‘Buzzing’ with $22.3m win news
CENTRAL Otago is still ‘‘buzzing’’ with the news a person in the region has won a $22.3 million Lotto prize, as the winner is still to claim their prize.
The Wednesday night winning ticket was sold on MyLotto and was the biggest Powerball prize to come to the South Island.
It was also the largest prize won this year.
Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said Alexandra was ‘‘buzzing’’ with excitement, ‘‘and everyone’s talking in the community about what you would do if it was you [who won]’’.
He said many would help others with their winnings.
‘‘If it was me, I’d like to put aside some land for the Central Otago Affordable Housing Trust, and help some people that way.’’
Alexandra Blossom Festival organiser and Central Otago district councillor Martin McPherson said he had a ticket for Wednesday’s Lotto draw, but was ‘‘regrettably’’ not the winner.
‘‘When it [the winning ticket] came up as coming from Central, I had a little palpitation, but when I learned it had been sold online I realised it wasn’t going to be me, and all those wonderful plans I had for giving away that money didn’t come to fruition.’’
He likened the prize to ‘‘the world’s greatest Secret Santa’’, and advised the winner to ‘‘keep it secret, and shop local’’.
Roxburgh ward councillor and Central Otago Queenstown Trail Network Trust chairman Stephen Jeffery said it was ‘‘awesome’’ a Central Otago person had won big, and advised the winner to seek some sound financial advice before they started spending.
‘‘But they’ve probably got a pretty cruisy life in the future from now on.’’
The $22.3 million winnings could buy 40 medianpriced New Zealand homes or about 27 standard properties in Auckland.
A recent Lotto survey found a huge chunk of winners used their money to help others.
Nearly half (46%) of winners used the money to help out family members, and 30% helped their communities with random acts of kindness, food parcels and donations.