Opinion

Recent calls from sections of the tourism industry to cut the international visitor levy (IVL) risk undermining one of the few bright spots in current government policies shaping the sector.

When MC Katie Bradford asked candidates at the Chambers’ Mayoral debate last week “Would you consider a moratorium on future development until our infrastructure issues are sorted?” there was an audible ripple of support just for the fact that she asked the question.

It’s 2030. Queenstown Lakes has just introduced PayWave terminals on its park benches. ‘Just $10 to sit for 30mins and enjoy Queenstown’s spectacular views!’ Listening to the chatter surrounding the Regional Deal, this bleak user-pays vision of the future might not be too far removed from reality.

How would you like to use and enjoy Widgeon Park in the future? That’s the question on the colourful Queenstown Lakes District Council flyer that dropped into my actual letter box this week.

Running a regional airline is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a high-cost, high-risk business with very little margin for error. While Air New Zealand happily scoops up the profitable main routes, smaller communities like Wānaka are left reliant on independent operators with the courage and financial stamina to fill the gaps.

Have you ever had the feeling that driving from A to B in your hometown is not as simple and risk free as it should be? I have. Many times, hence, the need to keep up with the latest 5 star safety rating in your family vehicle when commuting around this district.

Asked to sum up this term in one word, I thought ‘sludge’, both literally (I think we all know the reference there) and metaphorically. In behavioural economics, metaphorical ‘sludge’ refers to friction. It’s the deliberate or unintentional barriers that slow people down or quietly exclude them. In the corporate world, it protects profit. In local government, it results in the status quo.

Right now, if QLDC told us it was June, a significant number of people would either disagree outright, check their diary or wonder what the ulterior motive was for telling us in the first place.

This week's letters to the editor.

If left unaddressed, many environmental changes in Aotearoa New Zealand could threaten livelihoods, health, quality of life and infrastructure for generations to come, according to the latest update on the state of the environment.

Councillors were briefed on Thursday, 20 March, where officers stated they would be engaging with iwi, rūnaka, and the community in the coming days, with a media stand-up scheduled for Wednesday, 26 March, to inform the wider public of the intention to use emergency powers. The following are my personal views on the situation.

Join us on Saturday, 11 January, for the 109th annual Lake Hayes A&P Show, proudly supported by Queenstown Airport - writes Kate Hamilton - President, Lake County A&P Society

Bird strikes with aircraft pose a serious threat to human safety. The problem dates back to the early days of aviation, with the first death of a pilot recorded in 1912 when an aircraft crashed into the sea after striking a gull.

One of the world’s most anticipated earthquakes is the next major surface rupture of the Alpine Fault in the South Island of New Zealand.

Perhaps council’s staff advisers had little choice but to retrospectively make true the claim in their LWB response to my editorial that Long Term Plan deliberations are public. Hoisted by their own petard.

We are being told the health system is in crisis, “on the brink of failure” – spending beyond its budget, waiting times getting longer, suffering from widespread staff shortages.

QLDC could so easily fix the risk in its draft Long Term Plan that it loses supermajority shareholder control of Queenstown Airport without any community consultation. But instead of addressing this risk, Council’s “correction/clarification” of my Lakes Weekly Bulletin (LWB) article sought to obfuscate, misinform and divert attention from the serious issues raised. Issues about which Council’s LWB response was silent.

Please raise your hand if you’ve ever heard a visitor or newcomer saying "I’ve come to Queenstown cause it’s always been my dream to ride the Skyline Gondola".

Analysis: What should visiting Aotearoa New Zealand cost your average tourist? The government has suggested raising the price of admission - otherwise known as the international visitor conservation and tourism levy (IVL) - from $35 to $100.

Mark Harris, managing director of Queenstown-based New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, with his post-budget opinion on the property sector