the Maniototo - we had 59,” Gill said.“They aren’t happy in Roxburgh. You’re guys aren’t facing a 33 per cent rates increase.”Central Otago is facing a proposed average increase of 21.4 per cent.Stephen Darling, who spoke on behalf of Ettrick Fruitgrowers Association, also raised the issue of rates, explaining how cost increases had affected business.“Members are strongly opposed to the extent and timing of the proposed increases for our ward and across the district, causing considerable anxiety to some residents.”He recommended the rates increase be reduced.“In my view, it’s the wrong time for this extent and level of rate increase.”He also talked about the need to maintain essential services and core infrastructure, facilitating growth and enabling communities.Read more: Teviot Valley residents make most of Annual PlanRead more: Central Otago Mayor warns of rates increase

Teviot might be the smallest ward in the Central Otago district, but it has the biggest voice.Of the 149 Annual Plan submissions to be heard by the Central Otago District Council (CODC) today, almost 40 per cent come from the Teviot Valley.Council will consider 59 submissions from the Teviot Valley Ward, 42 from the Vincent Ward, 36 from Cromwell and seven from the Maniototo when it meets at 10.30am.A further five are not related to one particular ward.Among those from the Teviot Valley who have made submissions is Paul Booth who wants improvements made to roading in the area.He said rural roads, which had seen an increase in traffic, were not up to standard and were not being maintained in time.Council provided a lengthy response and assumed his submission was in relation to unsealed roads. CODC highlighted the fact 1386km of unsealed roads across Central sit within the Access and Low Access classifications, which are only used by 50 to 200 vehicles per day.Paul also raised concerns around water quality, and has suggested a gravity fed water scheme flowing from a mountain behind Roxburgh could cut costs.Almost 40 per cent of people who made a submission to the Annual Plan come from the Teviot Valley. IMAGE: CODCCouncil has confirmed an investigation into an alternate source of water was underway for Roxburgh and his suggestion has been passed on to the engineer working on the project.Teviot resident Phillip Bentley has also made a submission in relation to the need for maintenance to the Millers Flat and Oven Hill Creek bridges.Council said repair work to some of those areas of concern were underway.A total of 363 comments were received from 149 respondents, with many respondents providing more than one comment. IMAGE: CODCIn addition, Phillip has raised concern about the lack of maintenance on some gravel roads, suggesting they were extremely dangerous for emergency services to navigate.Council said maintaining low volume rural gravel roads was challenging due to the limited availability of quality gravel and high cartage costs.Another submission for the Teviot Valley has been received from Erin Beard who wants to see swimming pools be self-funded, not by the rate payer from other areas.In response to her submission, the CODC has stated that all pools in the district are funded by the ward they are situated in.To hear what other issues have been raised across the wider district, tune into the livestreamed meeting today from 10.30am where all submissions for the Annual Plan will be heard.Read more: Business owner calls for Cromwell Mall upgrade Read more: Roxburgh’s grass verge funding gets redistributed

Ongoing funding for the Alexandra Blossom Festival should come through the Long Term Plan process rather than the Annual Plan, to give the committee more certainty moving forward.The Vincent Community Board (VCB) recommended yesterday that the Central Otago District Council (CODC) revisit its grants policy, and this would give the blossom festival committee more surety with its annual event.The discussion came about after a submission to the Annual Plan from Andrew Clark, who suggested the festival committee needed guidance on how to become more resilient, and not so reliant on major funders.Event organiser and VCB member Martin McPherson said having to come back to the council every year for funding was not ideal, but he also invited Andrew to have a chat with him and see whether he might like to join the committee.“At our AGM we failed to fill all the vacant positions,” he said.Eleven out of the 149 submissions from the council’s Annual Plan process came from the Vincent ward, but the majority who want to speak will be at the hearing in council chambers today.Martin also pointed out that in order for the festival to be affordable to the public, it received funding to be able to offer early bird discounts on tickets to the Alexandra community.“We also distribute free tickets to various community support groups around the town. Last year we gave away between 2500-3000 tickets.”Submitter Grant Campbell was the only one who addressed the VCB meeting, and his concerns were about the Riverside Park Trust project in lower Alexandra.He encouraged the board to “push pause” on the project until other avenues of funding were found for the $3.2 million project.The CODC has $650,000 approved in its Long Term Plan for this, and has secured an additional $625,000 in funding from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund, Central Lakes Trust and Lotteries.Sixty submitters from across the district will speak at the Annual Plan hearing at council chambers in Alexandra today.Read more: Blossom Festival hits back over comments of self-sustainabilityRead more: 'Bring 'em to Blossy' to bring relief for flood victims

Cromwell police are investigating a spate of burglaries over the past few months, including the most recent activity at the aerodrome.A man biking around the hangars on Sunday morning at 3:45am was caught on camera and Cromwell Police have recovered his gloves that he dropped, and taken fingerprints off doors.Sergeant Regan Price said they were reviewing CCTV footage and analysing forensic evidence gathered from the different scenes.Cromwell has become the scene of a few burglaries recently, and police would welcome any information from the public to help with their enquiries.  A commercial property in Ripponvale Rd was also broken into several weeks ago, and a gun safe and electric bike stolen from a business workshop.While the gun safe was recovered leaning up against a tree in a shelter belt the following day, a Trek e-bike was taken without its battery.Police said at the time it appeared the offenders had gained entry through the back of the property, and said break-ins like these didn’t happen very often in Central Otago. Read more: Central police investigate burglary