Omakau has been given the green light to build its estimated $5 million community hub on the town’s reserve.The Omakau Reserve Management Plan was recently adopted by the Central Otago District Council (CODC), which has allowed for the existing rugby clubrooms and camp kitchen to be decommissioned, with the clubrooms to be housed in the proposed hub.A new camping ground kitchen will be constructed next to the existing ablution blocks and the playground could be relocated to where the existing clubrooms are.Manuherekia Valleys Charitable Trust committee chair Andrew Paterson provided an update on the hub project at yesterday’s final council meeting for the year, stating there was a shortfall of about $1.2 million to $1.5 million.The community hub would effectively provide a one-stop-shop for a large range of groups, while also providing a space for functions to be held.Andrew said there were three buildings in Omakau, which were not fit for purpose and showcased the need for a community facility the wider community could make use of.One of those buildings was the rugby club rooms, a facility that was serving a need now, but needed extensive work done to it - either a major renovation or replacement.He said another building that required attention was the toy library, a basic facility that has no lights or running water.The future of the Omakau Community Centre is also in jeopardy, due to the amount of work that needs to be done to it.In 2014 an initial earthquake assessment of the building found it was only 22 per cent of the new building standard and estimated structural strengthening to cost about $230,000.He said the aim was to put those three buildings into one, along with a range of other groups in the community who do not currently have a building or clubrooms to work from.The state of the town’s existing buildings meant the community had reached a “critical situation”.A small committee of people have been working behind the scenes on various elements of the project over several years, including design concepts and fundraising.The group has so far raised about $4 million, including trust grants, and will add to that on December 28 when it hosts a golf tournament fundraiser.Read more: Omakau Community Hub making progress

Cromwell residents will be down to just one bore this week as a vital treatment upgrade takes place for meeting drinking water standards.The Central Otago District Council has asked residents in Bannockburn, Ripponvale, Lowburn and Pisa communities to reduce their water usage from Tuesday until Friday, while the testing phase took place.The upgrade would be completed by the end of 2025 and the water services team would be carrying out further bore testing this week to help scope out the final design towards creating an improved treatment plant.“During this time, the Cromwell water supply will be operating from one bore rather than the normal two, which will impact on the rate at which water can be produced,” a statement from council said.In early October the council also received direction from Taumata Arowai regarding compliance deadlines for protozoa barriers across all water systems. The move came after a cryptosporidium outbreak in Queenstown, which left many people sick and prompted a boil water notice.Some of the new technology inside the LDWS treatment plant. PHOTO: SuppliedFor water systems that used bore water as their source, installation and operation of a protozoa barrier must be in place by December 31, 2025.Capital projects programme manager Patrick Keenan said it has always been the council’s intention to upgrade the Cromwell treatment plant as part of the Long-Term Plan (LTP) projects, by the end of 2025.“Obviously, the council is going to be working hard to meet drinking water standards, however the upgrade is part of the bigger picture around Cromwell water.“The fact that there are those deadlines (Taumata Arowai compliance) is not directly related to the scheduling of the work on the bore as this had been planned ahead of time.“The protozoa barrier is one part of the drinking water assurance rules, but the upgrade goes wider. While meeting the aims of the LTP, we’re also future-proofing the water supply for growth and Central Otago, in particular Cromwell, is growing fast.”To ensure that the council continued to provide safe water in the Cromwell community, people were asked to think carefully about their water usage, and reduce during the four-day period.During the works, the team would be monitoring the water supply levels closely and may issue a conserve water notice if required.To help with the water reduction efforts, the council would not be irrigating some greenways and open spaces over this period.The latest developments involved the Three Waters team investigating the yield and quality of water at two possible new bore sites adjacent to Lake Dunstan.The drilling works would be carried out in such a way that there would  be no adverse environmental effects, and when the investigation was completed, the drill holes would be backfilled.Another project awarded by the council this week was to HEB Construction Ltd for the installation of a dedicated rising main to the existing Cromwell reservoir, a $5.7 million contract. In the Maniototo, the Ranfurly wastewater pipe renewals project contract was awarded to SouthRoads Limited this week.The project was estimated to cost just under $1.4million which would cover approximately 750 metres of new wastewater piping. Works would get under way in January and the main scope of work would be in the Ranfurly township. One of the key benefits to this work was to mitigate infiltration from the variable ground water table and stormwater, which negatively impacted the effectiveness of the Ranfurly wastewater treatment plant.

Central Otago District Council staff are working weekends and long hours to catch up on crucial work for the next Long Term Plan (LTP) 2024-2034.Project manager - Organisational Christina Martin told the audit and risk committee yesterday they were tracking behind schedule, but was confident the team could still make the June 2024 statutory deadline.With a new Government and changes in legislation pending, councils around the country were all trying to negotiate the new environment and budget accordingly.  Mayor Tim Cadogan has already warned rates would be up around and possibly more than 20% - like many councils around the country.“The whole team is really flexible . . . but there have been so many balls up in the air,” Christina said.Council’s audit and risk committee chair Bruce Robertson, who also chaired 14 other local government committees around the country, agreed the future was still too uncertain, particularly in the Three Waters space. It was revealed just over a week ago that the Government’s 100-day plan included the dismantling of the regime, opting to replace it with the Local Water Done Well policy.Christina said in her report to the committee that additional resourcing in the finance team had been sourced to help get the LTP project back on track.She said while there was a delay to the original programme, adoption of the LTP 2024-2034 by the statutory deadline of June 30, 2024 was still achievable.Community boards would discuss the draft budgets in late January, and council would approve the draft consultation document in February, before it went out for public consultation for a month from mid-March.Council chief executive Peter Kelly said they didn’t want to “break the camel’s back this side of Christmas,” and instead concentrate on putting more quality into the work done by staff. 

It was a busy weekend for Alexandra Police, assisting with a fire at Weatherall Creek and also being called for backup at a domestic incident in Cromwell.Senior Constable Graham Perkins said two men were arrested in Cromwell for disorder after a feud between a family of 15.Pepper spray was used to subdue the confrontational males after the domestic incident spilled out onto the street.The team from Cromwell called for backup from the Alexandra team, which sent two officers.“Because we all often work by ourselves we needed those numbers there,” he said. Several members of the public alerted police to the altercation, and Snr Constable Perkins said there was quite a variance of ages of those at the family gathering.Back in Alexandra, the new owners of a motel in the main street received a bit of a shock when they realised the local hoons liked to park up outside their premises and play loud music, keeping their customers awake.Snr Constable Perkins said they were going to start cracking down on young people driving around in cars between Thursday and Sunday nights over the Christmas period.The Alexandra monument was a popular spot for them to converge because of the free Wi-fi, and they also gathered outside the Caltex and the Night n’ Day.“They are not speeding and they have sober drivers, but their windows are down and passengers are often banging on the roof.”Police will give a warning first and if they continued to cause a disturbance they would then be charged with using a vehicle likely to cause annoyance, which could come with a $600 fine.Alexandra had a liquor ban from 10pm to 7am so anybody caught with passengers in their vehicle and drinking would be targeted as well. Police have also been getting frustrated with drivers who wouldn’t get out of the way when emergency services were on their way to a call out.Despite the flashing lights and sirens, some drivers were totally oblivious to what was going on behind them.“Be aware of your surroundings,” Snr Constable Perkins said.Impeding an emergency vehicle came with a $150 fine if the police officer warranted it serious enough and decided to record the driver’s license plate and followed up.

An app that gave avid readers access to various services across the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes Libraries network has been withdrawn without warning.The app, which allowed people to do a range of things from their phone, including browse, renew and hold books, no longer functions.Central Otago District Council group manager community experience David Scoones has apologised to the community for the issue, which is out of the council’s control.“Sorry to say, but the library app we’ve been using has been withdrawn without notice by the third-party providers, an issue that affects us as well as libraries across the world who also use it.”About 2000 people across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes had downloaded the app."People found it very useful, particularly to reserve and renew items . . . and for keeping track of their children's checkouts."They are disappointed that it is no longer available, but understand that it was not within our control."David said the developer has told the council the app may not be available for the foreseeable future.“It’s not a situation that we have control over, however a solution is being worked on and we will update you as soon as we are able,” he said.The library app, which no longer works, allowed users to do everything from downloading e-books to renewing physical books. PHOTO: The Central AppThe app will remain on people’s phones until they remove it and while it may appear to work, the information is outdated.“We recommend deleting the app and using the mobile optimised catalogue in your phone web browser by visiting CQ (kotui.org.nz).”From the online catalogue, people can login using their library card number and password, which allows them to manage their account, just as they did from the app.Most features are similar to the app, but anyone with questions can contact their local library.“We will let you know when a new and improved app is available,” David said.“We really do apologise for the inconvenience.”

Central Otago District Council is pleading with the public to keep well away from operational areas at Alexandra Airport, following a series of near misses.The incidents involved people who had accessed the area near the runway when they were not authorised to, which has raised concern among airport officials and the Central Otago District Council (CODC).CODC raised the issue last week among its social media followers, particularly people who enjoy the tracks near the airport for cycling, motorbiking, walking and exercising their dogs.A CODC spokesperson said measures have been taken to limit public access onto operational areas and asked everyone to follow the rules “for safety’s sake”.“We do want people to enjoy the Alexandra Airport tracks . . . however, people need to stick to the permitted tracks and stay away from the operational areas of the airport.”People are only permitted to use tracks or trails outside the red areas. PHOTO: SuppliedA pilot, who did not want to be named, said although he had not witnessed any near-misses himself, he had heard of others who had.His message to people was simple: “it’s an operational area - the risk of near-misses is high because they are in the operational area.”He said it was particularly concerning that people had ventured into an operational area when they knew they shouldn’t.People are reminded not to walk or bike in the red shaded areas. PHOTO: The Central AppThe council asks people to pass the message on to others who they know use the tracks, reminding them to “stick to permitted tracks and stay away from operational areas of the airport”.

A potentially long, hot summer is in store for Central, prompting calls to conserve water to prevent stocks from drying up.Central Otago District Council (CODC) plans to launch a campaign in the coming weeks, calling on people to use water wisely.A CODC water services spokesperson said being cautious when using water now can make a difference, and potentially prevent any conserve water notices.Naseby is among the towns that have experienced conserve water notices in recent years, including in January 2021 after widespread flooding. Its water supply is sourced from an open irrigation race, which the council treats and distributes.The CODC water services spokesperson said the district's other large water bodies such as the Clutha River or Lake Dunstan can create a perception that there is a boundless amount of water available."Therefore, it naturally takes time for the water conservation message to really register with people.”The water services team agreed that getting the message out early could help, particularly as visitors would soon arrive in the district, adding extra pressure on water supplies.Treating a raw water source to make it safe to drink takes time and a lot of resources.“The rising costs of electricity and methods of treatment used to make each litre of our water, make it more and more expensive to produce. Reducing demand helps us to manage these costs.”There are several reasons why demand for water threatens to outstrip supply in Central, particularly over summer. “One occurs during the height of summer when visitor numbers are high and the days are hot. The process of treating raw water to a safe/potable level takes time.”The treatment technology available at each plant is different and comes with their own challenges.“What they all have in common though is that the raw water doesn’t instantaneously become safe to drink. It takes time to pass through each level of treatment.“This is why we have reservoirs to store treated water and distribute it while more is being produced.”The team also points out that demand for water can outstrip supply in extreme rain events.“Our surface water sources of ‘raw’ water can become muddy (turbid). The rise in levels of turbidity make the treatment process less effective and/or impossible. “However, if we can’t treat the water adequately, then we stop producing it and rely on what is stored in the reservoirs. It takes time for turbidity levels to return to normal after a decent rain event, so we need the public to conserve water until we can begin producing safely treated water again.”Visit the CODC website for tips on how to use water wisely this summer.Read more: Prepare for hot and dry Central summer.

Fire crews and three helicopters with monsoon buckets have contained a blaze near Clyde this evening.Crews from five Central Otago brigades have been fighting the blaze on a steep hillside above Lake Dunstan, on Fruitgrowers Rd, and will continue working in strong winds to secure the perimeter until dark.Police evacuated people from a nearby freedom camping area and ask that people stay away. The fire, which was reported at about 4.20pm, is understood to have reignited from an earlier fire, which was started by fireworks last night.Strong winds had fanned the blaze, which had moved uphill and had not been easy for crews to reach on the ground.Fire and Emergency incident controller Bobby Lamont said the firefighters from local volunteer brigades and the helicopter pilots had done a "tremendous" job in "very challenging" conditions to limit the fire to three hectares."The winds in the area have been horrific - thankfully the face where the fire is burning is slightly sheltered, and we slammed extra resources onto it to make sure it didn't impact the transmission lines from the dam."He said a crew would remain at the scene overnight and further ground crews would be back in the morning.A passerby, who wished to remain anonymous, witnessed it while driving over the Clyde hill passing lane.The fire is located on Fruitgrowers Rd, near the rowing club. PHOTO: SuppliedShe said she could see smoke, which was billowing down the gully.“Lots of [the] area already looks scorched.”It is one of several vegetation fires, which crews were battling around the South Island today.Central Otago is already in a restricted fire season due to the dry conditions and elevated fire danger, as is the Lakes District and Upper Waitaki.Bobby urges people to think twice about letting off fireworks in windy conditions, and be aware that it only takes one spark to cause a wildfire.People who have lit outdoor fires in the past few days are urged to check they are fully extinguished, as strong winds can fan old fires back into life.Anyone considering lighting a fire outdoors needs to visit www.checkitsalright.nz to make sure there are no restrictions in place and to read up on fire safety advice.

Roberts Family Fruit has changed hands after more than 40 years, with Harry and Joan’s son Harry Jnr and wife Tasha now running the orchard.The 50ha working orchard in Earnscleugh grows stone and pipfruit and once exported most of its fruit, but nowadays its just cherries and occasionally apricots.At least 25 varieties of cherries were grown on the orchard, and labour came from RSE workers, backpackers and many locals - it seems everyone knows someone who has worked for Harry Roberts.The young couple was excited about the next generation of fruit growers coming through, allowing them to connect with other young business owners in the district.“We’ll probably think a lot differently too,” Harry Jnr said.Part of their succession has involved changing the original Rob’s Rural Market into the Roberts Family Fruit Country Store, which opens to the public this Saturday.“We’re working directly with other family growers from all over New Zealand,” Tasha said, selling a range of fruit and vegetables, condiments, and gifts - as well as fresh coffee and real fruit ice creams.Harry Jnr, wife Tash and their four children will carry on the family business. PHOTO: SuppliedRenowned for having one of the coldest blocks in Earnscleugh, there have been weather events on the Roberts orchard that have made national news, and perhaps that’s how Harry Snr was recognised for his talent in the media - starring in the Mainland spreadable butter advert on television.Joan remembered one year in the 1990s the entire orchard got hailed out and they lost every last piece of fruit.  “It was devastating.  We tried to salvage everything but it wasn’t worth it.”September 18, 1971 was another date the Roberts family will never forget. The biggest storm in the history of the orchard. Nine days straight of frost fighting and three days without sleep.The family orchard was originally bought by Harry’s father Heck and mother Nancy after moving from Dunedin, followed by brothers Heck and Dave, and then Bill in 1971.Joan and Harry took over the family orchard in 1978 and it eventually grew from the original 12ha ‘Home Block’ to four more (50+ha).  They also have two other children - Vicky (who still works on the orchard) and Maryann.Joan can remember when cherries were flown straight out of Alexandra airport in the large Bristol Freighter aircraft for Blenheim, where they were packed and sent off to Japan.  They used to export into Europe as well, but like other orchardists, were now competing with Chile and Australia.Harry (75) says fruitgrowing was a lifetime commitment, and it was lovely to see the next generation of his family coming through to take over the Earnscleugh orchard.They’ll both find their favourite jobs to keep them going. Neither one is ready to retire just yet. 

You could not blame the Central Otago District Council if it got its knickers in a twist over two separate wastewater blockage incidents this week.Central Otago District Council water services staff extracted two pairs of underpants from the Eureka St pump station in Alexandra, and then had to respond to a wastewater overflow on Thursday under the Alexandra Bridge.Caused by debris, the clean-up was successful near the start of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail and it did not reach the waterway of the Clutha River/Mata-au.  The Otago Regional Council was also notified of the incident.Going into the Christmas holiday period it was timely reminder of the 3P’s - only pee, poo and paper should be flushed down the toilet.Council’s wastewater pump stations can get blocked by all manner of things – wipes, sanitary products and nappies, and this was the second time this year underwear was the culprit.In July, underwear caused a system blockage on two separate occasions in one month - costing time and ratepayer money.Wastewater operators said that 90 percent of the blockages at the Eureka pump station were caused by clothing of some description, and more often than not, it was underwear.

So, you are holding cash: Is it your emergency fund? Is it your savings? Is it the dry powder in your investment portfolio?It may feel comfortable, but over time it can erode your purchasing power and expose you to inflation risk. Let’s look at why leaving too much of your wealth in cash long term may not be the best decision, and what you can do instead to achieve your financial goals.Cash has lower expected returns compared to other asset classes, such as shares, bonds, real estate, or commodities.Data from Morningstar shows this, albeit using US figures, but given the US is the largest economy/financial market and much KiwiSaver money is now invested offshore, it’s a reasonable benchmark.The average annual return for cash (measured by the 3-month Treasury bill) from 1926 to 2020 was only 3.3%, while the average annual return of shares (measured by the S&P 500) was 10.2%.This means that $1 invested in cash in 1926 would have grown to $21 by 2020, while $1 invested in shares would have grown to $9,237. That is a dramatic difference in wealth accumulation over time.Cash also has a negative real return after accounting for inflation.Inflation is the general increase in the prices of goods and services over time, which reduces the purchasing power of money. The average annual inflation rate from 1926 to 2020 was 2.9%, which means that the real return of cash (after subtracting inflation) was only 0.4%.Consequently, $1 invested in cash in 1926 would have lost 95% of its value by 2020, while $1 invested in stocks would have increased its value by 1600 times.Cash is not always a good hedge against market volatility or downturns either.While cash is easily accessible and offers stability during periods of market stress, it also prevents you from participating in any market recovery and growth.For example, during the global financial crisis (2008-2009), many investors sold their stocks and moved to cash, hoping to avoid further losses. However, by doing so, they also missed out on the subsequent rebound and rally that followed.From March 2009 to December 2020, the S&P 500 returned 18.4% per year, while cash returned only 0.5% per year.After 2022’s dismal performance, cash might look tempting. While there has been some recovery this year it has not been without unsettling volatility.If you sat in cash over the last year until 31 October, you got a fairly decent NZD cash rate of 5.07%. Sounds good, but you would have missed the 10.37% rise in the MSCI World Share Index in New Zealand Dollar terms.So, what should you do instead of stashing cash over the long term?The answer depends on your risk tolerance, time horizon, and financial objectives.After allowing for emergency funds and any cash needed in the next two to three years, a general rule of thumb is to look to diversify your portfolio across different asset classes and sectors AND to rebalance it periodically to maintain your desired allocation and risk level.You should also have a clear investment plan and stick to it, regardless of market fluctuations or emotions.By doing so, you can increase your chances of achieving higher returns, preserving your purchasing power, and reaching your financial goals.We at Collinson Wealth Partners are only too happy to explore these options with you. We can help prioritise your goals and uses for cash that you may currently have sitting in your account or current investment portfolio.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 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.

Matangi Station will be actively marketed on the wider real estate market before Christmas, after some hold ups with the terms of the lease.PGG Wrightson Real Estate has been advertising the high country station for sale for the past month and a half, and the original deadline treaty was for December 7.But, rural and lifestyle sales consultant Brent Irvine said some aspects needed to be sorted out with both Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and the Department of Conservation (DOC), before it went live on other real estate sites.“There is certainly some interest, but it’s not on realestate.co.nz yet or Trade Me because the key to these properties is having your ducks in a row before you start.”This was the first time in just over a century that the station had been put up for sale by the Sanders family.Brent said the deadline treaty had been pushed out to February, and even after that it would take some time before the property was in new hands.“It’s a leasehold property so it has to be signed off by the Crown Commissioner,” he said.There has been concern in the local community about how the sale would affect the Matangi MTB  park, but Brent said it would be at least another 12 months before anything “realistically” happened.Situated behind Alexandra’s clock on the hill, stretching through to Little Valley and back towards Roxburgh, Matangi was originally part of Galloway Station, one of Central Otago’s pioneer runs, which was first established by Scottish brothers Watson and Alexander Shennan in 1858, and divided up in 1916.John Sanders’ grandfather acquired the Crown pastoral lease for the 11,400 hectare station in September 1923 - mainly focused on growing fine wool from a flock that traces back to the original Central Otago merinos of 160 years ago.Jack Sanders established the Matangi stud in 1940 when he bought half the stock from the dispersal of the Puketoi stud, first registered by pioneer Watson Shennan.Some of the stud’s original sheep came from the King of Prussia’s Saxony stud in 1862. Matangi wool ends up in fabric used by big names in the fashion world such as Hugo Boss, Ermenegildo Zegna, Armani, Ralph Lauren and Gucci.

Central Otago’s mayor and deputy mayor want council staff to push on with housing policy that enables different housing typologies for its future developments.Mayor Tim Cadogan and deputy mayor Neil Gillespie were strong in their words at last week’s council meeting, that not enough had been done to make this happen. They were also the only ones who supported the Central Otago Affordable Housing Trust being able to create subsidised housing for residents last year.Following the decision that council not gift land to the housing trust, a policy was approved in August 2022 that council-led developments should consider including the provision for different housing typologies, using the urban design innovation model.But, Tim said this week, due to staffing unavailability to do that very specialist work, a consultant would have to be used, and that came at a considerable cost to ratepayers.“We are going to have to look at it and decide which way to go.”The housing policy would then be used for the next stage of Cromwell’s Gair Ave development, to create a range of housing on smaller sections - creating affordable housing.Neil said last week they were just sitting there going nowhere, “and that can’t happen.”However, Stage 4 of Dunstan Park was underway and Stroud Homes was offering Duplex housing on 290sqm sections, which were all being snapped up.But, Tim said developers needed to go even more beyond duplex living and move into apartment building as well.“We’re in a pickle. There’s no question about it. There is a shortage of housing. There is a shortage of the right type of housing.”Holiday home owners were another problem as they were arriving in Central Otago in droves to buy up houses, which stayed empty for large parts of the year and stopped families in need from having somewhere to live.“There is a growing disparity between the haves and the have nots.  And, so we’re a very small council in a very small country, that are dealing with a global inequity that is allowing people to own multitudes of houses that they might not even rent out.”Moving forward, the Central Otago Housing Focus Group was about to carry out a refreshed needs assessment for Central Otago. It will collate data that council can use to show both the community and central government that we have a real need here. “You can’t create policy out of anecdotes,” Tim said.The group was made up of Rebecca Williams (CODC), Mat Begg (Central Lakes Trust), Sandra O’Neill (chair), Peter Griffen (landlord and community rep), along with Central Otago Affordable Housing trustee Mary Flannery.Listen to more here on The Outlet podcast.

The water at Butchers Dam near Alexandra remains out of bounds after last week’s discovery of potentially toxic levels of algal bloom, triggering an amber alert.The Otago Regional Council (ORC) raised the alarm late last week and urged people to keep themselves and their dogs away from the water after samples showed the presence of cyanobacteria, also known as toxic algae.The algae, officially called Anabaena Lemmermannii, can be deadly to humans and animals.The ORC has continued to monitor the area and confirmed, yesterday, that it was still not ok for swimming or letting dogs near the water.Signs have been put in place to warn visitors and locals about the dangers.Weekly sampling will continue and the warning will stay in place until two successive results at the surveillance level, which is the green mode, have been recorded.ORC scientist, water quality and programme lead Helen Trotter said, last week, given the staff observations, the previous history at the site and the continuous presence of cyanobacteria scums over the past week, it was decided the warning was needed.This summer ORC will test 33 swimming sites weekly for bacteria and 11 sites for toxic algae.The latest water quality results are then posted to Land Air Water Aotearoa’s website, a resource for New Zealanders across the country to check the quality of their favourite local waterway.To find the latest toxic algae sightings visit the ORC website.

Santa’s helpers are working against the clock in Central, sorting and delivering parcels in the lead up to Christmas.For much of the year they are disguised as posties, but come December a team of NZ Post workers decorate their vehicles and themselves to bring cheer to everyone they meet on their travels. Lisa Dillon, who delivers mail throughout Alexandra, is one of them and loves every minute of it.She said most of the postal workers dress up for the occasion by adding decorations to their helmets, while others, like Lisa, choose to go all out.Lisa ventured off on her delivery run yesterday wearing a Santa suit with two missions in mind - to deliver mail and make people smile along the way.“People absolutely love it and kids love it,” she said.“It makes people smile and I get a kick out of it.”She said this year had been particularly busy in the lead up to Christmas for the postal service.“We are starting to ramp up - parcels have exponentially jumped up,” she said, compared to recent years.Christmas cards were also still coming through the post.“We do still get people sending Christmas cards, which is fab, I love that. I think a handwritten card to someone that’s taken the time is just fantastic.”Spreading the joy of Christmas. VIDEO: The Central AppHowever, it’s not just letters, cards, parcels and bills filling the many compartments on her bike.There’s also a special pocket for a large bag of treats that she distributes to people she meets along the way.The Central App is also getting into the spirit of Christmas with the launch of its inaugural Aurora Energy Light Up Central campaign, supported by Tall Poppy.The aim is to create a trail of homes or businesses that are decorated, which people can view from the road.So, if you have lit up your abode, register the address with our Light Up Central campaign and go in the draw to win some amazing prizes.Prizes include a $1000 home improvement from Central Interiors, one night's accommodation for two with breakfast at Harvest Hotel and a movie night for you and up to 20 family and friends at Central Cinema Alexandra.For a list of addresses already registered on the trail, click on the Light Up Central button.

Shoplifters are out in full force around Central Otago at the moment, according to local police.Senior Constable Graham Perkins, of Alexandra Police, said expensive cuts of meat in particular were quite popular items for people to steal - everything from the Christmas ham to trays of rib eye steaks.“They’ll put them down the trousers, in the babies pram, but all are caught on camera.”He said the bold ones even filled an entire trolley of groceries and just headed straight out the door with them - and often there was nothing staff could do.“Staff can’t just step in because it leaves them open to injury,” he said.At this time of year, with the large transient population, there was an increase in shoplifting in both Alexandra and Cromwell.“Some are prolific shoplifters and they will go right around the country doing it,”  he said.Specifically targeting those ‘big ticket’ items in supermarkets, he said most stores now had security cameras at the end of each aisle so they were able to identify the offenders.They would then be trespassed from the shop and prosecuted - pointing out that people could be charged with theft even if they were casually walking around the shop eating food they haven’t yet paid for.“It’s the intent that’s the problem.”  Police had noticed it becoming more of a problem leading up to Christmas, and it was right across the board, including hardware stores with tools disappearing out the door as well.“Nobody’s immune to it,” he said.

Dunstan Friendship Club awarded two new life memberships at a luncheon for 80 members on Tuesday at the Alexandra District Club.Both former Dunstan Friendship Club (DFC) presidents, Max O’Leary (90) and Graeme McCristell (83) were presented with certificates and pins celebrating their contributions to the club. The certificates were presented by DFC president Maryon Beer and life member Lenore Townsend. Max is the club’s longest surviving member, and possibly the oldest. He joined the committee as vice president in 1999, was president from 2000 to 2001 and stayed on the committee until 2004. He now lives in Goldenview retirement village in Cromwell.Graeme spent seven years on the committee, organised many trips and was president in 2013 and 2014. He was surprised with acknowledgement and said it was “totally unexpected”. His previous involvement in the Gore Lions Club which he enjoyed, led him to join Probus when he moved to Alexandra, where he still lives.Graeme was responsible for a new sound system for DFC and also produced the DFC 26th annual report during his time as president. He is pictured here with current president Maryon Beer. PHOTO: The Central AppDFC is a welcoming social organisation for people who are retired, semi-retired or soon-to-retire; and Dunstan’s is one of the largest Friendship Clubs in New Zealand with about 150 members.Members who attended this week's celebrations were entertained by guest speaker musician and traveller Martin Curtis.Martin, who is known for his song 'Gin & Raspberry, was the organiser of the very first Cardrona Folk Festival in 1976, and has released nine albums of New Zealand music to date.Watch a short clip of Martin’s festive performance in front of the DFC members. VIDEO: The Central AppThe Returned Service Association (RSA) gentlemen singers also sung carols prior to the lunch and certificate presentation.Festive feels from a local choir who performed Christmas songs. PHOTO: The Central AppWatch RSA singers perform Grandma got run over by a reindeer. VIDEO: The Central App Guest speakers and entertainment along with trips are a mainstay of the club, and members The Central App spoke to said the camaraderie was a big part of why they attended events and meetings.  The group recently went on a trip to Wānaka for lunch at Edgewater Resort and then to Paradiso Cinema. They occasionally join forces with the Cromwell and Districts Friendship Group for social activities.  DFC is affiliated with Friendship New Zealand Incorporated (FNZI), and is a non-political and non-denominational group.  FNZI transitioned from the Probus organisation and the name changed in 2016. The original ethos of friendship, fellowship and fun continues. Women were able to join the club from 2000, and there are now more women who are members than men in Dunstan. DFC meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 10am at the Alexandra District Club. For more information contact DFC president Maryon Beer on [email protected] more: In July this year DFC celebrated its 35th anniversary.

An outdoor community pantry and breakfast for tradies are two of the latest community initiatives making a difference in Central.The projects have been made possible thanks to wellbeing funding distributed across the Southern Lakes region with the aim of improving mental wellbeing, social connection and resilience.A record $91,500 of wellbeing funding will be injected into communities for a range of initiatives across the Southern Lakes region over the next few months. Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group has funded 110 groups in its Connecting Communities funding round, including in Queenstown and Wānaka.In Cromwell the funding has also gone towards volunteer welfare resources for St John’s Central Otago Major Incident Support Team.Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group Chair Adell Cox said the response and calibre of applications were “simply outstanding”. “Applications increased nearly 40 percent – up from a record number last time – which shows how motivated our communities are to improve their wellbeing. We’re loving seeing groups join forces on initiatives and smaller places like Milford Sound coming up with community-wide ideas to bring everyone together. We’ve done our best to fund as many groups as possible to get their activities underway.” The group has partnered with the Community Harvest Gardens in Cromwell to build an outdoor community pantry, and then they are also planning to build cabins or a tiny home to auction off - the proceeds going to a mental health charity. Applications from both Fiordland and Cromwell were particularly strong in this round, with recipients receiving funding for a range of new ideas as well as building on existing successful initiatives.  Another new initiative funded was Cromwell Community House hosting and co-facilitating ‘Working Well’ Tradies Breakfasts. “Our aim is to bring small groups of businesses together over breakfast to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and fitness in a group setting, which is less confronting than one-to-one. We’ll also share the Five Ways to Wellbeing and how these can be applied in construction and trade settings,”  Cromwell Community House manager Karen Palmer said. Te Hau Toka introduced the Connecting Communities fund in November 2021 as part of its efforts to combat the ongoing mental health impacts of Covid-19.  Since then, there have been seven funding rounds, 439 recipients and over $410,000 injected across Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell and Fiordland to help people improve mental wellbeing, social connection and resilience in their own communities. 

National Crate Day in Central Otago is potentially fizzing out.Alexandra Police Senior Constable Graham Perkins said it was a very low key event in Central Otago with no calls for service whatsoever.“Hopefully it’s dying,” he said.One bottle store owner in Cromwell also confirmed to police they only sold 10 crates for the day.In a tribute to the beginning of Summer, the Rock radio station seven years ago encouraged Kiwis to buy a few crates with your mates on the first Saturday of December.But, police and health advisors have said many times, the day promotes a toxic drinking culture in New Zealand.After carnage broke out in Queenstown in 2016, the National Crate Day resulted in a liquor ban in the central business district.A 350-strong party on the Village Green ended in fights where 20 people were detained and the entire area was covered in broken glass and littered bottles.Back in Alexandra this year, police attended two Crate Day parties that were held by young people, but both were under control.Snr Const Perkins said most of the entertainment in Alexandra was centred around the new brewery on Boundary Rd, where a live band was playing on Saturday night.The Cromwell Races on the weekend was also a well organised event, with plenty of food and good security, he said.Only two people were assisted off the grounds by police at the end of the day, and driver checkpoints were also set up but nobody was drinking in excess and driving, which was good to see, he said.