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A former World Bank senior economist says people buying holiday homes and leaving them empty in Queenstown for much of the year are on track to "hollow out" the town, unless authorities take strong action to build more affordable housing for workers.

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor John Glover is calling on suitably qualified and passionate members of the community to come forward and apply for one of the three seats on Council’s newly re-constituted Risk and Assurance Committee that are to be filled by independent members of the public.

Local rescuers are again urging backcountry explorers not to rely on information, comments and advice posted on social media before heading into the hills with Wakatipu specialist alpine rescuers called in yet again to help, this time on Rob Roy Glacier, near Wanaka.

Disqualified driver allegedly assaults Police: A 29-year-old local man was charged with assaulting and resisting Police, refusing to accompany an enforcement officer and driving while disqualified after Police were called to Hanley’s Farm by a member of the public concerned about the way a van was allegedly being driven at 12.30am on Tuesday, 13 January.

A taxi driver was allegedly punched and kicked to the ground in Earnslaw Park by three Rolleston teenagers who’d allegedly taken off without paying their fare – one charged with assault with intent to injure, Police say.

The Ministry of Education has decided to keep most of Queenstown's school buses for now, despite finding most students are not eligible for the free services. It signalled last year that routes could be cut where public buses already exist - sparking pushback from parents and principals worried about student safety and attendance.

A body believed to be missing tramper Connor Purvis has been found near Lake Ōhau. Search and rescue teams looking for the 20-year-old in the South Island's Mackenzie Basin said a body was found on the southern side of Mt Huxley about 9am on Wednesday.

The number of first-home buyers in Queenstown has climbed to an 18-year high, making up 19 percent of all the district's property purchases in 2025. That is despite soaring property prices and thousands of people on waitlists for affordable housing schemes - with one buyer facing a $600,000 average increase in house prices since he first started looking.

Described as one of the "most iconic and beautifully preserved DC-3s flying today," the New Zealand owned Spirit of Douglas has been confirmed to appear at next Easter’s Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow as part of its ambitious Global Tour.

Otago Regional Council is urging parents around the Queenstown district to plan ahead when using public transport to get their children to school, from the start of term 2 next year.

Queenstown skier Alice Robinson is a genuine contender for the podium in two events at the Winter Olympics in February. Robinson has followed up her historic Super G World Cup win last week by finishing second in the same discipline at the latest event in France.

Christmas is a time for full plates, full calendars, and full houses - but it’s also a time when hearts are under extra pressure. Often referred to as the "Christmas holiday effect" or "holiday heart syndrome" (HHS), December and January are the peak months for heart-related deaths in New Zealand and around the world.

Queenstown’s newest golf attraction is on track to officially open to the public early next year. The nine-hole, par 32 Gibbston Valley Golf Course designed by Kiwi golfing legend-turned architect Greg Turner has been carefully planned to offer a modern take on the centuries-old game.

Rescuers have been called to the Mount Brewster and Brewster Track area twice in the past week. Three climbers had to be rescued near the summit of Mt Brewster on Saturday afternoon (13 December) after they became bluffed – stuck with cliffs above, below and on both sides, a Maritime NZ spokesperson says.

Wakatipu Alpine Cliff Rescue Team members’ specialist skills were called in at 5.30pm on Saturday (13 December) to help locate the two Australian-based climbers who died on Sabre Peak in Fiordland National Park.

Police Search and Rescue have recovered the bodies of two people from the Fiordland National Park. Police were notified at around 7:40pm on Saturday 13 December that the pair were missing, when another climbing party activated a beacon after the pair failed to return from their intended route.

Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade secretary Katherine Lamont vows she will keep fighting after a Parliamentary Select Committee has turned down her bid – supported by a strong national petition, for equal ACC rights for thousands of unpaid volunteer firefighters.

A 35-year-old Spanish man has been remanded in custody after Police observed what allegedly appeared to be a drug deal near Frankton, stopping two vehicles, one near Boyd Road, at 9.50pm last Wednesday (3 December), Constable Amanda Shute says.

Queenstown’s Frankton Road will exceed 10 million vehicle trips for the first time in 2025, making it one of New Zealand’s busiest single-carriageway roads. Resolving the district’s transport issues has been studied in multiple business cases spanning the past decade, during which time traffic volumes on arterial roads around Queenstown have approximately doubled.