LWB_Issue_887_Online

LOCALLY OWNED SINCE FOREVER BULLETIN

Where are Pamela and the Hoff when you need them?

It may not exactly be Baywatch working at our local pools but everyone could be called out of the water at weekends from next month unless QLDC can recruit some Pamela Andersons, David Hasselhoffs or –preferably – real lifeguards.

As far as unsung local legends go, I’d put pool lifeguards up there at the top of the list. Obviously as the Council’s Sport and Recreation Manager I’m unashamedly biased, but without them we couldn’t run our aquatic facilities at Frankton’s Alpine Aqualand, Wanaka Rec Centre (WRC) or Arrowtown Memorial Pool every summer.

They provide an invaluable community service helping people enjoy a healthy, fun activity and develop an essential life skill. Lifeguards have to be ready to jump in – perhaps for real – if someone was to get into trouble. When they’re not keeping a look out for running, dangerous bombing and the occasional Code Brown they’re cleaning, testing water quality, checking plant and equipment, and generally making things safe for everyone. Staff shortages in all sectors of the economy and the difficulty of sponsoring overseas workers are a well-publicised challenge. As one of the largest local employers with around 600 full and part-time staff, Council isn’t immune. Browse the vacancies listed on our dedicated jobs website qldc. qjumpersjobs.co and you’ll see lifeguards alongside swim school instructors, gardeners, librarians, customer service advisors and – er – a senior legal counsel.

QLDC is currently looking for more than ten lifeguards – both full and parttime – across Alpine Aqualand and WRC. We were just about OK over the holidays with high school and university students earning some holiday money, but now they’ve returned to their studies we’re in a pickle.

As a result, we’ve had to make the decision to close Alpine Aqualand on weekends from Saturday 18 February until positions are filled. We’re also closing Arrowtown pool for the season a few weeks earlier than expected on 13 February to free up some shifts. We’ve already let our members know what this means for them.

To become a lifeguard, you just need to be able to swim and love working with people – age is no barrier!

And the benefits? We’ll train you on the job, help you gain nationally recognised qualifications, and give you a free swim and gym membership (worth $900!) as well as a commitment from QLDC to your ongoing personal and professional development.

Closing Alpine Aqualand on weekends after this one is obviously a last resort. We’ll review the decision weekly in tandem with our recruitment drive. Once the roster is back to normal levels, we’ll open the pool on weekends again. Our lifeguards are awesome people who work together to create a fun and energetic team. So, what’s stopping you joining them? Dive in and apply!

Simon Battrick , QLDC Sport & Recreation Manager

Sophia (right) and Micaela Boeira-Jackson enjoying the first Brazilian Day celebration at Country Lane recently. See story on page 30.

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Scooters on streets within weeks

By Paul Taylor

Queenstowners can expect to see Beam electric scooters on the streets by the end of the month.

The state-of-the-art purple scooters will be available to ride in downtown Queenstown, Fernhill, Gorge Road, Frankton, Remarkables Park and Kawarau Falls, as part of the two-year trial by the company. They’ll be parked at participating businesses, with extra charges for any rider who fails to return a scooter to a parking hub. The scooters will cost $1 to unlock then 65 cents per minute, although there will be an as-yet unconfirmed locals’ rate.

Adam Rossetto, Head of Business Development, ANZ, Beam Mobility, says the parking hub system, which sees Beam partner with private property owners and business operators, is a different model to 90% of its other markets.

“If people don’t park in those parking spots, then essentially the meter keeps running, so this is obviously a really strong disincentive to do that,” Rossetto says. “In 99% of cases, it really does result in compliant parking.” Beam will deploy a brand-new vehicle in Queenstown - the Saturn 5, built by Ninebot Segway in China.

“It’s one of the safest and most technologically advanced vehicles in the world today,” he says.

It has a black box with GPS, hydraulic suspension, a phone charger, Google Maps integration, a quick-change battery, indicators, a number plate and smart safety lights, all built on an aircraft-grade aluminium frame. It is unlocked with a smartphone App.

The top speed is 25km and it has a 120km range.

The GPS tech allows Beam to geo-fence the scooters, meaning they can only operate in certain areas, and can their speed can be limited in places like The Mall. They can also be shut down remotely and recovered easily if abandoned or stolen.

The Saturn 5 also has automatic collision and accident detection, automatic detection of vehicle faults and downhill speed limiting.

“Safety really is at the forefront of what we do, both for riders and just as importantly, for the wider non-riding community,” Rossetto says.

Beam has zero fatalities across 22 million trips and lowest incident rate in NZ, and $20 million public liability insurance.

The company will operate a 24-hour marshal team and a toll-free phone service for complaints and enquiries. Scooters will be removed from the CBD overnight.

Beam has 15 scooter hubs ready to go but initially wants 20, so is still looking for partnerships, before expanding to 40 later in the year. It will launch with 150 scooters and scale up to 300.

It’s the largest micro-mobility provider in Asia Pacific, operating 50,000 vehicles across nine countries, including 4000 in NZ, in Auckland, Wellington, Napier, Palmerston North, Whanganui and Taupo.

As alternative to cars for short journeys, the scooters reduce congestion and environmental impact, helping with the first and last mile of the journey, Rossetto says.

They also increase overall mobility in urban areas.

“People can travel further and spend more money and especially in a tourist area, like Queenstown.”

The Saturn 5 goes like a rocket but its speed can be limited by GPS

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Airbnb wins battle for bed nights

By Paul Taylor

Airbnb has defended its record in Queenstown saying it is a crucial part of the visitor economy and a way for people to stay afloat through the cost-of-living crisis.

Last week, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) effectively lost its bid to tighten rules around visitor accommodation.

Back in 2017, the council had proposed limiting the number of days at property could be Airbnb’d, or put on similar short-term holiday let platforms, to 28 days.

The aim was to make more properties available for rent, easing Queenstown’s well-documented and ongoing housing supply and affordability crisis, which also impacts the jobs market.

But Airbnb fought the change and following mediation and an environment court ruling on the district plan, properties across Queenstown Lakes can now be Airbnb’d for 90 days, without resource consent, provided details are registered with QLDC.

It’s even higher in some zones, but limited to 42 days at Jack’s Point. Queenstown’s mayor Glyn Lewers says he’s disappointed with the outcome but under the Resource Management Act (RMA), there wasn’t deemed enough evidence to correlate housing issues with the supply of visitor accommodation.

“While solving the big picture is a job for central government and council will continue to lobby the Minister of Housing for real change, housing remains a significant issue we need to address in the Queenstown Lakes,” he says. “Council can work at a district level to help, and we have been doing so for some time.”

There are 4,597 properties on Airbnb in Queenstown Lakes, according to independent website Inside Airbnb, which aims to provide “data to the debate” about whether short-term holiday lets are good for communities.

Across New Zealand, some 41,322 properties are listed on Airbnb, which means 11% of the total are in Queenstown Lakes.

Locally, 86.5% of the listings are for entire homes or apartments, with 12.6% private rooms, 0.3% shared rooms and 0.6% hotel rooms.

The average income for hosts is $19,420, with the average nightly price $500, and average nights booked 59, according to the website.

Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb country manager for New Zealand and Australia, says the company “supports balanced and sustainable regulation of the short-term rental accommodation sector”.

“The agreed provisions of the settlement provide appropriate settings for the regulation of short-term rental accommodation in Queenstown,” she says.

Wheeldon says housing affordability is a “challenging and complicated” issue, with factors which “pre-date the founding of Airbnb by decades” - ranging from the supply of new homes, the ratio of public housing, the number of empty dwellings and rooms, interest rates and broader economic conditions.

“Queenstown is a destination that has historically had a high proportion of holiday rentals and it is a world-renowned tourism destination with businesses, tourism employees and short-term rental accommodation a crucial part of the visitor economy landscape.”

She says the platform’s Queenstown hosts are “everyday Kiwis” who say sharing their home is vital to help them meet the rising cost of living, and that tourism is vital to NZ’s economy as it bounces back from Covid-19.

“Short-term rentals also provide a way for everyday people to stay afloat and combat rising costs of living and growing mortgage repayments. It’s no surprise that we’re seeing many people rely on hosting to make ends meet in the face of the current economic climate.”

Still, the company is keen to work with others to take the issue of housing supply and affordability, she says.

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Surprise resignation sparks byelection

By Paul Taylor

Just over three months into the role, Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward councillor Neeta Shetty has resigned from Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) with immediate effect.

Shetty confirmed she is standing down for personal reasons, although didn’t go into specifics.

“My options weren’t whether I could stay in this role but whether I could perform my best and do the role justice, which it deserves,” she said.

“While I’m sad to resign, I know that ultimately it is the right decision.”

She’d stood as both mayor and ward councillor for the newly-formed ward in the October 2022 local election.

The restauranteur, a former council employee, missed out on the top job, finishing fifth out of six, with 541 votes. Glyn Lewers was elected mayor with 4,382 votes.

But Shetty did win one of three Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward seats, with 1,542 votes, some 380 votes ahead of her nearest challenger Nell Hunter. Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson and Lisa Guy were also elected to represent the ward. Several councillors who have stood down in recent years have cited the heavy workload placed on elected members over their three-year term, especially when combined with a full-time job or business.

It was one of the reasons former councillor Lewers gave as only standing as mayor this time around, rather than contesting a ward seat again.

Shetty’s resignation triggers a by-election in the Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward, with details and timings on that to come in the near future.

Long-time local John Glover is the first person to put his name in the hat, hoping it will be third time lucky after unsuccessful attempts in 2013 and 2019.

“The decision not to stand in last years’ election was a difficult one, but the right one at the time” Glover says.

“Six months later, a new opportunity has arisen, one which I’m not going to pass by.”

Glover runs Kinloch Lodge and is chair of the Glenorchy Community Association, but spends weekdays at a property on Frankton Flats, closer to the Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward.

He’s also been board secretary of community group Shaping Our Future since 2020.

The next full council meeting in this Thursday.

John Glover plans to contest the by-election

Cardrona celebrates 10 years under ‘new’ owners

By Jess Allen

The owners of the iconic Cardrona Hotel celebrated ten years at the helm last week. Friends-turned-business-partners Cade Thornton and James Jenneson purchased the hotel in February of 2013 and celebrated their 10th anniversary by hosting a small gathering with friends, family and community members. The pair have been on quite a journey since first taking over the hotel.

Located in the picturesque Cardrona Valley, the hotel was first established in 1863, making it one of Aotearoa’s oldest hotels and one of only two buildings that remain from the valley’s gold rush era. The hotel closed ‘permanently’ in 1961 when, then owner, Jimmy Patterson passed away – the hotel’s liquor license was not allowed to be sold with the pub – it passed through different hands in this time and was left to deteriorate. Then, in 1980 it was sold to Wanaka locals Rosemary and Eddie Jones who restored the derelict building and introduced an after-ski high tea. It then passed through a few more hands before getting to Cade and James.

This month also marks the 160th anniversary of the hotel and it’s expected that post-winter, there will be some celebrations for the big milestone. The owners originally hail from Christchurch and in the ten years that they’ve been caretaking, as Cade affectionately refers to their ownership of the hotel, the pair have each married and had children – these days James works as a silent partner, too.

“My friend, James had purchased a new vehicle and he wanted to do a road trip. It was after the Christchurch earthquakes and we did a big South Island trip – Queenstown, Wanaka, Te Anau, all around here. We were talking about our existing businesses in Christchurch and our lives, and we were

having such a great time – we thought we should do something together. We looked at buying another pub in Christchurch and unfortunately that didn’t work out, but fortunately it led us to other bigger and better things, and to us buying this.

“It was a big, bold move – two guys that weren’t in hospitality to even consider owning something like this, it’s always been a Kiwi icon. All the cars ended up being sold, the houses were sold, and we made the big leap down here and brought our partners down, which are now our wives. It’s been an amazing journey, really,” says Cade.

The business is operational almost 24/7, acting as a café in the morning, a pub in the afternoons and evenings, a function space, a hotel, and a shop stocking local produce. When the pair first took over the business, it was a shock for them to see the sheer volume of people that flow through the doors. One of the most important things to Cade is maintaining the rich history, whilst also keeping it fresh and exciting.

“We always had big goals for it, but we never wanted to change it. We bought it knowing what it was and we weren’t going to come in and change it because I think that will risk losing what it is. We’ve only really added to it, tidied it and cleaned it – growing on its existing reputation versus trying to make it something it’s not,” says Cade.

The Cardrona Hotel is a real gem in New Zealand’s history and much loved by visitors and locals alike. You can read more about the history of the hotel or book a stay at cardronahotel.co.nz, and be sure to keep an eye out on their socials for word of the 160th anniversary celebrations.

Alpine Aqualand closing weekends

By Paul Taylor

Queenstown’s main swimming pool Alpine Aqualand is closing weekends from 18 February due to a shortage of lifeguards.

Queenstown Lakes District Council, which runs the Events Centre facility, is looking for more than 10 lifeguards. They need both full-time and part-time lifeguards for Alpine Aqualand and Wanaka Recreation Centre (WRC). But while WRC will remain open, Alpine Aqualand will close on weekends until positions are filled.

QLDC Community Services General Manager Kenneth Bailey said the weekend closure is a last resort.

“Clearly we don’t want to close an important community facility when people expect us to be open. This decision will be reviewed weekly as we work to recruit lifeguards. Once the roster is back to normal levels, we’ll open the pool on weekends again.

“First and foremost, we want to minimise any disruption for all regular and casual pool users.”

The lifeguard shortage has been exacerbated by high school and university students completing holiday jobs and returning to their studies combined with the difficulty of sponsoring overseas workers.

“Staff shortages are a nation-wide challenge and QLDC isn’t immune to that. We’re currently experiencing a shortage of lifeguard applicants and are encouraging anyone looking for work in a great environment who can swim 200 metres in six minutes to apply!

“There are some incredible benefits to being employed as a lifeguard. You’re providing a valuable community service as well as gaining nationally recognised qualifications, free gym membership and a commitment from QLDC to your ongoing development,” he said.

It also means Arrowtown Memorial Pool (AMP) will close for the season a few weeks earlier than expected on 13 February. Members of this pool can use their pass to access Alpine Aqualand or WRC’s pools until AMP’s originally scheduled last day of Sunday 5 March.

The recruitment effort is ongoing and all prospective lifeguards should head to https://qldc.qjumpersjobs.co/ to find more information and details of how to apply.

Queenstown one of the most loved destinations

By Paul Taylor

Queenstown has been ranked 25th of the 100 most loved destinations in the world by the Tourism Sentiment Index (TSI).

The town is the only New Zealand destination to make the list, which measures online content and conversations about thousands of global destinations.

Last year, Queenstown ranked 44th.

The 100 most loved destinations are ranked according to consumer sentiment – what people really feel. The Maldives took the top spot, followed by the Whitsundays and Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, in second and third.

Being named in the rankings means Queenstown has offered positive experiences and instilled the kind of happiness that visitors must talk about, leading to an impressive Tourism Sentiment Score, according to the TSI. Destination Queenstown chief executive Mat Woods says he is absolutely delighted by the ranking.

“It really does reflect Queenstown’s global appeal and popularity and within that sentiment – our incredible environment,” Woods says.

“This awareness of our reputation is going to be incredibly helpful for us to communicate with visitors, as we start our journey towards regenerative tourism and becoming carbon zero by 2030.”

The TSI conducted an intensive study of its data – more than 1.6 billion online conversations and content pieces publicly available about 21,330 global destinations – to identify the 100 Most Loved Destinations. Tourism Sentiment Index is cutting-edge technology that applies the power of artificial intelligence to the challenge of extracting sentiment from human expression.

The 2023 edition of Leading Places: The 100 Most Loved Destinations Around the World is available online at www.sentiment-index.com/mostloved

Michael Amadeus / Unsplash

WHS New head students on top of their game

By Sue Fea

Digging deeper into the community to assist where possible is a major focus for Wakatipu High School’s two new head students, high achieving all-rounders Annika Thornton and Lachy Boniface. Bubbling with enthusiasm for her school, Annika says her goal this year is to ensure that flows over, making school a “positive, exciting and enjoyable” experience for other students too. “We’ve been brainstorming about how we can have a greater focus on community service as a student body,” she says.

Lachy agrees. “This school’s done a lot for me. It’s helped me grow, find and foster new passions, and helped us reach our full potential,” he says. “This community does so much to help our school and we believe it’s time to give more back.”

A local Student Volunteer Army, semi-launched last year, is set to crank up this year with Erin Jackson of the famous Canterbury Universityfounded National Student Volunteer Army addressing Wakatipu High School students on March 16.

For Annika, who’s heavily involved in the school’s Kapa Haka Group, she’ll be urging students to give any of the myriad of sport and arts and cultural clubs, groups and extra-curricular offerings at the school a go. Her high school highlights include competing on the trumpet at the Southern Jam Youth Jazz Festival competition in Blenheim, lead vocalist in the school band, and having significant roles in the school musical last year. Notching up an Excellence pass in Level Two NCEA sits Annika in good stead for a possible career in humanitarian work, studying Philosophy, Economics and Politics.

Lachy shares Annika’s enthusiasm for school. “There’s so much on offer here. If you choose subjects that you’re passionate about that

motivates you to get good marks, to learn more and engage,” he says.

The top of his game in ice hockey, Lachy’s coached the sport from beginner to representative level and plays for the Stampede U-18s, the men’s team and NZ U-18 Ice Hockey Team, headed to South Africa to compete in the World Championships in March. He also finds time to contribute to Generation Give off-shoot ‘Strive’, which will be revived and fully launched at the school this year, and Youth Philanthropy NZ.

Top Wakatipu High memories for Lachy include the thrill of a competition win for the school’s Duncan House in Year 9, a South Island Secondary Schools Ice Hockey Championship win last year and the legendary Year 10 Branches Camp. “That was literally life changing – very special,” he says.

As for Lachy’s career choice: “A professional ice hockey player doesn’t sound too bad.”

So wherever these two end up in five years they’ll be sure to succeed, hopefully leading the rest of the school with them.

“I’d like to be somewhere making an important difference in the world,” says Annika, while for Lachy, in the next five years he’d like to be able to be able to travel the world and play ice hockey.

Principal Oded Nathan says Annika and Lachy will be ably assisted by deputy head students Sammy Fookes and Marley King Smith, all backed up by a team of 12 lead prefects. Each lead prefect heads up a specific council within the school,

from well-being and sport to environmental and whanaungatanga.

“We started the year with 305 Year 9s and more than 200 Year 13s,” says Oded. “There are many outstanding kids who will all make extraordinary leaders.”

Head students and lead prefects go through a rigorous application and selection process for these highly sought-after positions. Last year’s head girl Sofia Taquet sat on the selection panel with Oded and two other senior staff, short-listing five girls and five boys. “We look for how they live and exemplify the school values, excel, both academically and in extra-curricular activities, and the respect they have with their peers,” says Oded. Student and staff votes also go into the mix. “We have so many exceptional students and these positions are highly competitive so to be chosen as a head student or a lead prefect is a real honour.”

Just to keep them on their toes, the school’s new leaders were put through their paces at a two-day leadership camp at Moke Lake recently, overcoming a number of physical and mental challenges outside their comfort zones. Run by The Mule, which runs immersive leadership and development courses locally, the students learn to work together in uncomfortable situations and develop greater leadership capabilities. Oded says the school is very thankful to The Mountain Club for sponsoring the leadership camp.

Annika Thornton and Lachy Boniface

COMMUNITY NOTES

Wakatipu Buddy Programme

by Nanette Benington

If you want to know the benefits of “Buddying” ask Big Buddy Rob Barnes and his Buddy Israel Taurima-Pooley.

Rob has been Big Buddy to 10-year-old Israel for over 2 years, and says: In my two years of joining the Buddy Programme Israel and I have become really good friends. We have done heaps of different activities together such as mountain biking, fishing, ziplining, we have designed and made drift wood sculptures together, gone swimming including having a timed races to see who can get down the hydro slide the fastest - which Israel normally wins! We have cooked dinners together, made pizzas from scratch which he quotes “the best pizza he has ever eaten.” We have taught each other a lot of different things which I have really enjoyed about being in the programme. I joined up wanting to make a difference in a young person’s life and help guide them to whatever it is they want to do. I find it very rewarding being in the programme and I am always telling people about it. If you were thinking of joining up, I would highly recommend it, it’s a lot of fun and a great way to give back. Israel says: I like hanging out with my Big Buddy Rob as we’re always trying fun new activities. One of them was catching a rare blue freshwater cray fish!

Currently 15 Big Buddies are matched with 15 Little Buddies in the Wakatipu Basin. Children are aged 4- 12 years and are referred by agencies like Queenstown Lakes Family Service, Happiness House and schools. This can be for a variety of reasons such as learning difficulties or having a sole parent in need of more support. Big Buddies are encouraged to do low or no cost activities with their Little Buddies. 2-3 times a year there are organised outings such as the end of last year when we went up Deer Park Heights together and had lunch. Feedback from parents, schools and other referrers is that Little Buddies have improved social skills and confidence resulting in better outcomes at

Parking Response

Recently Bob Bobben wrote in with ideas for resolving some of Queenstown’s Parking woes.

This week we’ve reprinted the article in addition to QLDC’s response: I thought I’d write in some suggestions for the crazy parking in QT. Rather than just winge about it, I thought I might highlight the issues and where possible offer some possible solutions/ideas?

In no particular order:

1) Abandoned cars - there are many abandoned or possibly abandoned cars (rego out of date, cobwebs all over, clearly haven’t been moved in months, camper vans, old Subarus etc) around the district. Unless you ask the council specifically to check on them, nothing is done.

I suggest the council goes around all the streets in the CDB and adjoining areas and checks on all the Regos etc. Especially in the long term free parking areas - Man Street, Gorge Rd etc

These cars can be removed, freeing up more spaces.

2) Robbins Rd - Shotover St/Gorge rd is open again, so why hasn’t the parking been reinstated?

3) Taxis - these (non official ones) can be found parking in normal spaces of an evening, especially around Fergburger etc looking for fares. Can we give them huge fines to dissuade such behaviour?

4) Hotels - The new Sudima hotel in 5 Mile has NO parking. The New Ramada in town has limited parking. Hotels should be forced to provide parking, at least 1 space per room. Almost all visitors to QT hire a car.

5) Loading Zones - 24hr loading zones? seriously? These should be free

home and school. Little Buddies also are helped to find their passion such as art, music, rugby or mountain biking.

The Wakatipu Buddy Programme is appealing for locals willing to spend two or three hours a week with a child needing extra adult support. Big Buddies get good training and back up from the programme team. Would be Big Buddies can contact me at BPW@familyworkssld.nz They are holding their next training programme in March.

for normal parking from 6pm (possibly 8pm) to 5am.

We keep loosing normal parking spaces to ‘Loading Zones’ or Taxi ranks (2 or 3 taxi ranks is enough for a town this size).

Every few weeks or months we seem to lose more parking spaces. They just disappear into a loading zone, taxi zone, Fergburger seating area etc etc

6) Electric cars... yes they produce less emissions etc.. but, they are not invisible!

They still need somewhere to park. Forcing everyone to go electric doesn’t mean the council can reduce parking spaces. They still need somewhere to park.

7) Hire cars - how many rental companies are there at or near the airport? 5, 6 7?

Everyone who comes to QT uses a car.

Domestic visitors (Canterbury, Southland) drive up in their cars. International visitors will hire a bloody big car (Prado, camper van, minivan) because they have been sold the idea that they can visit all the beautiful areas around here.

The buses don’t go to Moke Lake, Wanaka, Glenorchy, 10 Mile, Lake Dunstan etc etc

So you have to have a car.

These all need somewhere to park.

You see them driving around town in circles looking for a park. Thus, we need more spaces.

8) PUDU (pick up and drop off) this is what they do at the schools and it works very well. I suggest we set up a PUDU in QT outside O’Connells on both sides of the street.

The cameras are already there. Drivers must stay in the car or face heavy

fines. No waiting. Just drop and go or pick up and go. This can be policed via the cameras and fines. Otherwise people have learned to double park or simply stop anywhere as if they stop for even a moment in a loading zone or similar they will be fined.

This way you can drop off kids, friends etc and then the driver can go off and find a parking space. This will be especially true in the Winter and when raining.

9) Buses - with the low pay and reduced timetable, it is no surprise people don’t use the buses more.

We need MORE parking spaces NOT less. AND better bus timetables. It’s not either/or. It’s both. Tradies cannot take tools on the bus. You can’t get kids from school in QT and then to dance or swimming in Frankton on the bus. Fernhill to Pak n Save and back on the bus? That’s almost a whole day! QT is not designed for just buses. Hopefully, this starts a better debate re parking in QT. I welcome the councils feedback on these issues/suggestions.

Bob Bobben

QLDC Parking Response:

Kia ora Bob – thanks for putting the time and effort into those suggestions. Community feedback can and does influence Council decisions, whether that’s day-to-day requests received by our customer services team or submissions to more formal consultations on our Annual Plan and various bylaw reviews. Register at letstalk.qldc.govt. nz to join the party!

While it would take more space than we have here to answer each of your points individually we’re happy to provide a bit of info about parking and transport around Queenstown.

We do respectfully take issue with a few things you present as fact. For example, we disagree that “almost all visitors to QT hire a car” especially given many stay local and use the free shuttles provided by tour operators from hotels and hostels to their attraction. We also spoke to the Sudima hotel about the free parking they provide at Five Mile for their guests. And we’re happy to debunk a couple of other things:

• Council parking officers do act on abandoned vehicles; they can also be reported to us and we will investigate within 24 hours – find out more at qldc.govt.nz/services/transport-and-parking/parking/ abandoned-vehicles

• Loading bays can be used by car drivers to drop off and pick up people and shopping for a few minutes.

But let’s look at the bigger picture.

Your central point seems to be around traffic congestion. It’s a brave person who thinks providing more car parks will solve this in the long-term, especially in a location as geographically constrained as Queenstown! And then there are the environmental factors, although we note your points about EVs and certainly support people switching away from petrol/diesel if they can. The recent town centre upgrades have been based on making Queenstown less focused purely on vehicles and providing routes that can be shared safely by pedestrians, bikes and (soon) e-scooters as well as cars and vans. The related arterial road project will ultimately keep traffic flowing without it having to concentrate right in the centre of town.

Having said all that we do recognise that cars remain a necessity for some. To this end 130 pay-and-display spaces have been available off Hay Street on the future Lakeview site since October. We also opened a new carpark with 20 spaces on the former QPACT site on Ballarat Street before Christmas, and again worked with Queenstown Primary School to allow people to use their car park over the summer holidays when town is busiest.

Buses and taxis help reduce congestion and free up designated parking in the CBD. It’s important we keep bus stops and taxi stands free at all times to ensure these spaces remain available for the intended users. That’s why we use CCTV to monitor them. Anyone seeing potentially unlawful taxi-like services around town should report that to Waka Kotahi or the police.

Like his predecessor Jim Boult, Mayor Lewers continues to lobby Otago Regional Council (ORC) and central government for greater long-term investment in public transport and a much better bus service for locals and visitors in the short term. The more people use public transport the

faster the network’s capacity and frequency will grow. Everyone will have the opportunity to have more of a say on how we all get around town very soon. A business case is underway on how public transport could evolve in Queenstown over the next 15 years. Led by ORC in conjunction with QLDC and Waka Kotahi (as ORC’s Way to Go partners), this will explore a variety of options including the role of parkand-ride, how bus routes, hubs and capacity could evolve, potential ferry and on-demand services, and what funding would be needed to achieve different initiatives. Get ready to have your say between March and April. In the meantime, you’ll find more details at www.orc.govt.nz/ qtptbc.

Let’s keep the debate going!

Cheers, QLDC

Community News

Road Works - Coronet Peak Road Rehabilitation

Fulton Hogan is progressing on the Coronet Peak Road Rehabilitation project impacting the intersection with Malaghans Rd and then the next 2.5k on Coronet Peak Road.

Over the next 2 months, the project involves renewing the old section of pavement and including some minor shoulder widening and guard railing whilst we are there.

Stage 1 – Shoulder widening works

This work requires a stop go operation with delays of up to 5 minutes and 30km temporary speed restriction will be in place.

Stage 2 – Stabilisation and Sealing

The second stage will be undertaken from mid-February to late-March. There will be lengthy road closures with hourly openings to allow traffic through. These works will occur 2 – 3 days a week for 4 weeks.

SH6 and SH84 – Mt Iron Wanaka roundabout

Construction of the new roundabout at the SH6 and SH84 intersection east of Wanaka is starting this week. This project comprises a 40meter-diameter, single-lane roundabout.

With significant growth in the area, along with increased safety risks at the intersection, Waka Kotahi is constructing the roundabout to reduce the likelihood of serious accidents at one of Wanaka’s more problematic intersections. Between 2011 and 2020, one person has been seriously injured and 18 people left with minor injuries in crashes at this intersection. There have also been 21 crashes where people were not injured.

Construction is currently scheduled to end in June according to the website.

Tit bits Tit bits

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Dodo De-Extinction

Biotechnology startup Colossal has announced plans to develop an organism gene-edited to match the extinct dodo bird, the company’s third so-called “de-extinction” project after the woolly mammoth and Tasmanian tiger. The Texas-based group revealed it had raised $150M in its latest funding round at an estimated $1B valuation. The last sighting of a dodo, a tall, flightless bird native to the island of Mauritius off the coast of Madagascar, was recorded in the late 17th century, less than one hundred years after Europeans arrived.

The procedure will likely involve the insertion of a bird egg cell modified as a dodo cell into an existing egg, with the fertilized egg expected to mature and harbor dodo-like reproductive cells.

ARS Technica

PayPal to lay off 7% of workforce

PayPal said last Tuesday it plans to lay off about 2,000 employees, or roughly 7% of its staff, making it the latest tech firm to announce significant job cuts in recent months amid broader economic uncertainty.

Much of the tech industry is cutting costs in response to a shift in pandemic-fueled demand for digital services and economic headwinds, including rising interest rates and fears of a looming recession. In January alone, Microsoft, Google-parent Alphabet and Salesforce each announced plans to cut thousands of workers.

Shares of PayPal are down more than 50% over the past year.

CNN Business

Last Queen of the Skies rolls off factory line

The last commercial Boeing 747, known as the Queen of the Skies and considered the world’s first jumbo jet, will be delivered to cargo carrier Atlas Air today, in what is the final rollout of the iconic aircraft. The four-engine, hump-shaped 747 is the world’s first twin-aisle airplane. It was first manufactured in 1968 and entered service with now-defunct Pan American World Airways Jan. 22, 1970, enabling people to fly faster and longer distances than before. More than 1,570 models of the aircraft have been created for both passengers and cargo. There are about 358 Boeing 747’s still in existence, including two modified military versions of the 747 airliner, which serve the US president.

NY Times

Australia’s Lost Capsule Found

Authorities in Western Australia say they have found a tiny radioactive capsule which went missing last weekend. Emergency services had “literally found the needle in the haystack”, they said. A huge search was triggered when the object was lost while being transported along a 1400km mile stretch of the desert highway route across the state. The tiny source contains cesium-137, and was part of a radiation gauge used to measure radioactivity in oil and gas processing plants. The device had been packed sometime mid-January, with the absence of the capsule only noticed last Wednesday. Officials expressed concern someone would pick it up without realizing its purpose—the exposure risk when standing about 3 metres from the capsule is roughly equal to receiving at least 10 X-rays per hour.

RNZ

Mercedes is the first certified Level-3-autonomy car company in the US

Mercedes becomes the first automaker to offer certified level three autonomous driving in the US; the technology allows features including accelerating past slower vehicles. That’s conditional hands-free driving and only in Nevada for now.

Engadget.com

Public Notice | Pānui

Creative Communities Scheme February 2023 Funding Round Open

Funding is now available for community–based arts groups for performances, events and workshops that will provide a variety of opportunities for participation in those activities.

The aim of the scheme is to increase participation in the arts at a local level, and increase the range and diversity of arts available to communities.

A funding guide is available online to assist with the application process. The guidelines and application form is available on the Council website: www.qldc.govt.nz/services/funding/arts

Funding round is now open and will close on Tuesday 28th February 2023. For any enquiries contact

Jan Maxwell Relationship Manager Arts and Events

03 441 0469 or 027 233 7934 or email jan.maxwell@qldc.govt.nz

Wānaka Airport Liason Committee: Vacancy for Chair

Queenstown Lakes District Council is seeking a Chair for the newly formed Wānaka Airport Liaison Committee.

The committee (a requirement of the District Plan) is tasked with considering and making recommendations on matters within its responsibilities and key projects detailed in the Terms of Reference.

The Airport itself is owned by Queenstown Lakes District Council with day-to-day operations delivered by Queenstown Airport Corporation under a management services agreement. The airport is home to a range of aviation-related attractions and events, such as Warbirds over Wānaka. More than 11 businesses and 250 people work in and around the airport, including scheduled domestic services to/ from Christchurch with Sounds Air, a large and growing number of helicopters offering training and charter, and NASA’s scientific research operations.

Applications for this new position are sought from suitably qualified candidates who can bring rigour and independence to the role. A person specification and the Terms of Reference are available from the QLDC website (www.qldc.govt. nz) or on request. Experience in the airport or airline/aviation industry would be an advantage. Applications will be considered by the QLDC Governance Subcommittee and final appointment made by Full Council.

Applications close on 24 February 2023 and should be sent for the attention of: Mike Theelen, Chief Executive, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Private Bag 50072, Queenstown 9300. Or, email ceo@qldc.govt.nz

Working Remotely and need your LWB weekly fix?

FERNHILL:

• Fernhill Dairy - Fernhill Road

KINGSTON:

• Kingston Corner Shop & Café

LAKE HAYES:

• The Hayes Pub - Onslow Road

Summer in your Garden

As I dip the quill in the ink it’s another sizzling hot day, nudging over 30 degrees celsius without a breath of wind. Summers arrived with a bang and so too is the garden starting to produce the goods for us, based on our spring efforts.

I have a scarce garden this year, I’ve focused all my time on building a Natural swimming pool from scratch, more on that later.

So here’s a few gardening thoughts on these long hot summer days.

If you’re lucky enough to grow garlic unscathed by the dreaded rust it’s definitely time to pull it out, let it dry in the sun, grade it into best in show, medium and not so flash. Now you have to hang it up to dry, under the eaves of a carport or shed out of the sun with good airflow usually in bunches of 6 to 8.Now work out how much garlic you want to grow next year. Your best in show is the next Junes seed. It’s one of the travesties of growing your own garlic that you don’t get to eat the biggest bulging beauties you’ve grown. Our classic spring and autumn crops that we keep bunging in the ground will struggle in these high temps wanting to bolt and go to seed.

All the brassica crops of which you could easily plant 50% of your garden in at times, need loving care in every season with our cool nights and sizzling days.

The simplest care you can do is to give them some shade using a frame of some sort, that could be hoops made from reused irrigation piping or a purchased product like the Kerilea hoops. Over these we secure some shade cloth or even better use your frost cloth.

This will give you a few weeks head start on the white butterflies that are coming hunting around now.

I have a friend who’s used big shade sails over his whole veggie garden to create this exact effect, with great success in these summer months. He leaves them up all year round.

Another friend has built large shade bed boxes to sit over his beds, same result, climate modified thankyou very much.

I use the Kerilea hoops (available from local garden centres) with frost cloth, no need to double up on shade cloth, I am considering the shade sail option over a portion of the garden. Imagine tender leafy greens at this time of year not frying in the summer sun. Hopefully readers of this article are already employing some of the above methods to keep a year round supply of tasty salad greens.

At this time of year water is crucial, if you haven’t already move tomatoes to the bottom only watering, no overhead sprinklers, this will keep diseases to a minimum. Less humidity is the enemy for most of the ‘heat’ loving crops... Zucchinis, pumpkins, tomatoes, corn, eggplants, cucumbers, capsicums and chillies.

With the extreme days consider a second timed watering session. First session should be early in the morning, the second session late in the day for some rehydration. It doesn’t have to be deep water like the first session, just enough to rehydrate the garden and soften the harshness of a sizzling day.

This is a perfect time of year to use your Compost, giving everything a few handfuls around the base of plants if you can spare it. If you have a worm farm, this is the time to harvest some vermicast and apply sparingly to the most needy and hungry looking plants. Cucumbers will thank you later, with a longer productive season with a generous application of compost or vermicast. Or maybe you’re a step ahead of the game and those cucumbers are planted on top of a winter bokashi bucket burial.

Keeping up the tender loving care, how about some homemade seaweed brew or liquid weed/comfrey tea. It’s this time of year when everything is in full super size me mode and your plants are in need of nutrients to get big and tasty. Make Sure you dilute 10 to 1. If you have some compost and vermicast available, chuck that in the liquid brew last minute, stir well and

apply too drenching root zones generously. Especially your tomatoes and pumpkins.

Mulching with lucerne or Pea Straw at this time of year is another way of feeding your plants, keeps moisture levels up, reduces evaporation rates, and keeps the soil a little cooler and your plants a little happier.

As one crop finishes you can quickly sow or plant the next. Give the bed a light covering of compost and off you go again. If planting seedlings you can chuck a handful of compost in each seedling hole. A great way to increase biological diversity in the bed and give the seedling a super boosting head start. Remember when planting new seedlings on hot days to give them some shade from the heat of the day for 2-3 days as they acclimate to their new situation.Frost cloth or shade cloth is good for this. Either plant first thing in the morning or early evening.

Back to the natural swimming pool, there’s been a bit of a global movement of these being built around the world including lots around NZ, think big pond you can swim in with plants, frogs and bugs.

The idea is to have a dedicated swim zone and a dedicated regenerative plant zone. The plants oxygenate the water and gobble up any loose nutrients floating about that would cause algae blooms. Take a look on any media site and you will see some amazing creations.

It’s amazing our natural swimming pool has only been up and running less than a month and we already have a couple of different types of water boatman insects and dragon flies buzzing around. The frogs haven’t arrived yet, they might get a little nudge. I want them as an apex bug eating predator. I have a friend with a similar pond, he released a few goldfish, now he reckons he’s in there with at least 500 of them. Not my cup of tea... Bring on the frogs…

That’s not to say everyone has the space and inclination, even a small pond without a swimming zone adds more diversity to your backyard. I have a big tub submerged in the tunnel house to ground level that has frogs in it.. The frogs pop out at night and feast on the bugs.

Happy gardening!

Dr Compost aka Ben Elms is a permaculture and gardening expert who’s been operating in the unusual Central Otago climate for over 20 years. Funded by QLDC and delivered by Wanaka Wastebusters, the Dr Compost project aims to reduce organic waste going to landfill. Got a question? Check out @drcompost on Facebook or benelms.com

TRAINBRAIN YOUR

1. Which role did Madonna play in the 1989 film Dick Tracy?

2. Which South Asian country’s government is guided by the measure of the Gross National Happiness Index?

3. What is the term for a love of anything new or novelty?

4. The Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit is in which country?

5. Which word means “created by people or caused by human activity”?

6. Which ancient Egyptian city on the Nile is now called Luxor?

7. In a trade context, what does the “E” of OPEC stand for?

8. Which character in the TV series Lost was named after an English philosopher and physician?

9. Which is the most northerly of the inhabited Shetland Islands?

10. Which gem is July’s birthstone?

11. What is the chemical symbol for methane?

12. Who wrote the 1830 poem Mariana?

13. Which is the oldest university in Scandinavia?

14. What is the main alcoholic ingredient of a planter’s punch?

15. Who composed The Flying Dutchman (1840)?

16. From which instrument’s A note does an orchestra tune up?

17. The character of Mimi features in which opera by Puccini?

18. The bassoon is a member of which woodwind family?

19. What is the title of Beethoven’s only opera?

20. What do the initials “DS” stand for on a musical score?

SUDOKU ANSWER

Valentine’s Day the cuddly summers day of love we have now didn’t start out that way. If you dig deep into it’s past, you’ll find that it has a dark past.

In ancient Rome romantics celebrated the feast of Lupercalia from February 13 to 15 where men hit on women, by hitting them. Ladies willingly lined up for a spanking as they believed this would make them fertile.

It was Shakespeare who created the romantic version we know today. The bard mentions Saint Valentine’s Day in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in Hamlet, where he alludes to two single people who meet on the morning of Saint Valentine’s Day will likely get married.

For all your Valentine’s Day gifts this year you need go no further than the ideas in this year’s Valentines feature. For something truly unique that you aren’t going to find anywhere else head to T Galleria in O’Connells Mall on Camp Street for luxury gifts which also includes offers of a beauty makeover and opportunities to win magnificent prizes.

$50 voucher draw on 15th Feb for those who booked a table with the meal course made during the promotion nights.

Fall in love with nature with us

We believe that if you really love something, you’ll want to protect it. Get closer to nature with us, and experience life-changing moments that amplify your love for nature and make you want to conserve our environment.

Fall in love at realnz.com

Ata Whenua Fiordland

Summer of love

at T Galleria Queenstown

February 10 - 11

* Purchases over $150 made in store will receive a single red rose (limited numbers available)

February 10-11

* Get Valentine's date-ready with beauty makeovers from our experienced makeup artists and luxury brands. For NZ$100, book your 45-minute appointment at our concierge, and additionally receive NZ$100 in gift vouchers to spend on beauty products on the day of your treatment.

February 24-26

*Receive a scratch card for each spend of $150 or above and be in to win luxury prizes valued at up to $10,000. Prizes include a Chloé tote bag, Gucci sunglasses, a $500 beauty hamper, Moët & Chandon champagne, a romantic NZ getaway, treats and gift vouchers! Open

It’s a summer of love for us here in Queenstown, with luxurious gift prizes, full makeovers and exclusive savings in store for you!

NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival dates announced

By Paul Taylor

The 2023 NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival will run in Wanaka from 23 to 27 June, in Queenstown 29 to 30 June and online from 23 June to 23 July.

The festival is now in its 21st year and its co-founder and director, Mark Sedon, says he’s delighted that the event has become such an eagerly anticipated fixture on the Queenstown Lakes events calendar.

“We have a very loyal local following but people also come from all over the country to watch the films, enjoy the talks and to catch up with old friends, it’s a really community-focused event,” Sedon says.

“This is where adventures are shared and plans for new ones are made. There’s a real buzz in the air and you can’t help but feel inspired.”

For those who aren’t able to attend the seven-day festival in person, the online festival has become an increasingly popular option and in 2022, the number of online viewers matched the number of attendees.

“We were a little reluctant to show our films online at first,” explains Sedon. “Bringing people together for the festival and encouraging them to visit the Southern Alps is an important part of what we do but, of course, Covid forced us to adapt a few years ago and introducing the online festival has turned out to be a very good thing.

“It opens the festival up to more people generally and helps us reach a few younger fans which is also one of our goals. We want to inspire the next generation to take on their own adventures and then share them with the world.”

Another way in which festival organisers reach out to younger adventurers and film enthusiasts is through the free schools’ sessions. 300 secondary school students attended the Wanaka session in 2022 enjoying a selection of films and a talk by award-winning filmmaker Maddy Whittaker. This year, Queenstown students will also have the opportunity to attend a free session at the Queenstown Memorial Centre. Transport costs for school groups are covered by the NZ Mountain Film Festival Charitable Trust.

The festival is a competitive event with the finalists of the film and book competitions making up the festival programme. Competition entries opened on 1 January and entries have already been received from around the globe as well as throughout New Zealand. The NZ Mountain Film Festival is a member of the International Alliance of Mountain Film and has built a reputation for attracting world-class films. The Grand Prize winner is awarded US$1000.

As New Zealand’s only adventure filmmakers’ competition the organisers are also keen to support Kiwi creatives and adventurers and offer a $2500 (NZD) prize for the Best New Zealand made film. Last year’s winner was 21-year-old director Maddy Whittaker, a former student of the Adventure Film School run every year as part of the NZ Mountain Film Festival.

The Mountain Book competition is an opportunity for writers to showcase their work and win prizes, with the Nankervis/Bamford NZ Mountain Book of the Year awarded a generous $2000 prize.

Authors have until 30 March to submit entries for the NZ Mountain Book competition while the deadline for the Film competition is 20 April. The festival programme will be announced on 23 May with tickets sale launched the same day. A limited number of festival passes will be available from 1 May giving access to all shows in either Wanaka or Queenstown and these typically sell out well before opening night. Find out more at mountainfilm.nz

Award-winning filmmaker Maddy Whittaker gave a talk to youngsters at last year’s fest

Crankworx Summer Series returns

By Paul Taylor

The ultimate mountain biking road trip is returning to Queenstown Lakes next month with the Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand. The series will showcase four iconic Kiwi mountain biking destinations across the South Island: Queenstown, Wanaka, Cardrona and Alexandra. From 28 February to 12 March, 2023, local and up-and-coming riders will have the opportunity to race alongside national and international heroes.

Pro-riders set to compete include Jenna Hastings, Harriet Burbidge-Smith, Tracey Hannah, Bas van Steenbergen, and Matt Walker.

The series will begin in Alexandra, where riders will compete in a five-stage enduro, at Matangi Station MTB. Riders will then travel to Wanaka, where they will race head-to-head in the Wanaka Dual Slalom at Bike Glendhu. The third stop of the Crankworx Summer Series is a downhill event that will take place at Cardrona Bike Park. The series will conclude in Queenstown, at the Kerry Drive Reserve Pump Track.

“This summer marks a significant calendar reset and the Summer Series paves the road to Crankworx Rotorua’s return as the first stop on the Crankworx World Tour,” says Ariki Tibble, Event Director for Crankworx Rotorua and Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand (CSS NZ).

“The Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand was such a blast back in 2021, and this year we are delivering a similar number of events at all the same great venues, but in quite a different global environment compared to what was in 2021.

“We have the Summer Series confirmed until 2027 which means we have a unique opportunity to try things out and adapt over the long term which is really exciting from an event organizer’s perspective.” For pros, the race win will be up for grabs, along with points for the overall M/F Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand Champs titles. Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand is also open for Open and CWNEXT (U19) categories and welcomes everyone, from first-time racers to seasoned pros. Anyone keen to follow the action from CSS NZ should follow along with @crankworx and @crankworxrotorua on Instagram for updates and results as they come

Photo: Crankworx

Keeping It Simple – Set In Stone

By Sue Fea

A talented West Coast mother daughter duo –second and third generation stone collectors and carvers, have turned their love of precious stones into a successful boutique business, aptly named Simply Stone West Coast.

For Sara Cranston, who grew up on the Coast, precious stones like pounamu are in the blood. Her grandfather, Peter Tennant (‘PT’), was renowned on the Coast as one of its foremost greenstone carvers. She and her carver mother, Mia, are now carrying on that tradition with Sara moving her arm of the business from Wanaka to Queenstown in the next few months.

Based in Greymouth, Peter (PT), who has since passed away, sourced his pounamu from up in the mountains in the days when this was permitted. “He and a few mates used to have their own claim down in Haast,” she says. Peter’s work is still in circulation around family and friends and one of his beautiful mauri (touchstone) pieces – a sculpture, is still on display in the Mawhera Art Gallery. “Grandad is also mentioned in a book about pounamu,” says Sara.

Now operating stands at Creative Markets in the Queenstown Lakes region with Mia, Sara says customers will often stop by, wearing pieces created by Mia, who’s been carving for 30 years, and PT.

“It wasn’t until Grandad died and Mum inherited his supply of beautiful stone and all of his tools that she taught herself to carve,” says Sara. It seems the love of precious stones is just in the family line. Sara returned from 10 years working overseas and travelling the globe as a stewardess on private superyachts and, based in Queenstown, she would enjoy rock hunting with her mum around Haast.

“I moved to Wanaka and just started working with Mum, who still does a lot of our carving and jewellery making. I’ve always been creative and artistic and I fell in love with it,” says Sara, who studied art at tertiary level. “I found a bit of Aotea rock once and Mum said, “It’s time. That’s a sign.’ That’s New Zealand’s second rarest rock and only found in the South Island.”

Mia and Sara like to keep the stones they carve and create from in as raw a form as possible,

showcasing the style and colours of the rock with basic soft edges.

Many carvers exclusively work with pounamu or nephrite jade, but Sara says she and Mia love to explore the many different minerals and forgotten stones of the South Island’s wild and wonderful coastlines. “We work a lot with schist, serpentinite, greywacke and jasper, also with rarer varieties like rhodonite and Aotea.”

“We’ve learned over the years all about the different minerals in the stones we collect. In Otago we get the beautiful purple schist aroha (love) stone, whereas around Haast there’s a big green schist belt,” she says.

“If you walk up the Shotover Valley you can look down and see purple schist with beautiful mica crystal creating a shimmery effect all through it.” There are three types of pounamu – jade (greenstone), serpentinite and bowenite (tangiwai), which is generally found around Milford. “The Anita Bay version from there has the most beautiful gold lines through it,” says Sara. “We find rocks and recycle them up but they’re still in their natural form.”

Besides pounamu pieces, their fossilised shell rock and pink rhodonite pieces made from stone collected near Dunedin, are popular with customers online and at the markets.

Sara’s hoping to expand her carving into more creative artwork from her new Queenstown studio base this year and has been working with professional framers in the region to get just the right fit. “I’m still just learning to carve, but Mum’s been doing it for so long. I don’t wear a lot of jewellery so I’m starting to create artworks that I can frame,” she says. “My dream is to exhibit my work and the pieces that I’ve created in an art gallery setting.”

Sara’s planning to move as soon as accommodation becomes available, while Mia will remain working from her home base studio in Barrytown on the West Coast.

See www.simplystonewestcoast.com or stop by Queenstown Market on the lakefront on Saturdays.

Mia (left) and Sara catch up on their latest creations

Sara, (right centre) deep in creative mode working on her latest pieces, a few of which are featured in photos above and below

Arts+Culture

A stunning night of opera in Springpointer Garden

by Jess Allen

This Sunday, Springpointer Garden in Arrowtown will be taken over by an array of talented opera performers. Arrowtown Creative Arts Society (ACAS) and Auckland Opera Studio will present Twilight Opera. This is an evening for everyone, where you’re encouraged to bring a picnic, a drink or two and while chairs are provided, often people prefer to bring their own – then just sit back for the evening and enjoy the show.

The Twilight Opera has been immensely popular in the past, and 2023 marks the third year that ACAS have put it on. This year’s performance includes a number of Auckland Opera Studio performers who are travelling down for the event. It will be set up in the stunning residence of Shari and Grant Stalker, who have generously offered up the area for the night. Bob Berry is one of the committee members at ACAS and has been helping to organise the event.

“The Art Society’s initiative is to bring the Auckland Opera Studio down here, and in conjunction with them agree on who’s going to perform. We expect over 300 people – we’ve been very fortunate in the past to have fantastic weather and being in the evening, they’re very relaxed events with some stunning presentations from some of the opera stars.

“It’s a mix of classical and more popular presentations. So, it’s not all classical for the night – there’s a mixture that suits all ages and probably all tastes, we hope. I think the Stalker venue is a little bit of a natural arena, so it couldn’t be a better venue as far as the stars are concerned – to hear them at their best,” says Bob.

ACAS was created to help Arrowtown community to become a hub for the creative arts. Their goals include helping their members to improve their exposure, providing skills and development opportunities, putting on art events, and to provide spaces where members can work, exhibit, meet, and improve their skills. All events that the society run go back into creating more programmes and events for the arts within the area. The stellar line-up on the night consists of great talent. Performers include Soprano Amelia Berry, who made her debut with the New Zealand Opera in 2013 and has performed around the world, and Siddharth (Sid) Chand, who is a New Zealand-born Fijian-Indian Tenor who has performed Handel’s Messiah with Pakuranga Choral Society and Harbour Voices. South Korean-born New Zealand pianist Somi Kim will also take the stage – one of Aotearoa’s most sought-after pianists.

“It’s one of ACAS’ major events of the year. It’s going to be a wonderful, relaxed evening – sit back, enjoy your picnic and enjoy the opera stars, which will perform over approximately three hours – it will be a stunning experience,” says Bob.

Twilight Opera will take place this Sunday, 12 February, at Springpointer Garden, Arrowtown. Adult tickets are $83.30 and children under 16 are free – tickets are available at Arrowtown Pharmacy. You can find more information on the performers and purchase tickets online at eventfinda.co.nz/2023/twilight-opera/queenstown-

Roam Central’s inaugural event hugely successful

By Jess Allen

An array of Central Otago’s winemakers and food producers joined forces from 26 – 29 January to bring us Roam Central. The schedule included 19 events that were spread across 38 wineries and involved dozens of chefs and food producers. All the events were jam-packed and received overwhelmingly positive feedback, and it’s set to return in 2024.

Roam Central was put together by the Central Otago Winegrowers’ Association (COWA) with a goal in mind of bringing produce direct to the consumer. The events on offer included the flagship Roam the Valley Wine & Food Festival at Cargo Cellar Door, which was praised for its great music, and several Roam the Vines events – brunches in various vineyards. There were also a few other pop-up events including an art and wine class, and six Roam Around Town events – hosted at local restaurants, these featured the winemakers who were sharing the pairing of the food and wine alongside the chefs.

“Our vision for Roam Central was to create a summer celebration of what’s produced on our doorstep, for locals and visitors alike. It’s about sharing our love of life in Central Otago and the Southern Lakes with others.

“I think this is something that the community has been looking for and coming out of post-Covid times, it was a great showcase. We were absolutely thrilled with the uptake of tickets across all of the events. For the Wine & Food Festival, we were really happy with the numbers of a little over 1500 people there for the inaugural event,” says Jo.

All the events either sold out or came very close to and the consensus in feedback was that it was really lovely to be able to meet the winemakers, ask them questions and try unique wines. Many of the wines on offer at the restaurant and brunch events were library-stock wines, which are generally brought out only for special occasions. Jo Brown is the Event Manager at COWA and has been helping to pull the event together – with planning started 12 months ago.

Throughout its development, COWA has worked in collaboration with local industries to ensure a successful event for all. It was the first time wine producers and artisans in Central Otago had all collaborated together to deliver a series of bespoke events, all of which did a stellar job at highlighting the region’s best.

“We’re thrilled with year one and we’re super grateful for all of the community who chose to come out, support and buy tickets, and experience all of these wonderful unique propositions that we were able to provide the community. We’re really looking forward to building on the wonderful platform that we created in year one,” says Jo.

Roam Central will go ahead for the second time in 2024. You can stay up-todate with what’s coming up at the Roam Central Facebook and Instagram pages, or keep an eye on roamcentral.co.nz

HOSPO GUIDE

Taco Tuesday $3 tacos

Wing Wednesday 20c wings Thursday 1/2 price fajitas

Mad Monday $5 tacos & $1 wings

HAPPY HOUR FROM 4-6PM EVERY DAY! $12 MARGARITAS AND BEERS FROM $7

Wednesday DJ Bill from 9pm and Happy Hour Drinks ALL night!

Thursday 20% off pizzas

Dine in or takeaway

the finest in soul, hip hop and funk

Fri, Sat & Sun Happy hour 4pm-6pm on selected tap beers, wines and spirits

Wednesday - Sunday Happy Hour 5-6pm $16 margaritas and $10 selected tap beers

Sunday Sunday only BBQ platter Special $28 per person on Chef’s selection of BBQ meats, sides and sauces 12pm till close or sold out. Bookings are highly recommended! 03 442 5444

Friday $18 Double cheeseburger, fries & a house drink

Saturday Signature Cocktail Specials

CLOSED MONDAYS, NOW OPEN ON TUESDAYS

Open 4pm - 10pm

Tuesday – Saturday 47 Camp Street misslucys.co.nz

The T The Bunker

Every day Happy hour 4-6pm MON-FRI

Every day Try our Bavarian Fest! 2 hours beverage package & all-you-caneat meat $89

7 FEBRUARY - 13 FEBRUARY

Wednesday All-You-CanMeat!

Oktoberfest Saturdays $35 Oktoberfest Package! Dirndls, games and steins!

FREE VENUE HIRE

Wednesday Silent Disco 9.30pm Three Colours, Three Channels, Three Djs

Bangers with DJ Tess 9pm HAPPY HOUR 3-5pm EVERY DAY! $9 Whakatipu Brewing pints & $9 house wines!

Friday DJ Grizzly, Ben Lock & R!SK 5pm

Live sky sports every day!

Thursday Open Mic Night 9pm Bring your mates, play whatever!

Wednesday Hospo Night with DJ Ribera 10-Late

Saturday DJ Tess 9pm

Sunday Sunday Sessions with Danny Atkinson 2pm Ben Lock, 5pm Late Nights with DJ Yuki, 10pm

Tuesday - Sunday NEW MENU FROM MOJO KAI!

Dillinja Cream

Tickets online Thursday Thirsty Thursday with Dannika Peach 10-Late

13 Taps of local and NZ craft beer and cider! Saturday Redbull Fox Hunt Downhill Mountain Bike Afterparty, 5pm

T&Cs apply, contact us on 03 442 9995 or email queenstown@lonestar.co.nz to plan your next function.

T&Cs apply, contact us on 03 442 9995 or email queenstown@lonestar.co.nz to plan your next function.

Friday

DJ Lenni Vibe 10-Late

DJ Risk 10-Late

Remarkables Park The bottle store with something more

Available 12-9pm OPEN 7 DAYS: 9am - Late Corner

GOINGS ON ABOUT

EVENTS - MUSIC - ART THEATRE - AT THE GALLERIES

COMMUNITY

Electrical Repair Day

Is your toaster toasted? Or perhaps your laptop’s not charging tip-top? Whatever the issue, visit Wanaka Wastebusters to see if their fixing wizards can give your beloved electronics another lease on life!

Two registered electrician Russell Stephens and fixing superhero Greg Fawcett will have a go at fixing anything in the realms of electrical appliances and electronics.

The ability to repair is dependent on the complexity of the repair, the time it will take, and the availability of parts. Everything brought in will be assessed and If they can’t repair it, you’ll get some ideas on what you can do instead. There will be a subsidised charge depending on the repair, which will be discussed with the repairer prior to commencing any fixing.

When: Saturday February 11 between 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Where: Wanaka Wastebusters front yard, Ballantyne Road, Wanaka

Grow Wanaka Community Garden

The Grow Wanaka Community Garden is holding a series of workshops and working bees at the gardens. February workshops include edible landscaping with Ben Ems aka Dr Compost, herbal tea making with Loran Verpillot from Herbal Culture. There are volunteer working bees everty Saturday morning from 9:30am. For more information email info@growwanaka.com

When: - Edible Landscapes, Saturday February 11 at 10am - Herbal Tea making with Loran, Saturday February 18 at 9:00am

Where: Wanaka Community Garden, Outlet Road, Wanaka

Turn Up the Music After-school Programmes

As schools return so does many of the after-school activities. If your kids ever wanted to get involved with an instrument, join an orchestra or a band, now might be the time. Turn Up The Music Trust’s Term One programmes are about to get underway and there are some spaces available in some of their programmes. The Orchestra and Concert band practices weekly and there is a new programme called Try Out the Music which is 10 weekly sessions where children aged 5-10 can try out different instruments and genres in a playful and interactive way. To find out more email info@ turnupthemusic.co.nz

• Try Out The Music - Pick an instrument or try a range on instruments and styles for ages 5-10, the programme runs for 10 weeks on Tuesdays from 3:30pm – 4:15pm at Te Atamira

• Orchestra Term one runs Tuesday from 14th Feb at 5:00pm – 5:45pm at Te Atamira

• Concert Band runs Tuesdays from 3:15pm – 4:00pm at ABA Church, 47B Industrial Place

Te Atamira Afterschool Programmes

Enrol your tamariki for Te Atamira’s creative and fun Afterschool programmes are from 3:30pm5pm. Mondays - Creative Producers - Ages 13

18, Tuesdays - Rangatahi Workshops - Ages 13

18, Wednesdays - 3D Creative Fun - Ages 5 – 12, Thursdays - 2D Creative Fun - Ages 5 – 12. Visit teatamira.nz for more information.

When: Monday – Thursdays, 3:30pm – 5:30pm, Term time

Where: Te Atamira, Remarkables Park Town Centre

Motorcycling enthusiasts - Shiny Side Up Talk Series

This is a free event for anyone interested in motorcycling.

CLUBS

Tech gurus and motorcycling experts travel the country to the Bike Fest events, they stop along the way for the evening Talk Series. A perfect opportunity for the local motorbike community to get together and pick up some new tips while also getting to ask those burning questions. The aim of the talks is to create discussion and have you leaving with new knowledge you didn’t have before.

There’s also an opportunity to get advice from Dave Moss on your bikes suspension. He will be available to chat and take a look before and after the talks.

Light refreshments are provided along with fun and laughter with a whole lot of know how.

More information about the speakers is available online at shinysideup.co.nz No booking or ticket is required.

When: Tuesday 14 February 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Where: Lake Hayes Pavilion, 719 Gibbston Hwy, RD 1, Queenstown

MUSIC

“Blues & Suede Shoes” Charlotte Graf with Ginger & Tonic

Blues & Suede Shoes - The Journey of Elvis Presley’s Love Child returns this week at the Blue Door in Arrowtown. The King of Rock n Roll through the eyes of his love child, Charlotte Graf is an entertaining, light-hearted look at Elvis Presley’s life, his loves and his music that fused the Blues, Gospel & Country to deliver Rock and Roll to the world.

Ginger and Tonic are Martin Rylev (Bass) Alex Pyle (Guitar), Nigel Hirst (Saxophone) and Martin Roy Guy (drums) with lead singer Charlotte Graf. Tickets are available online from Eventbrite.

When: Thursday 9 February with two shows 6:30pm & 8:30pm

Where: The Blue Door, 18 Buckingham Street Arrowtown

Dunedin Jazz Club - Bill Martin Septet

Leading players from the Dunedin Jazz scene will perform compositions from pianist Bill Martin’s new album “Over to You”, as well as a number of new tunes that will form the basis of a new album in 2023. The line-up includes symphonic horn players Ralph Miller (trumpet) and Nick Cornish (alto saxophone), young guns Isaac Randel (tenor saxophone) and Finn McKinlay (trombone), as well as band leader Bill Martin (piano), Andy Lynch (bass) and Carl Woodward (drums). Ticket online at eventfinda.

When: Sunday 12 February 3:00pm – 5:00pm Where: Lake Wanaka Centre, 89 Ardmore St, Wanaka

Twilight Opera

Auckland Opera Studio and Arrowtown Creative Arts Society are presenting Twilight Opera in Springpointer Garden which is the stunning residence of Shari and Grant Stalker. The evening will feature a repertoire of popular operatic and theatre music featuring performers and musicians with international and domestic credentials including: Carla Camilleri, Soprano Amelia Berry Tenor Oliver Sewell, Baritone Samson Setu and New Zealand pianist Somi Kim.

Guests are invited to arrive at 4.30pm for a 5pm start and bring your own refreshments and picnic hampers, or pre-order a hamper from Taste and Savour. Tickets from eventfinda.

When: Sunday 12 February 5:00pm – 9:00pm

Where: Springpointer Garden, 70 Lower Shotover Road, Arrowtown

Markets - Remarkables Market Twilight Food Markets

Only two opportunities left to go along to The Remarkables Market Twilight Food Markets It’s Al fresco dining at its best in this glorious summer season. With a wide range of dinner and dessert options available, plus a bar on site and kids entertainment and live music, the Twilight markets are fun family evening.

When: Wednesday February 8 and 15 from 4:00pm to 8:30pm

Where: Red Barn, Hawthorne Drive, Frankton

Arts - In Conversation: Sue Gardiner and Karen Gardiner

Sue Gardiner MNZM and Karen Gardiner, co-directors of the Chartwell Trust and creators of Squiggla are holding a conversation and morning tea on Thursday morning. The presentation will explore how everyone can come to know themselves as creative thinkers.

Squiggla is a hands-on, all ages programme that places a clear focus on mark making to unlock creative flow.

When: Thursday 9 February at 11:00am

Where: Te Atamira, Remarkables Park Town Centre

Book Signing - Meet and Greet with local author Franciska Soares

Bright Ink is holding a conversation with local author Franciska Soares to kick off Valentines Day and they are sharing some Sparkling Muscato Cuvee, handcrafted chocolate along with a book signing of Soares is the newly published author of ‘They Whisper in My Blood’. A feel-good saga of two families: One Indian and one Portuguese, who are thrown together by colonialism, severed by the cruelty of disparate cultures but united ultimately by the power of love, ‘They Whisper in My Blood’ captures the deep essence of the struggles endured by those of us who are mangled by tradition, prejudices, superstitions and snobbery bred out of xenophobia.

‘They Whisper in My Blood’ will be available for purchase at the signing event.

When: Saturday 11 February between 11:30am – 1:30pm

Where: Bright Ink, 26 Hansen Street, Frankton

Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert

Four fantastic international acts will star at the Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert this weekend- ZZ Top, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Stone Temple Pilots and The Angels.

It’ll be 35 years since ZZ Top played in New Zealand. ZZ Top are famous for their mix of rock, blues, and boogie, with hugely popular albums such as Eliminator and Afterburner.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo are one of the most formidable power couples in rock history. With no less than 14 songs having reached the NZ Top 50 singles charts and spanning a career of over 43 years.

Tickets online at eventfinda.

When: Saturday 11 February 11:00am – 6:15pm

Where: Gibbston Valley Winery, 1820 State Highway 6, Queenstown

If you would like your show, event, exhibition or meeting promoted in Goings On drop me a line at davidgibbs@qmg.co.nz with the details.

Art - Poison Creek Sculpture Project

Poison Creek Sculpture Project evolves and grows a little each year and the 22/23 season, called Deliberation, is their third. The project aims to celebrate New Zealand’s finest sculptors and rising stars. Enjoy outdoor works on former farmland overlooking the Upper Clutha Basin, and see smaller works in their home gallery.

Bookings are at enquiries@poisoncreek.nz. Entry is by koha.

When: Saturday and Sunday 11 | 12 February between 1:00pm and 5:00pm

Where: 43 Briar Wood Lane, Queensberry Hills

‘Space Oddities’ Gardens Show

This year’s Remarkables Theatre Company Gardens Show is ‘Space Oddities’ which brings together all the favourite sketches from across the universe. Think Star Wars, Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Star Trek, Pigs in Space, Red Dwarf, Mork and Mindy and more! This super fun promenade theatre show will take place in Queenstown Gardens as audience and cast roams around the pond, moving from open air stage to open air stage full of comedy and drama sketches, songs and the odd dance.

When: 17 – 19 February. Fri 6:00pm | Sat and Sun 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm

Where: Queenstown Gardens Rotunda

Artificial

Bring your own container and photo to show placement, then select your favourite flowers/colour and I can work within your budget (no arranging fee).

Many specials instore!

flowers and greenery can be so amazingly

by Sue Fea

My Life Story

DOUG CHAMPION CHAMPION OF THE BAR AND FRONT OF HOUSE FUNNYMAN

One bleak English day while operating a digger a young Doug Champion saw a plane passing over and thought, “Gee, I want to be somewhere else’. An Agricultural College graduate, he worked hard in his transport company job saving to travel, buying a 327pound one-way ship-jet ticket from England to Perth. It was a week-long journey. The middle of five kids, he left life in Suffolk behind. Family life was great, holidays in Cornwall with grandparents, and Doug joined the Young Farmers Club. “But unless you had an Old Boys school tie on there you didn’t get anywhere,” says Doug.

He went from sweeping a hair salon floor to driving a combine harvester in the searing 40-degree Western Australian heat along the famous Rabbit-Proof Fence-line, 14 hours a day. More travel eventually wooed him to NZ.

Doug, now a 45-year Kiwi hospitality veteranmost of those years in Queenstown, landed his first job in the industry as barman at The Great Northern Hotel in Auckland – a men’s only business bar. Work at the Intercontinental, then Akarana Tavern on the waterfront followed – the place to be. “When the cruise ships came in it was 10-deep at the bar, all the rich guys in their flares turned up in E-type Jaguars with the ladies all dollied up,” recalls Doug. It was 10pm closing back then and the rules were strict. “They put fire alarms on to get everybody out.”

He joined two Kiwi friends on a trip south, tramping at Nelson Lakes, then on to Queenstown. “The South Island was like another Paradise. The bus came down the West Coast – mostly a metal road, and the driver was throwing newspapers out the door as we passed people’s gates. I couldn’t

believe it. They’d have been nicked in the UK.” Doug landed a job as cocktail barman at Trans Hotel (now Rydges) where resident band Chord 3’s Peter Doyle soon recognised his quick wit, Doug doing a few stand-up comedy gigs during downtime at the bar.

“We lived in staff houses beside the hotel. I had accommodation, free food and power,” says Doug. “It was great. I met my (future) lawyer, accountant, bank manager, doctor, and even realtor John Royds who sold me my first section off a handshake, all at Eichardt’s Pub. I thought this is bloody wonderful. I never locked my house or car.”

However, law enforcement was needed on occasion. A desperate Doug called legendary Police Sergeant Warwick Maloney to Trans after a brawl broke out when two overstaying drunks wouldn’t leave and one punched the manager. Sergeant Maloney pulled up out front where Doug and his managers had wrestled the two men to, via the lift. “One of them then took a swing at Maloney, who picked him up and put him over the bonnet of his car. As he went to lift him away the guy’s right leg got caught between the wheel and fender, then it fell off!” says Doug. “We were gobsmacked, then we realised he had an artificial leg! Maloney picked up the culprit and put him in the back seat, leg in behind him, turned to us and said, “Don’t say a word.”

The Lion Inn at Trans was Queenstown’s first disco, offering a $2.50 three-course meal, and DJ. Doug also operated a movie theatre for a time at Trans with Mark Quickfall.

After one fancy dress staff party an overindulged patron was loaded into the baggage carrier

and transported via lift to the back of what was thought to be his Austin Maxi. “We got the wrong car and the waitress drove home with him on her backseat, not noticing until she went to work the next day. He was still fast asleep.”

After meeting partner, Jo, they managed a motor inn in Palmerston North where Doug was confronted, alone at the bar, by the local ‘mafia’ at closing time, one revealing the gun holster inside his jacket.

He and Jo managed Country Lodge for two years, scoring two round the world plane tickets as a bonus.

Tighter drink driving laws meant Queenstown needed another upmarket downtown dining option and in 1985 Doug and fellow Brit, Roger Goddard, built Britannia – a popular nauticalthemed restaurant, replacing Bumble’s Nightclub. “Tony Robertson, of Minami Restaurant, and I were the first to offer live crayfish in tanks.”

Here Doug became renowned for his front-ofhouse banter and before long his one-off Fawlty Towers impersonation nights were in demand at other restaurants – Mike Legge as Basil, Doug as Manuel and Jo as Sybil. Pharmacist Geoff Bradley’s brightly-coloured Australian parrot tie fell victim to one of these Fawlty Towers pranks one night.

Doug and Jo sold out of Britannia in 2000, taking on other roles, including a Monty’s partnership, before buying Amity Lodge Motel. In 2018 they sold up and retired to Pisa Moorings.

“Queenstown and its people have been great to me, but it was time,” says Doug.

Britannia Waves The Rules – Doug, right, with Micha Lenk, left, and staff, hamming it up at the Winter Festival Parade in the late 1980s.

Top photo – Doug, front, as Manuel, during a Fawlty Towers night in the 1980s with, from left, partner Jo – Sybil, Mike Legge – Basil, and Dani Benson – Polly

New Zealand’s tax system is under the spotlight (again). What needs to change to make it fair?

Author: Lisa Marriott, Professor of Taxation, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Aotearoa New Zealand’s new Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, has said we should look at ways to make the tax system fairer. Finance associate minister David Parker made a similar point almost a year ago, though there was little real action after his comments.

Generally, people don’t object to fairness. The problem is that we don’t all agree on what fairness looks like – especially when it comes to tax.

Nonetheless, several commentators and politicians have outlined what they believe to be the ideal structure of a fairer tax system.

Tax everyone, or tax those who earn the most?

Some of these ideas include reducing income tax rates and increasing the goods and services tax (GST).

Whether you think either of these is fair will depend on whether you see fairness as everyone paying the same via GST – or people paying differently according to their ability to pay through income tax.

Of course, a tax system generally has components of both.

A GST could be considered fair as everyone who buys the same good or service pays the same amount of tax.

But a GST cannot take into account ability to pay. Higher income earners generally pay more GST overall, as they can afford to buy more goods and services. However, they pay less GST as a proportion of their income. Increasing GST to fund lower income taxes would have the greatest impact on those who have the least income.

The current economic environment is also a factor. At a time when inflation is over 7%, is it fair to increase the tax on almost every good or service that will be consumed?

Targeting wealth

By way of contrast, if you believe fairness results from ability to pay, then Cameron Bagrie’s suggestion of a wealth tax is relevant.

Data from Stats NZ shows that household wealth inequality in New Zealand is significantly greater than income inequality. The richest 20% of households own around 184 times the median household wealth of the lowest 20%: NZ$2,024,000 vs NZ$11,000. The median net worth is $397,000.

As the top 10% of New Zealand households hold around 50% of New Zealand’s total household net worth, there is a strong argument that taxing some of this wealth is fair.

Bagrie also suggests reducing income taxes. No one would argue that there hasn’t been a certain level of bracket creep in recent years. But whether reductions in income taxes are fair depends on how they are reduced and, again, your views on fairness.

When the lowest income tax rate is reduced, this benefits not only the lowest income earners, but all other income earners. When middle or higher income tax rates are reduced, only those who have middle or high income benefit – low income earners miss out.

That said, income inequality is less pronounced than wealth inequality. Data from Stat NZ shows that, as at June 2021, the highest 20% annual household median income was around four times that of the lowest 20%. This also supports an argument for focusing on wealth taxes.

A further argument for a wealth tax comes from the suggestion that the wealthy pay a small proportion of their total income in tax. This is because we comprehensively tax income in NZ but we do not comprehensively tax wealth. Is it fair that 42% of millionaires pay tax rates below those of the lowest income earners?

Capital gains under the spotlight

Taxes become particularly politicised in election years, but perhaps none more so than the suggestion of wealth taxes.

So, what are wealth taxes? These are taxes on assets, such as land or shares. A capital gains tax is a wealth tax, as is an inheritance tax or a land tax. The different terminology refers to what is specifically included in the tax. One of the benefits of wealth taxes is they can be flexible by way of what is included or excluded. This flexibility means some assets can be excluded if there are good policy reasons to do so, such as productive land or owneroccupied homes.

Fairness might be just collecting what’s due

The challenge for any proposed tax reduction is how it will be paid for. If we want to think more broadly around tax and fairness, we could invest more resources into collecting tax that is due.

Inland Revenue wrote off $688 million of tax debt in the year to 30 June 2022 and $812 million in the previous year.

This write off is not the result of tax evasion or fraud. This happens when people, such as those who are self-employed, have earned the income but do not pay the tax that is due.

Non-payment of tax is not an option for a wage or salary earner: is it fair that this is an “option” available to others? Greater investment in debt collection is another way of increasing fairness in the tax system.

Whatever your perspective on what a fair tax system looks like – whether it be increased GST, changes to income tax, or targeted wealth tax – one thing is certain. Tax is going to be a 2023 election year issue and we’re all going to be talking about it in the months to come.

You can’t beat a good Brazilian party

By Sue Fea

They’re the life and party of our community and while most of them can speak our lingo fluently last weekend’s (January 28) First Brazilian Day was a wonderful chance to speak their own.

More than 100 local Brazilians turned out in searing 29degC heat at Country Lane on Saturday to connect and celebrate their culture.

Organised by Brazilian Kiwi Fabiola Correa, and two Brazilian friends Jordana O’Shea and Claudia Smith, the event was made possible through a $1000 Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group ‘Connecting Communities Fund’ grant.

Fabiola says Queenstown Lakes District Council Welcoming Communities coordinator Silvia Dancose told her the Wakatipu’s other migrant communities were tapping into the fund to connect and celebrate their cultures, but the Brazilians hadn’t.

She and her friends applied and received the grant late last year. “We were planning to do something for the Football World Cup, but everyone was so busy and the Brazilians weren’t winning,” she grins.

arrivals, who spoke very limited English, found it very helpful to be able to gather and speak Portuguese and connect with others in the community. Silvia says many migrant communities locally have successfully applied for the funding and staged various events. There are usually three funding rounds a year.

“It’s an opportunity for each migrant group to come together and show Kiwi family a snippet of their heritage,” she says. For some it’s about tasting new foods and learning old crafts, or a new skill. “Most migrants get by in English, but it’s great to do something in their own language and share skills that they’re not necessarily able to use in their work here, such as journalism or teaching,” says Silvia.

“We’ve had events for the Nepalese community, Sri Lankan, Japanese, Danish, Latinos, and the Indian community used the funds to run Bhangra traditional folk dance,” she says. The local Chilean community is using its grant from this month (February) to run a series of artistic expression workshops, teaching basic dramatization and improvisation, and promoting

Saturday’s event featured live Brazilian music with Gustavo, a local musician, much singing by the celebratory Brazilians, face painting for the kids – and parents, and delicious traditional Brazilian food with Bia’s Kitchen and Sugary Patisserie on hand. Coxinha, cheeseballs, sweet brigadeiro and beijinho, all slid down a treat.

The first of the food was free, thanks to the funding, and it was “absolutely a Brazilian day – very hot”, says Fabiola, already honoured in the 2019 Spirit of the Wakatipu Awards with two awards for her selfless dedication to the local community.

Brazilians made their way over from Wanaka and Cromwell to join in and it was such a hit that Fabiola says they’re hoping to raise even more funding for a bigger and better Brazilian Day next year. “We’d love to have had pony rides for the kids and a Bouncy Castle.”

It was a wonderful way for local Brazilians to connect and make new friends. “It was a great atmosphere and opportunity to share our culture,” says Fabiola. “It’s great just to know there’s a lot of support locally.” New Brazilian student

integration and development of interpersonal skills. “These will be led by a Spanish-speaking teacher of drama, also offering tips and advice on body language and expression, which is so helpful for people speaking English as a second language,” says Silvia. The Wakatipu’s French community is using its grant to gather for a Petanque Day, sharing some French cheese, pate and baguettes.

“It’s the perfect opportunity for these people to share their skills and celebrate their own cultural traditions,” she says. “They really know how to connect amongst themselves.”

The funding was made available through MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) as part of the country’s post-Covid response to help migrant communities reset and recover.

To check when the next funding round opens see: www.southernhealth.nz/ConnectingCommunitiesFundApply

Some of the more than 100 local Brazilians who celebrated First Brazilian Day at Country Lane.

From left – Members of the Brazilian community enjoy First Brazilian Day at Country Lane; Fabiola Correa (left) and little Anthony Burton; A selection of some of the traditional Brazilian delights on offer at First Brazilian Day; Sophia (right) and Micaela Boeira-Jackson enjoying the celebration

Global resort brands eye prime Queenstown land

A prime piece of Queenstown land coveted by international ultraluxury resort brands is now on the open market for the first time.

The preeminent landholding on Lodge Road, Jack’s Point, is expected to sell for more than $40 million. It encompasses more than 24 hectares of land with phenomenal views of the Queenstown landscape, four hectares of which have been allocated as a Special Purpose zone for comprehensive development.

New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty sales associate Matt Finnigan says the property is the only remaining luxury development site in Queenstown with such large-scale space, privacy and extensive lake views.

“This is property has long been in the sights of ultra-luxe global resort brands – it is one of the most superior sites in Queenstown for a resort development,” he says. “As well as 20 hectares of elevated, pristine land and remote wilderness, the additional, commercially developable area of the property is larger than the central Queenstown CBD.

“With no minimum lot size or site coverage restrictions, absolute privacy and powerful lake and mountain views, this property has all the hallmarks of a world-class lodge or multi-use development site, as well as top-end residential opportunities.”

The Special Purpose zoning supports commercial activity such as visitor accommodation, conference and meeting facilities, restaurants and day spas, enabling the new owner to help shape the future of Queenstown.

Queenstown resource management planner Scott Freeman of Southern Planning says

“The Lodge Road site is very unique within Queenstown as it occupies an elevated, standalone parcel on the headland within Jack’s Point and has outstanding views of mountains and Lake Wakatipu,” he says. “This elevated position is coupled with the fact that the zoning afforded to the site provides significant future development opportunities.”

Although the surrounding environment is akin to a remote location, the Lodge Road property is just a 10-minute drive from Queenstown International Airport and proximate to world-class ski resorts.

The property sits above the Jack’s Point Preserve and the championship Jack’s Point Golf Course is an immediate neighbour.

ST JOHN HEALTH SHUTTLE

Operates from Queenstown to Invercargill, (returning the same day) Monday to Friday for health related appointments for more information and bookings please call: 0800 103 046

SC PLASTERING LTD.

Craftsmen exterior plasterers - 20yrs local experience.

Phone Shawn Cruise: 021 539 138 or skcruz@outlook.com

For Rent

CDB STORAGE LEVEL 1 UPPER BEACH STREET. 40m2 ideal for CDB retail or other businesses needing easily accessible space. Email: steve@fergfoods.com

LOOKING FOR QUIET, MATURE AND TIDY FLATMATES. Located 5 minute walk from town, with stunning views of the lake. 3 rooms available, semi furnished. Text only for information. 0278653761

For Sale

FIREWOOD FOR SALE: SEASONED AND DRY. SELLING in 3 cubic meter mixed loads (pine, poplar and larch). Free delivery around Queenstown. $100 per cube. Contact Andrew: 0210416912

TREK FUEL EX8 MTB FOR SALE. APPROX 2014. Duel Fox suspension (full floating rear), SLX Shimano gearing. Good condition. $990. Contact 021 340 020

RAMS & EWES FOR SALE. DIFFERENT AGES and breeds available. Grab a bargain for your lifestyle block we need to downsize!!! Text 02102412505

Community

LEARN ENGLISH WITH SARAH, PROFESSIONAL ESL TEACHER with 8+ years’ experience. Conversation, IELTS, Academic English, Business English, CV and cover letters, I’m here to help you improve! 30$/h for 1 to 4 students, in town or at home. Text 0225173414O

FREE ENGLISH CONVERSATION CLASSES AVAILABLE AT KIWI English Cafe on Mondays between 6pm - 8pm at St Andrews, 26 Stanley Street, Queenstown. Call 020 4189 9160 for free registration now.

FREE IMMIGRATION CLINIC. IF YOU NEED IMMIGRATION information or advice the Citizens Advice Bureau run an immigration clinic every Tuesday between 11am and 2pm. To make an appointment call them on 03 442 6679

SPCA OP SHOP – 51 GORGE RD. Open Monday – Saturday 9.00 – 5.00. Pre-loved goods and clothing at great prices. Help support the ongoing work done by the SPCA. Your old goods, or your time, could help save a life. Accepting donations (no electrical at the moment) and volunteers now. Volunteers wanted!

COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS OFFERS FRIENDSHIP, SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING to bereaved parents, grandparents siblings to help with coping and dealing with grief that has come about through the loss of a child. For further information please call Pauline Trotter on 0273960611 or email centralotagocf@ gmail.com

WSCA – ROOMS FOR HIRE - SPACIOUS, sunny rooms are available for hire to Queenstown Community Groups. The rooms hold up to 90 people, with seated dining for 40. Located on the 1st floor of Malaghan House, 10 Memorial Street, Queenstown with lift access. There are kitchen facilities, toilets, Wi-Fi, media equipment for projection onto large screen plus large screen TV. Contact us on 03 4429214 or info@wsca.org.nz for more details.

WHAKATIPU DRIVE MY LIFE ARE SEEKING VOLUNTEERS to become mentor buddies to help our vulnerable people achieve their drivers licence. If you are interested or have any questions contact Louise Ward louise@reap.co.nz

QUEENSTOWN DINNER CLUB IS TURNING 30! WE are inviting past members to please contact us if interested in attending an anniversary dinner on Monday, April 3rd. Please email: Isabel on dinnerclubqtn@gmail.com

Everything Else

WĀNAKA FESTIVAL OF COLOUR RETURNS MARCH 26-APRIL 2, 2023. Visit www.festivalofcolour.co.nz for the full programme and bookings. Tickets on sale now.

HIRE A HIVE. HONEY FROM YOUR OWN backyard. We take care of everything, you enjoy the benefits. Hire-a-hive today at tiakibees.co.nz or call 021 090 75375

SUPER AMAZING AIRBNB HOST!! EXCITED TO BE expanding Beautiful Stay & taking on more properties in 2023! Managing all bookings| enquiries| cleaning| linen| site set up & maintenance. Look forward to hearing from you! laura@ beautifulstay.co.nz

QUEENSTOWN DHARMA CENTRE, 12 LAKE ST. WED (8 Feb), @ 6:30pm, “The Eight Verses for Training the Mind” by Geshe Dhonam. SUN (12 Feb), @ 10am, “Cultivating Awareness Practice” followed by “Social Sunday.” UPCOMING WED (15 Feb - 22 Mar) @ 6:30pm, “Nurturing Peace” with Grant Rix. Sessions are free with dana for the centre/teacher gratefully accepted. For more info, see dharmacentre.org.nz or FB.

NEED AN IDYLLIC SPOT IN KINGSTON TO rent for your tiny home or caravan? Please text 022 404 3545.

HAVE THAT NIGGLING ACHE OR PAIN THAT just won’t go away? A recurring condition, or maybe you’re looking for something to assist alongside your more traditional treatments to speed up recovery? Two Feathers can help, an Alternative & Holistic Health Service including Tuning Forks, Energy Healing & Reiki Master. For more info contact Amy on: healing@ twofeathers.co.nz or 022 454 8288

GARDEN GUIDED TOURS IN WANAKA. OUTSTANDING PRIVATE local gardens. Admire and learn gardening tips with knowledgeable guide. Departs daily from $95pp max 7guests. Gift vouchers, group discount. Info Booking 02102792481 beautifulgardenswanaka.com

COME AND JOIN ME IN THIS COSY embroidery workshop. Hot drink and home baking included Embroidery Kit: Hoop, cloth, needle, threads and pattern included Saturday 25 February 2023. 1pm -330pm. Hosted MorArt Shotover Street Queenstown

BE A BIG BUDDY - MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE to a child in the Wakatipu Basin. This is for children aged between 4-12yrs who are in need of extra adult support and friendship. You will be matched with a child with whom you spend a couple of hours each week. Email your interest to BPW@familyworkssld.nz

January Jobs Report Staffing remains businesses top priority

Jobs demand remains steady heading into 2023 reflecting how furiously tourism demand has come back in the second half of 2022 and the confidence local business has in its continuance. All signs from seeing cell phone pings, guest nights, occupancy and spend all suggest that the region is back to 90-100% of pre-covid demand.

Most industry pundits, experts and government bureaucrats were caught off guard by how quickly tourism demand returned and the last six months has seen businesses desperately trying to find staff to scale up and for many with limited success. The advertised job numbers are jumping around month to month but the trend is clear, while there

are more candidates appearing every week and applicant numbers are rising, it’s still slow progress and the accredited visa system is not operating as advertised.

In January there was an average of 188 jobs advertised a week, slightly higher than December and similar to January 2022 reflecting confidence that Queenstown will continue to see the growth in visitor numbers despite the predictions that NZ is headed into a recession.

Quarterly Job Numbers

There were 2,646 jobs advertised in the last quarter of 2022. This was close to the numbers the region traditionally advertised prior to the Covid disruption. This year the focus is acutely on the staffing crisis in the F&B and Hotel sectors. 74% of the jobs advertised in the quarter were roles in this sector, historically they would make up 60%. Construction roles conversely has dropped from an average of 450 jobs in 2018 and 2019 to just 191 in 2022 a decline of 55%.

Front of House

VACANCIES

•

Caribe

FRONT OF HOUSE

• Training provided

•

•

•

Alternative Ventures Ltd is looking for a builder to join their team working on new builds in the Queenstown area. Attention to detail necessary.

Carpenters, apprentices, hammerhands and labourers welcome to contact for further detail.

Immediate start with competitive rates dependent on experience.

Contact Dave daveviitakangas@gmail.com

The Dishery is looking for a friendly, hardworking and reliable person to join our fun FOH team. We employ people of all skill levels. While we are always on the lookout for experienced staff, we also believe in hiring people without experience, but with the right 'can do' attitude and work ethic. We offer lots of opportunities to develop and train.

Please email manager@thedishery.co.nz or call/txt 021 664 553

Part-time Cleaner (10 Hours a week)

Location: Remarkable Park Town Center. Two hours a day, Monday to Friday after 5:30pm

Main Tasks: cleaning toilets, vacuuming and mopping. Must be reliable and get the job done. $25+ per hour.

Please phone: 021 108 4033 or email queenstowncleaner@gmail.com

Queenstown's home of Sport and Pool is looking for:

Part time or Full time bartenders

• Starting rates of $23+

• Staff Perks

• Early finishes

• Fun team

Please email or Andy via email or phone: 022 406 1707 Andrew.moore@goodgroup.co.nz

Full time, part time or casual bartenders

• Previous cocktail experience preferred

• Competitive pay

• Staff Perks

• $25+ per hour

Please email Dianna via dianna.kelly@goodgroup.co.nz

Queenstown’s home of house music is looking for:

Duty Managers & Bartenders

• Competitive Pay

• Staff Perks

• Part time/full time hours available

Please email or Andy via email or phone: 022 406 1707 Andrew.moore@goodgroup.co.nz

Waitstaff, Food Runners & Bartenders

• Full time, part time or casual

• $24+ per hour

• Great tips

• Staff perks

Please email Dianna via dianna.kelly@goodgroup.co.nz

RETAIL ASSISTANT CASUAL

EMPLOYMENT

For a large, busy gift and souvenir shop in Arrowtown. You must:

• Have great costumer service

• A fantastic work ethic

• Can work weekends

Please phone Lara 027 480 8804 or email thegoldnuggetarrowtown@gmail.com

QUEENSTOWN NZ DUTY MANAGERS, BARTENDERS & IN-HOUSE SECURITY WANTED

We are looking for Bartenders, Security and Duty Managers to work in our busy bar in Queenstown. You must have current working Visa and speak excellent English for all roles.

The positions are on a roster that will vary from week to week. You must be able to work weekends and evenings.

For the In-House Security position, you must have current COA. Duty Managers must have their LCQ and Managers Certi cate.

PART-TIME (WEEKENDS FRI-SUN) AND FULL-TIME WORK

Please send your CV to queenstowncowboys@gmail.com

REQUIRED NOW!!!!!!

Skilled and Unskilled Labourers Traffic Controllers

Looking for casual, temporary or long term work??

Queenstown Personnel and Labour Hire are looking for labourers for a variety of jobs around Queenstown with an immediate start.

Contact Sharleen - 027 778 7377 or email sharleen@qtplabour.co.nz

Full-Time Duty Manager On the Spot Fernhill Grocery

We need another someone great to join the FGS (f%&king great store) team!

• 4 Day week roster – 3 days off

• Barista and Duty Manager training provided

• great working environment

• best customers in Queenstown!

Must have a fantastic work ethic and customer focus.

Email CV to fernhillstore@gmail.com or drop one in store.

2x Family Store Assistant

position available

37.5 hours paid week.

Immediate start

Must have - Retail experience

Email Talana for more information talana.stols@salvationarmy.org.nz

Duty Manager

Part or Full Time Available

Come work in our busy little supermarket in Arrowtown with great customers.

A current Duty Managers Certificate or LCQ is desirable but not essential - as for the right person we will assist with this

• A team player & customer focused

• Punctual, reliable and honest

• Passionate about delivering excellent customer service

• Taking responsibility for supervising evening shifts and organising resources to ensure that Store presentation standards are met and exceeded

Please email your resume to Amanda Colmore-Williams at: Amanda.colmore-williams @foursquare-si.co.nz

Are you a Chef looking for daytime hours?

The Dishery Bistro in Arrowtown are looking for a Chef or Experienced Cook Working hours are generally 7am-4pm leaving your evening free! If this sounds like an attractive proposition, do not delay, express your interest now.

We offer a great working environment with flexible hours and competitive rates of pay. Full Time and Part Time, Permanent or Casual. Please email manager@thedishery.co.nz or call/txt 021 664 553

AIRPORT CAFÉs

Come join our fun team and work in an exciting airport environment!

PERKS OF WORKING FOR US:

•Discounted accommodation within walking distance

•Daily staff meals

•Competitive wage

•Flexible roster to spend more time exploring Queenstown

•Free coffee all day everyday

•Professional career path

•Relocating support

THE FOLLOWING ROLES ARE AVAILABLE:

• Cafe Manager

• Barista

• Duty Manager

• Grill Chef

We have full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions available.

APPLY NOW

Scan QR or email justin@airspresso.co.nz

Positions available:

ROOM ATTENDANTS HOUSEPERSON

PUBLIC AREA CLEANER

HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR

Starting Rate $25 per hour

Shared staff accommodation is optional

Please apply to kim_haynes@evt.com

Full-Time Super Nanny wanted to look after 4 kids in Queenstown

• $27 an hour

• School & Daycare pick-ups & Drop Offs

• After school activities

• Dinner Prep

• House cleaning & other odd jobs & errands

Must be kind, patient, organised & reliable. Email your CV to sarah.lucas@xtra.co.nz

Queenstown (Junior) Breakfast Chef Wanted!

If you’re a chef looking for a better work life balance, or just wanting to start off your food career; we have the role for you! You will be looking after our menu kitchen items, fresh sandwiches and salads, delicious home made baked goodies, and handling daily ordering. Full training is provided. This role would suit someone who likes to be creative with food, and can work efficiently and independently.

The perks

• (Food) Creativity is highly encouraged

• Daytime hours only, between 6am-3pm

• Free barista made coffee & lunch

• Fun and friendly work environment, where your input is valued

Contact marmoladacafe@yahoo.com if interested.

www.slowcuts.co.nz

www.peoplelikeus.co.nz

We specialise in slow cooked meats, seasonal salads, hand crafted burgers, vegan options and rotisserie chicken.

We have an onsite brewery and are part of the local community.

We have these Full Time positions with us in Arrowtown

We are accredited employers

SENIOR BAR ATTENDANT/MANAGER

• This role is a fast paced one. So if you enjoy giving your best to a captive audience this is for you.

• Knowledge of craft beer, cocktails and wine is essential

• We are looking for a person who wants to excel in hospitality and lead a team

• Full training and further business skills are also taught on the job

SENIOR FRONT OF HOUSE

With very 'social' opening hours this role will suit someone who

• Loves coming to work and being part of a supportive team in a busy restaurant

• Can think clearly and be organised to offer the guest the best experience

• Is as passionate as we are about sharing our handcrafted menus

• Would like to grow as a leader in the industry

COOK

Cook the food you love to eat! We offer full training for cooks with at least 1 years experience

• Basic Prep through to cooking in service

• Supporting the Head Chef and working on seasonal changes

• Good knife skills, well organised, team player, excellent hygine standards are essential

• Grow as a Cook along with a great understanding in business knowledge

All positions $25-$29.99

We offer Open Book Management

Staff meals and discounts on and off shift

T-Shirts for shifts provided

Financial Support for Mangers Certificates

The opportunity to work with World Class Systems

Assistance with finding accomodation

Please send your CV/Cover Letter to with the title of the role to pj@peoplelikeus.co.nz

FIND THE PERFECT CANDIDATE

We are recruiting new Food & Beverage team members!

We are looking for:

•Sous Chef

•Senior Chef de Partie

•Commis Chef, and a

•Fixed Term Cleaning/Kitchen Hand

We can offer:

•Full time & part time roles

•Visa sponsorship

•Paid overtime & time and a half

•Various staff incentives & benefits!

If you want to join an amazing and inclusive team, with career opportunities to work at our other SkyCity NZ and Adelaide properties, then don't hesitate to contact us at employment@skycityqueenstown.co.nz

(Applicants must be aged 20 years or older due to government legislation and be legally able to work in New Zealand)

Jucy Snooze Queenstown are looking for energetic and enthusiastic people to join us in our re opening!

You don’t need experience to work with us! We offer staff benefits from staff accommodation to car rentals and Food & Beverage discounts!

Housekeeping Room Attendant (Starting from $25.00 an hour)

Chef roles (at all levels)

Night Manager

Please send through your resume to marcos_diniz@jucysnooze.co.nz

EXCEPTIONAL FULL TIME SEAMSTRESS REQUIRED

Nemo workroom is the leading sewing space in the Whakatipu. Busy with private and commercial sewing work.

A Full Time vacancy has come available for an experienced machinist. Experience on industrial machinery is essential. Must be able to deal with a variety of fabric types, work to deadlines and understand garment construction and a variety of sewing techniques.

We provide a great place to work in a small but lively team who are passionate about providing quality service. This key role is for all alteration work coming in the workroom.

Please apply in confidence by emailing: trudy@nemo.co.nz

Public Kitchen and Bar, Finz Seafood and Grill, and Bella Cucina are looking for superstars who genuinely care and want to join an amazing team to help deliver memorable experiences for our guests.

We are hiring in the following positions:

Bartenders

Waitstaff

Duty Manager

Restaurant Manager Commis Chef Chef de Partie

Sous Chef Head Chef Kitchenhands

We offer:

• Amazing pay rates.

• Bonus's.

• Exceptional team spirit.

• Professional development and opportunities for growth.

• Accommodation available.

Apply NOW at: https://waidininggroup.bamboohr.com/jobs

STAFF WANTED

CONCRETER/KERBIE 2x POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Kerb Central Queenstown are looking for staff to start immediately, we are looking for experienced Kerbies / Concreter's and are also willing to train someone keen to get into the industry.

With high demand for kerbing and concreting in the Central Otago area we are growing our team of Kerbies and Concreters. This job will be fitting for someone who is willing to contribute or progress their skills in kerbing and concreting.

If you are someone who is a hard worker, attentive, punctual and proactive then we have a position for you. Job benefits will include a work vehicle and phone for the right person.

Kerbing is a very rewarding profession and we strive to create a good atmosphere to work in.

We have established a great team at Kerb Central so support is not an issue.

Please contact Mark on 0274382365 or info@kerbcentral.co.nz

Sh��� Y��� Fu���� Wi�� U�

We have incredible opportunities in a variety of roles with shifts and hours that will suit whatever you are looking for across our 3 Queenstown properties.

EXECUTIVE CHEF – MILLENNIUM

HOTEL

FOOD & BEVERAGE SUPERVISOR

– HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR

FRONT OFFICE

Duty Manager, Receptionist, Porter

FOOD & BEVERAGE

F&B Attendants,Kitchen Attendants

CHEFS

Sous, Chef de Partie, Apprentice Chef

HOUSEKEEPING & LAUNDRY Room Attendants

Scarer and Sale Assistant

Fear Factory Queenstown are looking for an experienced Sales Assistant and Scarer. Average of 25-30 hours a week (full-time), mainly evening work. You will be working with a fun, hard working, scary team, passionate about horror, making people laugh and scream.

• Excellent customer service skills

• Minimum 6 months wih full availability

• Stock management skills

• Cash, eftpos, till and computer skills

• Excellent team player

• Problem solving and communication skills to brief guests and sell merchandise

Interested?

Please email your CV and a cover letter telling us a bit about yourself to queenstown@fearfactory.co.nz

AVIS & Budget Queenstown

RENTAL SALES AGENT

Do you enjoy working in a fast paced environment where the days go quickly?

Do you enjoy meeting and talking to people from all over the world?

Do you appreciate a consistent working roster because your life outside of work is important too?

If you answered yes to any of these then maybe this customer service, sales and office administration based role is the new job for you.

Full Time & Part Time contracts available with set days off, Shifts are mostly 8am to 5.30pm with at least one evening shift per week. The role also requires you to work weekends or at least one weekend day per week. You'd be based out of our Queenstown Airport office in Frankton.

What you need:

• Full drivers licence

• Good command of the English language

• Working rights in New Zealand

Please send a CV to: luke.dennington@abgroup.co.nz

Vehicle Groomer (full time)

We need you to:

• Groom our luxury fleet to a high standard for our valued customers

• Conduct pre and post rental damage inspection checks

• Be able to work a rotating roster

• Have a full driver’s licence

• Be legally entitled to work in NZ

We will provide:

• Starting rate of $25 per hour + a $1000 sign on bonus

• Full training and uniform

• A great team culture

Please send your CV to matthew.barnes@sixt.nz Part time and casual roles also available

“The steak house to end all arguments” Jervois Steak House is an authentic and premium steak house which makes no apologies for unashamedly celebrating a love of meat.

THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO JOIN OUR TEAM

We are looking for Food Runner Commis Chef Kitchen Hand

Hardworking enthusiastic staff member required to work in our fast pace restaurant. Applicant must have current working visa or be eligible to work in New Zealand.

Minimum 6 month commitment

Why work with us

• Competitive salary.

• Chance to progress and work at other sites across the Nourish Group.

PAINTER & BRUSH HAND

With experience preferred but not essential Full time position available Mon-Fri 40 hours Starting rates from $25-$35 an hour (Rates based on your experience) NZ DRIVING LICENSE REQUIRED

Please apply with CV to: accounts@cdhpainting.co.nz

• Training and development.

• Daily staff meals.

• Dining discount within the group.

• Full support for visa applications from our in-house HR team.

• Paid day off on your birthday.

• Sign on benefits.

• Monthly visits out to local wineries - explore our backyard!

• Open for dinner only, so plenty of time to enjoy the mountains before work!

Contact

josephine@queenstownjsh.co.nz or 03 442 6263

FRONT OF HOUSE WAIT STAFF

Part-time / Casual

Driver Guide

Love wine? Looking for extra hours?

Become a Wine Guide!

NZ Class 1 & P licence required. Full training provided.

Email interest to: sarah@appellationwinetours.nz

We are a busy winery restaurant in Arrowtown. Gorgeous outdoor gardens to work amongst and a fantastic team of professionals!!!

*Full time

*Daytime shifts - 4 days / 3 days off.

* Sponsorship available

*Great environment & team

* Great pay + tips

*Start date: Asap

Email deb@mora-artisan.co.nz your CV and cover letter to apply

Finance | Admin

We are looking for a part or full time experienced Finance / Admin team member

Do you have experience with MYOB payroll, cashflow, Xero, GST, tax filings and are you incredibly detail orientated, love to keep things moving and work with terrific fast paced team this role could be for you?

You’ll enjoy being involved with a busy media environment where no two days are the same.

This role commences in April allowing for plenty of cross over with our wonderful team member who is leaving us to head overseas.

The role can be part time and fit in with school hours for the right candidate.

Please apply in writing by forwarding your CV and cover letter to davidgibbs@qmg.co.nz

JOINTHETEAMAT EICHARDT'SBAR

WORKINQUEENSTOWN'SMOSTICONICBAR

We'relookingforexperiencedbartenderstojointheteamat Eichardt'sBar.Therightcandidateispassionateaboutcocktails, craft-focusedwithanabsoluteeyefordetail,andcandelivera polishedfoodandbeverageexperienceforourguests.Thisrole requiresflexibilitytoworkeveningsandweekends.

Thinkyouhavewhatittakes?Applytoday!

STAFFPERKS&DISCOUNTS

COMPETITIVEHOURLYRATES

THEBESTWORKVIEWSINTOWN

FUN&SOCIALENVIRONMENT

EMAILTOAPPLY: RECRUITMENT@IMPERIUMCOLLECTION.COM

AVIS & Budget Queenstown

CAR GROOMERS

We are looking for fun and motivated people to join our team of car groomers. The role is non-customer facing, shifts are 8am to 5.30pm and transport from the city to the place of work in Frankton can be arranged if necessary.

Casual, Part Time and Full Time roles available, all you need is a full drivers licence and an eye for detail.

Estamos buscando personal para unirse a nuestro grupo de Car Groomers. Ingles no es necesario, puede aprender mientras trabajas.

Solo debes tener predisposicion, ojo para el detalle y licencia de conducir. Casual, tiempo parcial y tiempo completo

Apply via email in English or Spanish to luke.dennington@abgroup.co.nz

FRIED CHICKEN LOVERS WANTED

Fantastic positions available for those who want a hospitality career with a dynamic and ethical business.

You will be part of a small, dedicated team delivering stand-out customer service and hand-crafting New Zealand's best fried chicken burgers - be proud of what you serve. We are growing our brand in 2023 and we need superheroes like you to help us save the world, through organic fried chicken.

+ Living Wage Employer

+ Free staff meals

+ Free parking

+ Flexible working arrangements

+ Profit Incentive Program

+ Immigration accredited.

Stand for something good, love what you eat and email the New Colonel lovechicken@lovechicken.co.nz

Form Pilates Studio & Physiotherapy is after a Pilates superstar to join the team. Hours and days are flexible.

If you have a background in healthcare (from physiotherapy to osteopathy or anything in-between) and have experience in Pilates we would love to have you onboard. Happy to train the right candidate. Contractor role $40-50 per hour.

Contact Aimee on info@formpilates.co.nz

HOUSEKEEPERS

Part-time / Full-time Positions

Spinnaker Bay Apartments has consistently been rated highly by its Guests for its high standards in Cleanliness, Comfort, Facilities & Staff.

Its time to expand our Housekeeping Team. If you are available for as little as 1 day per week or for as many as 5 days per week we welcome your application.

As an added extra, we will provide additional training in Reception Duties for those interestedin expanding their skills

Interested then please email Jude Paterson at info@spinnaker.co.nz

DRIVERS REQUIRED

Full-time & Part-time Positions Available

NEW OWNER/

OPERATORS REQUIRED

Self Employed Opportunity operating under the Corporate Cab Brand Corporate Cabs are NZ’s Premiere Taxi Company operating fleets in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and QUEENSTOWN.

Our modern fleet of Sedans include Skoda Superbs, Holden Calais’s and VW Multivans. Professional well presented Drivers who have a strong focus on delivering an exceptional level of service.

Interested, then please send an email expressing your interest to ian.paterson@corporatecabs.co.nz

/ Driver Role

Unique and exciting role based in Frankton. Must have office experience & NZ licence with ability to obtain P Endorsement.

Email interest and CV to: sarah@appellationwinetours.nz

KITCHEN HANDS

FREE ACCOMMODATION*

T&Cs apply.

Great Hourly Rate.

Must have Working Holiday Visa or NZ Residency for an Immediate Start. APPLY TODAY!

Contact Stephen Clayton 027 531 8766 or email stephen@wai.net.nz

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

and be a part of Republic Hospitality Group

•Tired of being bored at work?

•Want to make your Queenstown life epic!

•Looking to meet a fun and friendly crew?

Republic Hospitality Group has 10 venues in Queenstown, and we offer casual, part-time and full-time work. So whether it’s bar, restaurant or kitchen work you’re interested in, we’ve got it available at all levels

Our perks are pretty hard to beat:

• Staff pricing (did someone say great deals on food & drink?)

• Staff accommodation options

• Epic staff parties

• Great staff incentives

• A trusting culture

• Competitive pay

• Free staff meals

• Training and upskilling

• A welcoming and friendly team

Republic is a finalist in the NZ Hospitality Awards for Excellence in People & Culture for a reason. Get in touch and join us today, email HR@republicqt.co.nz and tell us what you’re looking for.

Check out our venues at www.republichospitality.co.nz

LABOURER / PLANT MANAGER

We’re looking for an enthusiastic, hard-working all-rounder to become a valuable part of the Trinity team. While you might be asked to help the crew, this is not a building/construction role. The position is 35-45 hours per week covering the areas below, across all sites.

• Cleaning up rubbish, waste materials etc on job sites both inside and out

• Cleaning of site offices, portacoms, on-site toilets

• Moving supplies around on site and between sites

• Pick up and deliveries from the main office and suppliers

• Support and help as required for carpenters eg lifting, unpacking, stowing materials and supplies

• Plant and equipment duties

• Drive JCB as required (training provided)

You need to be a New Zealand resident or citizen, already living in the Queenstown/Cromwell/Alexandra area, with a clean driver’s licence. Organised, proactive, efficient, able to work both unsupervised and to take direction, you’ll work to a high standard and take pride in your work. While a reasonable level of physical fitness is required as this is an active role, this could suit anyone from a recent school leaver to an active retiree.

We offer competitive remuneration, a work vehicle for use on sites + to take home and back, and a great working environment + people to work with. Apply now with your CV/resume and covering email to guilia@trinityqt.com or call Guilia Porrelli 0274 967 488 for more details. All applications treated in confidence.

Customer Services & Fork Lift Operation

DO YOU WANT.....

• Your weekends free to enjoy!

• No working on public holidays

• 40+ hours per week Monday to Friday

• Exceptional team mates who will support you

creatingunique andmeaningful experiences forour exclusiveguests

VACANCIES INCLUDE :

GUESTS SERVICES AGENTS

HOUSEPERSON

HOTEL ASSISTANT NIGHT AUDIT

We can offerpermanent & casual roles,with competitivehourly rates,and asociable environment. We arean accredited employer and can provide fulltraining and career-growthopportunities

APPLY TODAY!

EMAIL: Your CV to recruitment@imperiumcollection.com

STOP BY: Drop off your CV and meet us in person!

FIND OUT MORE: www.imperiumcollection.com

• Long term career - progression opportunities

ARE YOU …..

• Excellent at providing customer service

• Physically fit (heavy lifting required)

• Keen to learn how to operate a forklift? (previous forklift experience is an advantage)

To find out what makes us different, get in touch with Rachel - rachel.mansfield@placemakers.co.nz

NOTE: You will need to be a resident citizen or have an open work visa to apply (e.g. working holiday visa).

WE'REHIRING!

WORKINQUEENSTOWN'SMOSTICONICVENUES

JointheteamatNewZealand’sultimatecollectionoffinedining,consistingof TheGrille&No.5ChurchLane.

Wearelookingforconfident,energeticandexperiencedprofessionals,whostriveto deliverahighstandardofservicetoourguests.

Withpermanentandparttimepositionsavailable,wecanalsooffercareergrowth opportunitiesthroughsponsorshipfortherightcandidate.

VACANCIESINCLUDE: WAITERS BARTENDERS SUPERVISORS RESTAURANTHOST

DUTYMANAGERS SOUSCHEFS KITCHENHANDS

Applytoday!

EMAIL:YourCVtorecruitment@imperiumcollection.com

Where Youwant to be

Hilton brand to choose from: Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa and DoubleTree by Hilton Queenstown and all of our Team Members get to work across both brands

We are currently seeking the following roles:

VEHICLE GROOMER

-Guest Service Agent

-Night Manager

-Food & Beverage Attendant (Hospitality Professional)

-Food & Beverage Supervisor

-Housekeeping Attendant (Hospitality Professional)

-Commis Chef

-Finance Manager

We know that Team Members experience is just as important as our Guest experience and we are committed to helping our Team Members reach their full potential with great training, development opportunities and exclusive benefits:

• Starting rate $25/hour

• Free Lunch/Dinner Meal

•

• Discounted Transport Option to/from Hotel

Let us help find the right career for you! For applications and more information visit: www.jobs.hilton.com

Building Labourer Wanted

For full time residential building work. Previous experience in the construction industry is required. Competitive hourly rate. Must have full drivers licence and own reliable transport.

Good spoken English essential. Contact Mike on 027 566 3489 or email mikekelly77@hotmail.com

PROPERTY & MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT

Position Summary:

Aro Ha Wellness Retreat is a retreat centre located near Glenorchy. We are looking for a person who has a maintenance skill set and a real interest in off grid infrastructure and learning.

Position Responsibilities:

• Infrastructure maintenance including:

• Regular checking of all plant and equipment

• Report and action faults to Aro Ha Maintenance Manager & Management

• General operation and interpretation of the Building Management System.

• General maintenance and minor repairs including painting, carpentry, minor works etc

• Firewood stores & management

• Daily maintenance & regular checks of the physical plant of Aro Ha

• Health & Safety & Environment– checking all systems and ensuring the Aro Ha protocol is in place

• Also assist in landscape, property and some general tasks as required

Other Attributes:

• Physically fit and able to carry out the duties of the position

• Good communication skills & computer skills for reporting, time & program tracking

• Highly motivated and able to self manage working around our retreat schedules

• A positive energetic outlook with commitment to our staff and guests needs at all times

• Willing to put in 8-10 hours a day of varying degrees of work (from menial to challenging)

• Full clean driver’s license & must be over 18 years of age You must be legally able to work in New Zealand. Please send applications to Matt Hill office@aro-ha.com by 20 February 2023 www.aro-ha.com

15% DISCOUNT