Business South October 2020

| 25 Waitaki District REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT TT Richard Loader W hether local or visitor—there is absolutely everything to love about the Waitaki District—you are in fact spoilt for choice. Where else can you catch a blue cod at dawn, spend the morning surfing the waves, hit the ski-fields in the afternoon and catch a trout at dusk? Snuggled within Canterbury and Otago, Waitaki has the honour of being the only South Island district to straddle two regions. Encompassing 7000 square kilometres, the Waitaki stretches from the coastline at Kakanui almost to the foot of Mt Cook, Aoraki. From the Waitaki River in the north, Ohau in the west and Flag Swamp in the south, the district is blessed with a diverse and breathak- ing array of geological wonders, agriculture, commercial enterprise and iconic townships. A veritable wonderland of geological magic, Waitaki takes in the ancient formations of Moeraki’s massive rock spheres, Omarama’s eroding clay-cliffs and the limestone hum - mocks of Elephant Rocks near Duntroon. Mayor Gary Kircher says Waitaki - which is already embraced under the ‘brand’ of Waitaki Whitestone Geopark- has applied to become a UNESCO Global Geopark, centred on geology and geography but includes elements such as the region’s history. “UNESCO’s assessment has been delayed due to Covid because it requires two interna- tional assessors coming here. The benefit will be an internationally recognised status.” And globally people are about to see a lot more of the district when Disney releases its movie Mulan early September, with some of the scenes filmed in the Ahuriri Valley. “What we’ve seen in the trailer is visually pretty spectacular. They timed the filming perfectly. We had an excellent dump of snow when they were about to shoot some of their main scenes, making it extra spectacular.” In total, 23,000 residents make Waitaki their home—14,000 of them living in Oamaru, the district’s largest town—famous for its iconic and historic limestone buldings and Victorian era harbour. Recognised as having one of the best collec- tions of limestone buildings and architecture in New Zealand, Heritage New Zealand is in the process of making Oamaru’s buildings a national landmark—one of only five plac - es throughout New Zealand bestowed the honour. Gary says recent years have seen a shift in demographics with younger people now moving into the area and there’s much more diverse ethnicity. “It’s been said we have the highest number of Pasifika per capita than anywhere outside the Pacific Islands—particularly Tongans and Tuvaluans. Affordable housing, good jobs and Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher: “We have big landscapes and dramatic coastline.” “New Zealanders travelling around have helped a lot. A lot of people have targeted Oamaru and Waitaki District as their destination of choice — discovering and rediscovering a beautiful part of the country.” rugby have been big draw cards. And dairying has brought in a lot of Filipinos into the district but they’re also working in industries like rest homes and the hospital.” Home to a diverse range of wildlife in- cluding Blue Penguins, seals and rare Otago Shags, Oamaru harbour has been an on-going project for 15 years transforming it from an area in need of love to a popular community destination that people flock to for recreation. “We also have a $6m upgrade project with both our museum and gallery—partly fund- ed by Council and partly by fundraising,” says Gary. With growing tourism, the District’s econo- my is largely based around agriculture with a healthy mix of iconic and new manufacturing businesses. “Dairy, sheep and beef are large employ- ers—particularly when you take in Alliance and Oamaru Meats processing plants. Oceana’s gold mine at Macraes is our second largest employer and with manufacturing we have Canterbury Spinners making carpet yarn. Te Pari, is a 100% family owned and operated manufacturing/engineering business in Oama- ru and Numat is based here. At the north end of Oamaru, Rainbow Confectionary is New Zealand’s largest con- fectionary producer and Whitestone Cheese is another iconic brand.” While tourism in the District was impact- ed by CV19, it rates highly as an employer and domestic tourism has offered a positive buffer. A road trip through the district reveals a smorgasbord of iconic townships including Palmerston, Kurow, Omarama, Maheno, Kakanui, Duntroon, Otematata, Ohau, Hamp- den and Moeraki. Each famous in their own way—think water sports and wine tasting, gliders, heritage buildings, lakeside camping, hiking and cycling, fresh blue cod fish and chips, coastal walks and of course Fleur’s restaurant. “We have big landscapes and dramatic coastline. We share the Alps-to Ocean cycle trail with the McKenzie district—starting at Mount Cook and ending in Oamaru. The trail is currently 315 kilometres and about two thirds of that is in Waitaki. We have a project to take the cycle trail from Oamaru down along the coast, adding a whole lot of marine views and wildlife.” With a large number of essential workers, Gary says the District fared reasonably well, even though the fall in international tourism was challenging. “New Zealanders travelling around have helped a lot. A lot of people have targeted Oamaru and Waitaki District as their destina- tion of choice —discovering and rediscovering a beautiful part of the country.” Wonderful Waitaki has plenty to offer