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Happy Mother’s Day
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:
A Cromwell whisky distillery and a Wānaka film studio proposal have been promised government support to help the region diversify beyond its reliance on tourism.
Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced a $2.9 million loan to help Scapegrace … View moreFrom reporter Debbie Jamieson:
A Cromwell whisky distillery and a Wānaka film studio proposal have been promised government support to help the region diversify beyond its reliance on tourism.
Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced a $2.9 million loan to help Scapegrace Distillery expand to help meet growing national and international demand.
The government will also underwrite $4.5m of the Silverlight Studios’ film studio project.
“I love what you guys are doing ... the whole aspiration for us is to support our regions to grow,” she said.
Scapegrace Distillery is a privately owned Central Otago business that produces whisky, gin and vodka, and aims to become New Zealand’s biggest distillery.
Founded by brothers-in-law Daniel McLaughlin and Mark Neal nine years ago, the company has more than 48 shareholders and exports to 35 markets.
McLaughlin said about 65% of its products are exported, but it was hoped that would increase to 80%.
The government loan would be used to help build a new distillery and temporary hospitality facility, creating 218 jobs during construction and 24 permanent roles once operational.
Ultimately, the Central Otago site will house four whisky barrel rooms, a world-class distillery and a full hospitality precinct with cellar door facilities, a bar and restaurant, and event spaces,
McLaughlin anticipated it would be completed in 2026 and would be New Zealand’s largest distillery, spanning 36 hectares of land and 4500m² of buildings.
Allan said the projected increase in capacity from 30,000 litres to 567,000 litres of product was a “game changer”.
“It’s an absolute privilege to stand alongside you as you embark on your new venture.”
Asked whether it was appropriate for taxpayers’ money to be used to support the alcohol industry, she said it was part of the food and beverage industry, an area identified for development in the region.
Speaking about the support for Silverlight Studios, Allan said the screen industry employed about 16,200 New Zealanders and contributed $3.3 billion to the economy every year.
It was a key component of Central Otago’s economic diversification initiatives, she said.
“Silverlight Studios will provide new opportunities for local talent to be at the forefront of an evolving industry in the region.”
Silverlight Studios chief executive Mike Wallis said concerns had been raised that the company’s $280m Wānaka plan, which includes 10 sound studios, was too much and too fast for the area.
The company had therefore “pivoted”, and will instead bring three fast-build modular sound stages to the site with auxiliary buildings.
The sound stages, which are fully sound-proofed and include lighting rigs, will come from Belgium and are already being used by the likes of Netflix and Amazon, Wallis said.
The government underwrite of $4.5m would provide confidence for investors in this stage of the project and enable the work to be completed in 12 to 14 months, he said.
“This gives them facilities with rain cover, and it’s big enough for an international large scale production, which is really our key market anyway, but also for the local market.”
The stages will be packed down and moved as the full studio development is completed.
It will ultimately include an 11ha artificial lake, film school, screening theatre, exhibition centre and up to 10 sound stages – making it the largest studio of its kind in New Zealand.
It will also include recreations of international film locations, including an Italian village, the canals and bridges of Venice, a generic seaside Hamptons-style village, blocks of New York City and a portion of New York’s Central Park.
Neighbourhood Support members across New Zealand are invited to attend a special wellbeing webinar, 'Building Strong Communities', with Farmstrong Ambassador, Sam Whitelock, at 7:30pm on Tuesday April 4th.
For more information and to register, head to www.neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz....… View moreNeighbourhood Support members across New Zealand are invited to attend a special wellbeing webinar, 'Building Strong Communities', with Farmstrong Ambassador, Sam Whitelock, at 7:30pm on Tuesday April 4th.
For more information and to register, head to www.neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz....
Please invite those on your street and in your neighbourhood who might be interested (it's not just for rural folk, although those of you in rural communities might be particularly interested).
Save up to $69 with an NZ House & Garden subscription. Subscribe today to get NZ’s favourite lifestyle magazine delivered straight to your home every month, plus you’ll receive ManukaRx’s Pro-Aging Skin Oil worth $44.95 absolutely free!
Achieve healthy and ageless skin with the … View moreSave up to $69 with an NZ House & Garden subscription. Subscribe today to get NZ’s favourite lifestyle magazine delivered straight to your home every month, plus you’ll receive ManukaRx’s Pro-Aging Skin Oil worth $44.95 absolutely free!
Achieve healthy and ageless skin with the Pro-Aging Skin Oil. This face oil features the powerful essential oil blend of East Cape mānuka oil and rosehip oil. Offer is valid until 16 April 2023. Offer applies for 1-year and 2-year subscriptions only. For full T&Cs click here.
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:
Queenstown ratepayers are facing more leaky homes claims but none as large as those behind a proposed average 13.6% rate rise this year.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council – which covers Queenstown and Wānaka and surrounding areas – settled last year … View moreFrom reporter Debbie Jamieson:
Queenstown ratepayers are facing more leaky homes claims but none as large as those behind a proposed average 13.6% rate rise this year.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council – which covers Queenstown and Wānaka and surrounding areas – settled last year with the body corporate of the Oaks Shore apartments, which claimed $163 million for leaky building repairs.
The exact settlement figure was confidential, but the council was taking out a loan to pay the claim.
It was covering other claims also, including one for the neighbouring property Oaks Club Resort, thought to be about $50m.
The impact of the interest costs meant the claims contributed to nearly a third of the massive rates increase for the coming financial year, documents show.
If the claim was paid in a single year the rates increase would be “horrendous” and in the “hundreds of percents”, council finance manager Stewart Burns said during a council meeting on Thursday.
Councillor Esther Whitehead asked what assurances the council could provide that ratepayers would not face another increase due to leaky home claims.
Burns said the council was currently facing three or four claims, but none were on the scale of the two Oaks properties.
Properties caught in the leaky home legislation were built between 15 and 20 years ago.
Claims had to be made within 10 years of a property’s completion.
The council was reaching the end of that period, he said.
Council standards for building inspections and consents have improved in the last 20 years.
The building inspection and consent processes at the time of the construction of the affected buildings was also a contributing factor, he said.
“The standard we have to meet these days compared to 20 years ago is quite different, and we are audited regularly on those services.
“We certainly have got a lot of confidence that the way we operate now is appropriate.”
Draft annual plan documents show how increases in interest rates, depreciation expenses and record-high inflation have also contributed to the region’s rates increase.
To lessen the rates rise, the council is planning to defer $106.7m in projects, including a Wānaka water treatment plant, a new reservoir at Quail Rise, and a Queenstown water treatment plant at Two Mile.
Increases in some user fees such as building consents, animal registration, and sport and recreational services are also proposed.
The council is undertaking public consultation on the draft annual plan.
Our 2023 Local Business Hero Awards nomination phase closes on Sunday. Neighbours - you only have a few more days to nominate a favourite local business to give them a chance to win an incredible $10,000 package.
Show your support for your local today by nominating them to be this year's … View moreOur 2023 Local Business Hero Awards nomination phase closes on Sunday. Neighbours - you only have a few more days to nominate a favourite local business to give them a chance to win an incredible $10,000 package.
Show your support for your local today by nominating them to be this year's Prospa Local Business Hero!
Increase your chances to win this brand-new, fully-furnished home located just north of Auckland in the stunning beachside town of Mangawhai.
Valued at over $1.4 million and built to perfection by Jennian homes, this brand-new home features three-bedrooms, two-bathrooms and boasts an open-plan … View moreIncrease your chances to win this brand-new, fully-furnished home located just north of Auckland in the stunning beachside town of Mangawhai.
Valued at over $1.4 million and built to perfection by Jennian homes, this brand-new home features three-bedrooms, two-bathrooms and boasts an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area.
Make this property your permanent residence, a holiday home, a rental or even sell it. Tickets only $15 – get in quick and purchase more tickets today.
We can see you're paying a lot for your broadband each month (we'll have some helpful advice on that soon)! Now let's shine the spot light on Power! The other BIG bill Kiwis are juggling.
We know usage can fluctuate quite a bit meaning so would your bill but to keep it simple, … View moreWe can see you're paying a lot for your broadband each month (we'll have some helpful advice on that soon)! Now let's shine the spot light on Power! The other BIG bill Kiwis are juggling.
We know usage can fluctuate quite a bit meaning so would your bill but to keep it simple, how much does your power bill usually come to?
Know the friendliest barista around? Does your mechanic always go the extra mile? Got a lawn-mowing legend? Hairdresser hero?
Give your favourite local business the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2023 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
There's been hundreds of … View moreKnow the friendliest barista around? Does your mechanic always go the extra mile? Got a lawn-mowing legend? Hairdresser hero?
Give your favourite local business the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2023 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
There's been hundreds of incredible entries already but don't forget to nominate your local this week. The recognition will make their day (and they're in with a chance to win a $10,000 package!).
Share a few words about your favourite local now.
Internet is something we need these days for work, study, keeping in touch with loved ones or just to watch a movie! It's another bill to manage right?!
With the cost of living rising, we want to know how much your broadband bill is setting you back each month?
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ … View moreEvery month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ Gardener.
When you think weddings, you think pampering, gloss and fuss.
You probably don’t imagine a seven-hour slog uphill, sweat and nachos.
But that is exactly what one couple chose for their big day when they hiked to the remote Lake Wilson, off the Routeburn Track.
The Valley of the Trolls, … View moreWhen you think weddings, you think pampering, gloss and fuss.
You probably don’t imagine a seven-hour slog uphill, sweat and nachos.
But that is exactly what one couple chose for their big day when they hiked to the remote Lake Wilson, off the Routeburn Track.
The Valley of the Trolls, complete with swampland and thick tussocks, doesn’t necessarily sound all that romantic either, but for bride Luana Schramme the tramp through the valley to her stunning wedding spot was “magical”.
Schramme, 27, and her husband Bernardo Araujo, 29, weren’t alone for their wilderness wedding – they had seven friends, a photographer and a celebrant join them on the 34km trip for the unusual ceremony.
Read the full story from reporter Olivia Caldwell here. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Will you give Queenstown's new e-scooters a go?
Beam is bringing up to 300 e-scooters into central Queenstown on a 24-month trial following agreement with the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Beam spokesman Frederick Conquer said the first few bookings had started coming in on … View moreWill you give Queenstown's new e-scooters a go?
Beam is bringing up to 300 e-scooters into central Queenstown on a 24-month trial following agreement with the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Beam spokesman Frederick Conquer said the first few bookings had started coming in on Wednesday following a small launch in the town.
Read the full story from reporter Debbie Jamieson here.
From reporter Olivia Caldwell:
When Peter Murphy stood at the starting line of Queenstown’s Motatapu mountain bike race on Saturday, he had just buried his son three weeks earlier.
The cause of the 58-year-old’s own unexpected death, 10 minutes into the 47km race, is unknown, with an … View moreFrom reporter Olivia Caldwell:
When Peter Murphy stood at the starting line of Queenstown’s Motatapu mountain bike race on Saturday, he had just buried his son three weeks earlier.
The cause of the 58-year-old’s own unexpected death, 10 minutes into the 47km race, is unknown, with an autopsy on Monday coming back inconclusive.
On February 10, Murphy’s 23-year-old son, Daniel, died from a rare cancer – a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour.
Doctors had said his leg would need to be amputated, ending his professional dancing career. The cancer spread too quickly for radiation therapy to keep on top of it.
Jo Fuller said Murphy was heartbroken about losing his son.
The couple had been looking forward to a lot in 2023 – moving into their dream home in Wānaka in five weeks, and enjoying life as newlyweds.
They had been together eight years and married in Wānaka on December 22.
The sun shone for the ceremony, but just as Murphy was about to deliver his “off the cuff speech” a loud crack of thunder filled the air, lightning hit the sky and a downpour of torrential rain followed.
“It was an amazing day. We had the absolute time of our lives.”
Murphy and his brother-in-law, Jim Fuller, planned to do the Motatapu race in 2020 before it was cancelled because of Covid-19. Murphy had completed the race five times before.
The mates started the race together on Saturday.
“I thought he will catch me up because he’s fitter, so I went off, and then I slowed down and ... I kept looking back for him,” Jim Fuller said.
When he reached the finish line, he was told Murphy had died.
His death was a shock to those who knew him. He took medication for a heart arrhythmia, but was fit.
Jo Fuller said she snuck a hug, kiss and reluctant photo of her new husband in his lycra when she dropped him off at the start line on Saturday.
Murphy, too, snuck in one last romantic act – one he’d been doing since their first car ride together.
“He was a gentleman. I used to go and open the door to the car, and he would open it ... it took me probably six months to stop opening it myself. He did it right up until Saturday.”
The race began 9am. At 10am, Fuller was called and told there had been an “incident”.
A doctor was one of the first to find Murphy on the gravel road and attempted over 45 minutes of CPR until an ambulance arrived.
“I just thought Pete was going to be in one of the ambulances, so I ran and there was no-one in it,” Fuller said.
“I came around the corner and there was Pete lying on the road with a white cloth over him ... I just stood there and collapsed.”
Murphy and Fuller first met 30 years ago at an antenatal group – both attending with their partners of the time.
In 2014, after both relationships had ended, they ran into each other at a friend’s party.
“He said ‘look we've got 20 years of stuff to catch up on’.”
They caught up as friends, Fuller said, though Murphy had other plans.
Murphy invited himself to meet her in Singapore on her way home from running the Paris Marathon, so she couldn’t really turn him down, she said.
“That’s how he weaselled himself into my life when I made it very clear I was not interested.”
Murphy, who had a big smile, was kind, easygoing, welcoming, and a bit cheeky, Fuller said.
It would have been Murphy’s 59th birthday on Sunday. The couple were going to go to their favourite restaurant Francesca’s for pizza.
Murphy has two other children, Georgia and William. His ex-wife Robyn Murphy is based in Christchurch.
On Monday, police said they wanted to hear from anyone who saw Murphy before the race, or saw what happened.
“We know that there would have been competitors and supporters in the bike race who had travelled to Wānaka from all parts of the country,” Senior Sergeant Chris Brooks said.
“So we are asking anyone – whether you are currently in the Wānaka area or have since returned home – who may have information to please let us know, so we can help get some answers for this man’s family.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 105 or fill out a report online at 105.police.govt.nz/ using 'Update Report' and the file number 230304/1913.
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