Hard work just beginning for directors of new $280m Wānaka film studio
A director of a massive $280 million film studio complex near Wānaka, which has been approved under the Government’s fast-tracking process, says the hard work is just beginning.
Mike Wallis said he and fellow directors Ra Vincent and Jonathan Harding, all of whom have links to the film industry, were excited to reach the milestone.
Silverlight Studios Ltd applied for the project under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020.
An independent panel granted the resource consent on Wednesday, 96 working days after the application was lodged with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
The complex is to be built on 322 hectares of farmland on the Wānaka-Luggate highway, between central Wānaka and Wānaka Airport.
There were now many “moving parts” to negotiate going forward, Wallis said, and the company still needed to conclude a sale and purchase agreement on the land and was having discussions about finance. Read more here.
Police urge caution on Southland beaches
As the weather warms up and Southlanders begin flocking to the beach, Police are reminding people of an important fact – beaches are roads and need to be treated as such.
Senior Sergeant Scott MacKenzie, Southland Area Road Policing Manager, says while it is legal to drive on Oreti Beach, you still need to adhere to the road rules.
“The beach has a speed limit of 30k/h – there is no excuse to be over this limit.
The days are getting warmer and with school holidays it can be expected that a lot of families with small children and animals will be heading to the beach to enjoy the sun."
“Anyone driving on the beach needs to be mindful of this, and stay focused on your surroundings,” he says.
The risks of injury or worse, to yourself or others, are just the same as on traditional roads.
Senior Sergeant MacKenzie also reminds beach goers that any form of antisocial road-user behaviour will not be tolerated.
“Some people seem to think that road rules don’t apply to you when on the beach – this is not the case.
Antisocial driving behaviour is unacceptable, on and off the beach, and we encourage the community to report the driving behaviour immediately."
“It is best to make a report while the incident is occurring to allow our staff the opportunity to respond immediately and hopefully disrupt any offenders in the act.
Please take note of as much detail as possible, such as registration number of the vehicle, any identifying features of the vehicle and its driver, or even take a video of the driving behaviour if safe to do so,” he says.
You can report information to us by calling 111 if it is happening now, or through 105 for non-emergencies.
Alternatively, you can report information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
Think you can spot a scam from a mile away?
You might be surprised. Scammers are getting slicker, sneakier, and a whole lot more convincing, and they’re targeting everyone from students to grandparents.
Before you brush it off with “I’d never fall for that,” give your scam radar a quick tune-up! Test yourself with Netsafe’s fun new Scam Spotting Quiz or try our online module for even more skill-building.
Scams can catch anyone — even the careful ones.
Keep your wits (and your wallet) about you!
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